As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’ve got this cat who wandered into my yard and is now staying with us until we can find him a home. He’s elderly, skinny (though we’re feeding him up so he’s filling out slowly), very friendly, and just generally a sweet cat. I wish we could bring him in, but that’s not possible (we have five other adult cats and are currently getting our existing brood used to two kittens, so another newcomer isn’t an option at this point).
Anyway, this old guy is a sweetie, and spends most of his day sleeping under a bush in the backyard. We feed him two to four times a day and try to interact with him a bit, but other than that he’s pretty much on his own with his big dish of dry food to graze on, a big water dish, and a shelter that he almost never uses (preferring the bush).
Maybe I’m anthropomorphizing him, but I can’t help thinking he must get bored out there all by himself. I don’t really know much about older cats, or outdoor cats (ours are all spoiled rotten and relatively young). Is there anything we can do to amuse him, or should we even worry about it? He does seem content to spend most of the day sleeping, and he’s happy to see us when we come out to visit him. I don’t think he ever leaves the backyard (not sure whether he can–the yard is fenced, and while I’m pretty sure he could jump up there if he wanted to, I don’t think he wants to put out the effort as long as he’s got food, water, and shade.) Our backyard is pretty boring–just a few bushes, not much grass, and a big shed.
What do you guys think? Am I needlessly concerned, or is there something else we should be doing to make his stay with us more pleasant?
Somehow I’d managed to miss that. Thanks!