Worried about road

[whethergirl]

I'm really worried about our cat who is 1 years old. I've seen him dart across the road when cars are approaching and seen cars stop just in time.

Why do they do that? Why don't they just wait until it's safe? This cat is my ds (age 7) best friend, they are inseparable, he would be inconsolable if anything happened to him.

I'm not sure why I'm here - I mean there is absolutely nothing I can do about this is there! I just wish there was.

Animals do not make sensical decisions when it comes to roads.

There ARE things you can do:

You can keep your cats indoors. You can build a run leading from the house into the garden. You can cat proof your garden.

I would not be able to keep my cat indoors, he loves going outside, especially at night and has always been desperate to get out ever since he was a kitten. I have had indoor cats before who were not bothered about going outside before, but I know this one would go bananas if I kept him in.

I must admit, never thought to cat proof my garden. It feels kind of cruel to do that but maybe necessary for the higher cause. Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this? I already have high fencing all the way round.

What about a harness, lead and regular walks :-o as well as a cat run in the garden?

I would keep him indoors after dark, that's statistically the worst time for cats.
I suspect he'd get used to it.
Otherwise you're trading off quality of life with quantity; I respect that, actually, but it's a choice you'll have to live with.
What about a very reflective collar?

Google purrfectfence and flat-cats for ways of keeping cats in just your garden and stopping them get out of open windows you do not want them getting out of, just the ones to the garden.

We have to put an empty calor gas bottle over our cat flap at night, anything lighter he can move.

During the night is when he loves to go out the most. It's a hard one...like you say ragged, it is a risk but it's about quality of life too. I wish I had thought of all this when he was a kitten and done something from the beginning then he wouldn't know the difference.

Will look into cat proofing my garden, although it's not very big so not sure how happy he will be about that. Otherwise reflective collar is a good idea.