Cat is bored but won't go outside

[Cakemonger]

Our cat Archie is driving us mad - he is adorable but runs about the place like a headless chicken and needs constant play and attention. I am at home a lot at the moment so I do what I can but this may change in future.

He had a bad experience the first time he went outside (a confrontation with an aggressive local cat we've named Bullycat) and refuses to go outside unless we leave the door open or go out with him. We're in a rented place so can't install a cat flap. The fight was several months ago and we have since tried to coax him out with treats but he just wails and wails to be let in. He once did this for four hours until we gave up. He treated us with disdain for quite a while after that.

We've bought him a cat tree and regular new toys but we can't afford to keep buying climbing apparatus for him!

What is the best thing to do? Should we look into getting another cat? We don't really want the expense but also don't want Archie to be unhappy. Also, there is the risk that they might not get on.

All advice welcome.

Is there a window Archie could use, rather than the door? Preferably one you can leave open when you're not in. (This totally depends on where you live, of course.)

Thanks for your reply. We live in an urban area so leaving a window open isn't an option sadly!

Thought that was likely to be the case. I live rurally and every night I lock the door I consider the pointlessness of it, since a window close to said door opens wide enough to accommodate quite a large burglar. And it's usually open for the cats. However, when I lived in town, my cats came and went via a window which was "locked" open at a couple of inches, and even my quite large silver tabby Tom could squeeze through. It wasn't dignified, mind... It was a sash window, but there may be similar for other windows. Worth a look in a hardware store?

Ha, that's ingenious! Sadly I think even a slightly open window would be too much - we are in a rather crime ridden area. I used to live in a village - I miss that feeling of freedom and safety!