Advice on injured cat being let back outside
Disclaimer:
I hope this is the right place to post this. I have never posted on Reddit before, so if there is a better thread I could find advice in, please let me know.
My male, 6 year old, neutered cat has been an outdoor cat since he was about 1 1/2 years old. When he was 4 years old he was hit by a car and suffered from a broken jaw, lost an eye and a canine tooth. He was fed through a tube in his neck for two months. I paid for every surgery for him to survive because I love him so much.
The last two years I have kept him inside the house because I am worried for his safety. At first he had no desire to go outside, but since I have moved to a more remote area with less to none traffic he has started acting out and has made it clear he wants to be outdoors.
Almost a year ago I got another cat (that I plan to keep strictly indoors) in the hopes that it would help with his activity and stimulation, they have gotten along very well, but at the end of the day he acts out and is not content with being restricted. I have also tried putting him in fenced outdoor areas , but he is not happy about it. He just cries and wants to be let free.
The last time I let him out at my new place, he got stuck in the neighbours yard that had high fences. He lost a couples claws and was bleeding. For the most part, he is very coordinated, in the sense that you wouldn’t know he was blind in one eye. However, I am very scared of other animals getting him now that cars aren’t a factor. I guess after all the context, im curious if people think it’s a bad idea to let my cat outside again? I know regardless there is always something that could harm him. Would you consider it cruel to let a one eyed cat back out into the outdoors?
Thank you for your feedback!