Male aggression towards neighbours cats

Question
I am currently looking after my sister's cat while she is away overseas. I am staying at her house and recently got 2 complaints from the surrounding neighbours saying her cat is fighting with all the other cats in the street. They complained that they are constantly taking their cats to the vet because of injuries and if they see him in the street again they'll take him to the pound. He is 5 years old and has been desexed. He is used to being let outside every day and now I have to lock him inside all day everyday for another 3 weeks. I feel horrible doing this as he sits at the door all day meowing and I work a 9am - 5:30pm job so I'm hardly home. I feel like I'm committing animal cruelty by locking him inside. I don't have time to take him to the vet to get a check up as I travel a fair distance too and from work and the vet is always closed when I get home.

Will he eventualluy get used to staying indoors for so long or will he be mentally affected from this? I feel like he will hate me.

Help please. I'm loosing sleep over this. I've spent so much money on new toys and scratching poles to hopefully help him get through the days.

Amy.

Answer
Hi Amy,

Stop beating yourself up over this. You are doing him a big favor by keeping him in. There is no reason to let him out. He has a very high risk of being killed out there. If he is 5 years old he will get used to being inside. As cats get older they like being in more. Don't worry about this. You are saving his life. And I am guaranteeing that he is not by the door all day long. He just does that when you leave and return.
Ciao, Karen