Tips on keeping a house cat

Hello, i've been thinking recently about getting a cat, but i stay in
a second floor flat, and just want a few tips and ideas about keeping
a house cat. I want to make sure that he/she has a good time, not just
feels like its whole life is based in 3 rooms,

On Wed, 5 May 2010 05:09:21 -0700 (PDT), edmundo
wrote:

Hello, i've been thinking recently about getting a cat, but i stay in
a second floor flat, and just want a few tips and ideas about keeping
a house cat. I want to make sure that he/she has a good time, not just
feels like its whole life is based in 3 rooms,

It's going to have a lot better life with you than in a cage at a
shelter or being killed. Three rooms is fine for a cat; they like
familiar territory and once neutered don't roam much anyway.

Give it lots of things to hide in or climb - the typical cat tree is
always popular. Do not EVER have it declawed, they can't climb or do
things that cats should be able to do even if it is sometimes
inconvenient for the human slave. See if you can adopt one that came
from a flat but where the human died. They're already used to that
living arrangement.

Consider getting two. I know, you're concerned that it isn't enough
room for one and now I'm suggesting that you get two, but two cats
keep each other entertained and can groom and provide companionship
for each other. They won't be lonely when the human(s) have to leave.

Some cats are better without another cat, but that is the exception.
Ask at the shelter for cats that get along well with other cats; maybe
you can even get two that have been living with each other.

A nice window seat that gets sun provides endless hours of
entertainment for a cat. That really can't be beat. I can, and do, let
my cats into the backyard (fenced in), but when they can't go out, you
can often find them on the platform I built by the rear window
overlooking the yard.

To extend the square footage (or meterage), consider something like
katwalks (http://katwallks.com/). Here, look what this guy did:

http://www.brushyland.com/cats/catwalk.htm


Come on, those cats are waiting for you.

Cats measure space vertically, not in square footage like we do. Dgk
had some great suggestions--a cat tree and a window perch will add
lots of "space" for the cats. Some larger boxes can provide extra
playing and sleeping places.

Have some toys and rotate them every week or so. The cats will think
they are getting "new" things. Play with them each night for mental
stimulation and exercise.

Maybe you can adopt a pair of bonded adults from a shelter. You won't
have to go through a kitten phase (and all the vet trips associated
with that) and they can have each other for company when you're gone.
It's also lots more fun to have two cats and watch them interact. :-)

Second floor flat? No problem at all. A cat or two that's been sitting in
a cage waiting for you will be thrilled with your flat and very grateful to
you for a home. Best of luck!

Barb

On Wed, 05 May 2010 09:22:22 -0400, dgk wrote:

Give it lots of things to hide in or climb - the typical cat tree is
always popular. Do not EVER have it declawed, they can't climb or do
things that cats should be able to do even if it is sometimes
inconvenient for the human slave. See if you can adopt one that came
from a flat but where the human died. They're already used to that
living arrangement.

I used to be active in animal rescue and did foster care on a couple
of hundred cats. None of them ever objected to being kept indoors and
the five we have now were fosters we never found homes for. I have
about 2k sq', including an attached home office.



Consider getting two. I know, you're concerned that it isn't enough
room for one and now I'm suggesting that you get two, but two cats
keep each other entertained and can groom and provide companionship
for each other.

Second that. And, once you've got two, three isn't that much more,
Which is how I ended up with five.

"edmundo" wrote in message
...
Hello, i've been thinking recently about getting a cat, but i stay in
a second floor flat, and just want a few tips and ideas about keeping
a house cat. I want to make sure that he/she has a good time, not just
feels like its whole life is based in 3 rooms,

Get a kitten, so it won't be accustomed to going outside, and will be
perfectly happy as an, "inside" cat. You can even train it to accept a
leash, and take it for walks in the park.

"edmundo" wrote in message
...
Hello, i've been thinking recently about getting a cat, but i stay in
a second floor flat, and just want a few tips and ideas about keeping
a house cat. I want to make sure that he/she has a good time, not just
feels like its whole life is based in 3 rooms,

Bless you, Edmundo. Others have given you great ideas. A window perch (they
are cheap and attach with velcro, and cats love them) and an Alpine
Scratcher (for some reason every cat I have had loves these) and a little
pal are all good ideas. I had one cat for a long time, now have had two for
about as long, and two is not much more work at all. They seem like less
work because ewhen I know they are playing together, I can get more work
done.

Window perch:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754969

Alpine scratcher:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=3684658

(the above is another brand, the point seems to be the slant.

Good luck and post some photos of your cat(s)!

"Rene" wrote
It's also lots more fun to have two cats and watch them interact. :-)

It really is.

"Barb" wrote in message
...
Second floor flat? No problem at all. A cat or two that's been sitting
in a cage waiting for you will be thrilled with your flat and very
grateful to you for a home.

Yes!

edmundo wrote:

Hello, i've been thinking recently about getting a cat, but i
stay in a second floor flat, and just want a few tips and ideas
about keeping a house cat. I want to make sure that he/she has a
good time, not just feels like its whole life is based in 3
rooms,

The most important concern is whether you can cope with a cat's
claws. If you cannot, then keeping a cat is not for you.