How much behavior is "normal?"

Hi folks. So I've had Lucky for about a month now and am absolutely in love with her My question today is regarding activity. As some of you know, I live in a studio apt. in NYC so she doesn't have stacks of room to run around in. I give her lots of love at night and play with her about 15 min. a day. (in the morning I give her some morning love but I'm not around for long). She plays with her toys throught the day I know as I find them in different places when I get home. --SO...I'm trying to find out if she's active enough. (and engaged enough) or if she could be bored/depressed? I'm also trying to figure out regarding food...whether I need to be giving her food for inactive or active cats. She's 1 1/2 years old and fairly fiesty but most the time I'm home she just sits or sleeps next to me.
Thanks folks!
LM

I bet she could use a little playmate if you're gone all day..

At her age I would not feed her 'inactive' food.. that strikes me as more for older cats. Any normal adult cat food (preferably not from the grocery store) should be fine for her.

It really depends on the cat. I have one about the same age as your Lucky and she's active when I'm home, but sleeps most of the time I'm gone. We're going to get her a cat tree/condo soon so that she has some other way to get exercise other than just running around chasing things, which she doesn't really do. She prefers to jump & climb.

Do you have space for a cat tree?

Stephanie

My husband got a 6" across 6 ft tall Sono tube (hard very thick cardboard from hardware used for pouring concrete), covered it (staple gun) with indoor/outdoor 'loopless' pile carpet (coupla bucks) and attached it with 2" bars to a wall, with a 15" sq. shelf at the top. There's a firmish 'tub' chair underneath for 'landing' and taking off from, and carpet on the floor around the 'tree'. Cheap, easy, takes up no real space, and it's been in use for 2 yrs now.

It's not good to leave a cat alone all day without a companion. We have 2 British Shorthairs (brother and sister). I amout of the house from 6.15am until 5.45pm. However my husband comes home lunch time for an hour every day. So, that's not too bad.

Oh I know it's not the best for Lucky but 2 cats in my studio apt. in NYC is just not feasible right now. To keep the tracked litter and hair from literally taking over the room I live in is enough work with 1 cat nevermind 2! (my boy friend is also midly allergic...one cat and he puts up a good fight as he adores her but 2 would be pushing it). Hopfully I'll move in the next year or so and have more space but till then 2 cats is just not really an option. Are there any other owners out there that only have one pet!?
sigh...I'm feeling terribly guilty now!?

Originally Posted by stephanietx

It really depends on the cat. I have one about the same age as your Lucky and she's active when I'm home, but sleeps most of the time I'm gone. We're going to get her a cat tree/condo soon so that she has some other way to get exercise other than just running around chasing things, which she doesn't really do. She prefers to jump & climb.

Do you have space for a cat tree?

Stephanie

Click to expand...

Maybe if it can be used as her scratch post instead of what she has now. Any advice on what ones premote the most activity? She runs around quite a bit when I'm home but I want to get her moving as much as possible.
Thanks!

I have never only had one cat at a time, it is basically the same amount of time money and work as one, plus they will play together all day. As for tracking and fur, get a short haired cat and buy a better litter or covered box!

But anyways, get her some interactive toys, you could tie strings with toys on the ends around your apartment. A cat tree would be good too.

Originally Posted by AnimalLover77

Oh I know it's not the best for Lucky but 2 cats in my studio apt. in NYC is just not feasible right now. To keep the tracked litter and hair from literally taking over the room I live in is enough work with 1 cat nevermind 2! (my boy friend is also midly allergic...one cat and he puts up a good fight as he adores her but 2 would be pushing it). Hopfully I'll move in the next year or so and have more space but till then 2 cats is just not really an option. Are there any other owners out there that only have one pet!?
sigh...I'm feeling terribly guilty now!?

Click to expand...

Dont feel guilty! Lots of people just have 1 cat. She probably just sleeps all day like mine lol. I mean cats can be totally fine by themselves. Our CRF family cat is 18 and has been an only cat for the last 15 years and is totally fine and happy. I had suggested it might help to have a companion for her but now that I know the full story its totally understandable that you dont want to get another one right now. Just try to give her extra attention when you get home and also what others suggested, some interactive toys maybe. Mine love the plastic thing with the ball that goes around. I still dont think she needs 'inactive' food at such a young age.

I have one kitten that's 4 months old. I've only had him for about a week and a half now, and I'm gone for quite a bit (2:30 pm till 2:30 am, sometimes later), but almost every minute I'm home I'm paying at least half my attention to him. When I come home in the evening, he's like popcorn, he's jumping all over the place and running through the apt at like 60 mph!

I guess I play with him pretty rough, usually after an hour or two after I get home he's pretty worn out, 30 min in the morning before I go to work seems to satisfy him (he curls up on my chair to take a nap before I leave usually). When he's awake, he's like a little whirlwind.

Those litter mats cut down on tracked litter by a whoooole lot.