Keeping 5 mo. Kitten Occupied

akvirs42

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Five weeks ago, my boyfriend and I adopted an adorable kitten from a local shelter. We named him Alex (Allie) and he's now five months old. He's a wonderful, very sweet cat. He LOVES people and is particularly attached to me. Basically, when I'm in the apartment, he has to be near me most of the time. Now, of course I love having a sweet kitten follow me around, but he does sometimes get in the way. In particular, he tends to wander around on my labtop when I'm using it. I think it has to do with my hands, because he likes to play with people's hands and has little interest in the laptob when I'm not using it. I generally encourage him to play on his own, but he eventually comes back to me, often when I'm in the middle of work. (I'm a college student. He sometimes even turns off the computer, causing me to lose work I'm doing.) I feel bad about closing the door on him because he often meows and claws at the door trying to get in.

I would have liked to adopt one of his litter-mates as well, but that wasn't financially possible because our apartment complex requires a $500 security deposit per pet. Does anyone have ideas about how I can keep him occupied, rather than pining for me, during times when I cannot give him very much attention? This would also be useful for when we're out of the apartment--which we don't do for long periods of time, but I can tell he misses us.
 

laureen227

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i understand the apartment thing - when i got my pair, my apartment wanted a deposit per pet. i convinced them to let me have the pair w/only 1 deposit [otherwise, i told them i wouldn't get a kitten, period, since i worked all day & lived alone]. might be worth asking - point out that 2 cats are less likely to cause damage than one, as they'll keep each other occupied. oh, & show them softpaws, & tell them you'll keep them wearing them.
worth a shot!
 

pee-cleaner

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Yes, I second the above suggestions. Sounds like your kitty is adorable, and would really thrive with a playmate.
 

hwc

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A second kittie for Allie to gnaw on would be ideal. I went back to the shelter for playmate because I could just tell that kitty wanted more roughhouse in a day than I could give him.

Failing that, some things that will keep a kittie occupied:

a) There's a kitty fishing pole that hooks over a door knob or one with a suction cup to attach to hard surface. A kitty will attack the dangling toy at the end of the elastic string for hours. Best to be in the room just in case kitty gets tangled up, but it's a low maintenance activity.

b) Every kitty I've owned just lives the little tiny size furry catnip mice. Hartz sells a package of five or twelve. They will gnaw on one of these for an hour. I've even had 'em play fetch with these things. Thow it, let them chase it down, and bring it back for another round.

c) Put a towel on an extra chair and pull it up next to your computer. Kitty will find this a good place for nap and enjoy being right next to you.
 

sport

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Same sort of issue with my little Sport in our apartment. The Cat tree/cat condo is a wonderful investment if you can afford one. I got Sport one from catandkittenstore.com for $138.95 DELIVERED. It is 78 inches tall...and he absolutely loves it. It is a god-send.
Good Luck,
Rob & Sport
 
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