Will My Kitten Be Okay In My Small Apartment?

[adabraselton]

Hi everyone! One of my friends recently gave me a kitten. I have become very attached to him but he hates when I leave to go to work or when I go to sleep (he is about 11 weeks old). I live in a small apartment and it is just me and the kitten. He has plenty of toys and is now house trained. The apartment is too small for me to get a second kitten.

I work a lot and he is usually left alone from 7:45 am to 5 p.m Monday - Friday. I usually go home at lunch to spend some time with him. I have already been concerned about him being left alone all the time. To make matters worse, I just got word that my partner at my job has quit. I am now going to have to spend even more time in the office to cover her workload until we hire somebody else. I will be leaving earlier for work, working through lunch and returning home even later. Several people have told me that I need to consider re homing him. My parents have offered to take him. My parents live in the country. They have a big house and lots of land. They also have more flexible schedules and can be around for the cat more. They are even willing to get a second kitten so that he has a friend.

Is it best to give the kitten to my parents with my current situation at work? I have gotten very attached but I am concerned I will not be able to give him the company he needs during my transition at work. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ArtNJ]

Your kitten will be bored, yes, and unroll your toilet paper (if you leave bathroom door open), knock over the trash (if has access), knock pens and other things off desks and counters, and generally cause some chaos for entertainment when you aren't home. However, do keep in mind that cats sleep A LOT and the kitten will be able to adjust its sleep somewhat to be up when you are home. Cats are very adaptable, and literally MILLIONS of folks have a cat in similar circumstances to yours. So its definitely not wrong to keep the cat.

Would the cat be happier at your folks with a playmate? Likely so, especially as an active youngster. But its a difficult thing to measure and quantify. Healthier is easier -- a playmate in a bigger space, the cat will be more active. So is your parents better for the cat to some degree? Yeah, but you love the cat, your going to take good care of him, and your parents can always get cats of their own. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't keep the cat.

Think of it this way. Would you be the world's best parent of a human child? If you have any self awareness your going to say no, right? Maybe you even know some folks that could do better, richer, smarter, more patient, whatever. But that doesn't mean you wouldn't do right by your kid, or that you would give them up.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I'm another vote to keep your new baby with you.
Do you have platter style toys, food puzzle toys, there are YouTube streaming webcams for cats and nature DVDs.
You could set up a camera and watch your little furbuddy, that would not only give you a mental break from work but also some peace of mind knowing what goes on when you're away.
Plus, it is to be hoped that while the extra pay from the extra work is good, that it is temporary and then you'll get back to a bit more normal work schedule.

How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. And congrats on your new kitten.

Can you post a picture of him?
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

I also vote for keeping him. As long as you can spend time with him in the evenings, he should be fine. He'll just learn that you got away in the morning, and he'll have to entertain himself till you come home.

Just make sure he's in a cat safe room, with food, water, litter box and toys. You could also maybe leave a radio on in his room, so it won't be totally quiet. If you could set up a cat condo in a window, he would probably spend a lot of time watching "kitty tv".

I'll post links to some TCS articles that might have some more tips and ideas for you.

First-time Cat Owner's Guide
How Much Time Does It Take To Care For A Cat?
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips
Playing With Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know

 

[LTS3]

I left my then 3 month old Aby alone for up to 12 hours because of work. Initially, I left him in the bathroom with everything he needed. After he got settled in and I did serious cat-proofing, I allowed him to be in the rest of the place except the bedroom. He was always fine when I got home from work. He probably meowed his head off all day looking for someone to play with, though. I eventually got him a similar age friend so he could have someone to play with.

How small is your place? I live in a 765 sq ft condo which is plenty big enough for 2 cats. Cats prefer vertical space so add cat shelves to the walls if possible and have tall bookcases secured to the wall with safety straps.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I also agree with keeping the kitten. Eventually he will not be a kitten and him being alone will hopefully no longer be a problem. I don't know how small your apartment is, but I live in a 400 sq ft studio with two cats and it is surprisingly not as bad as one might expect, but my cats are both not kittens, so I'd probably be saying something different if they were.

 

[Ghoulofnagoya]

Keep him with you. I have same issue I leave for work at 6:20 A.M. and usually not home until 6:30 P.M. I make sure to wake up early and play with him gir 30 minutes in morning then after work play an hour before dinner then after cooking and eating play with him some more. Plus IF my boyfriend is free he drops by to play with the kitty. Levi is almost 1 now and he usually sleeps while he waits for me but when he was younger I would come home to fallen objects etc.

I bought cat camera so I can check up on him. Usually he is asleep. (attached picture) Good luck with your kitty!

 

[Norachan]

I think he'll be OK with you. I work from home so I know my cats sleep 16 - 20 hours a day, even with me here to keep them company. They're all a bit older than your cat, but I think when you're not home he's just going to curl up somewhere cosy and nap.

Get him a big cat tree near a window and maybe set up a bird feeder outside so he has something to watch.

He'll be fine.

 

[di and bob]

I have a small house and 4 cats in it! I don't think even a couple of rooms is too small for two cats, they entertain each other and play all day. Cats make do with what they have, and as long as they have you in the evenings, they would be fine. Even if you decide against a second cat for company, cats adjust, yours will too. They do sleep a lot, especially when older. Just make sure there are plenty of toys around and a cardboard scratcher for exercise, and stop worrying, everything always turns out all right!

 

[socaffeinated]

I'd vote for keeping your kitten! I too went through a period of working a lot outside the home and was worried my kitten would be lonely. To compensate I played with her a lot when I got home (like 1-2 hours if she was up for it) She seemed fine. I'm also probably extra lucky because my kitten is incredibly well behaved. She never knocks anything off desks (except hair elastics - irresistible!) , claws toilet paper etc so my home was physically fine. I'm currently working from home and she honestly naps most of the day.

For play time, to make up for the smaller floorspace, I drag wand toys up and down the cat tree and couch to tire her out. I also roll my duvet up in the center of the bed as a mini-hill and lure her to run circles around the bed using a wand toy.