Would This Be Cruel?

[kara701]

Hello...

I'm moving in a few months and I've been preparing for awhile now, fixing up my house and packing. It has been extremely difficult because two of my cats pee on things if I'm not watching them, behaviorally (they have been to the vet, health problems ruled out & litter box is clean) and they destroy the blinds. It's making my house smell terrible and I won't be able to sell it like this. They are usually kept in a decent sized room with toys, cat trees, scratchers, a window to look out (plus I let them out in my house 4-7 hours a day supervised) but I need to paint that room, clean it (they ruined the carpet) and organize so they have been in a bathroom for a few days while I organize, paint, and clean the room, but the bathroom isn't ideal as it is also going to have to be fixed up & they'll just destroy the room after I fix it up.. so I don't have anywhere to put them.

For a solution, I am thinking of keeping them in a catio in my garage so they wouldn't pee in my house and destroy things. The catio is 5 ft long, 6 ft tall, and 4 ft wide. It would have a warm bed, cat trees, scratchers, toys, & more. They would be let in my house for at least 4-8 hours a day with lots of play time. It doesn't get that cold or hot here at the moment and there would be a fan and a bed heater available for them if they get too hot or cold. It would would be for 1-3 months and then in my new house they'd have a room & be let out like before..

What do you think?

 

[Desertmouse]

I’m not a expert or anything but it sounds like a decent idea to me, as long as you are still giving them a lot of attention, which it sounds like you are planning on. I assume there is airflow in and out of the garage and they would have a litter box in with them. The only thing I can think of to suggest is to be careful not to put in so many toys and scratchers that there isn’t much room for them to move around in I know I would be tempted to do that.

How loud is the area you live in? Wonder if putting them next to the garage door and opening it a bit so they could look out into the world (and smell the world) would be a option? I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not, or what kind of area you’re in, but maybe something to think about?

 

[Willowy]

I think it's fine, and might even re-train them to use the litterbox . Just make sure they get plenty of attention and playtime.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - Natures Miracle has been mentioned a number of times as being a good product since it's enzymatic, to eliminate that odor.
Something to consider for the new house might be extra/more litterboxes.
In any case I know you're up to your eyeballs in busy, so these articles are reasonably short/concise but have a lot of good info. Maybe there's something that will help in your new place. All the best of luck to you!!
16 Experts Reveal The Most Common Litterbox Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them)
The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know