# Leaving a kitten home alone?



## sashywashy (Mar 16, 2004)

Hey everyone!

It's about time to consider having a cat. Some things fell through with our other cat, and decided to leave her with parents. NOW...

We want to get a kitten from either the shelter or a friend... but both my boyfriend and I work full time, and won't be home to supervise the kitten. Would it be safe to leave a cat who's 8 or 12 weeks old home alone during the day till 5pm? 

Second... we could always get two kittens so they could keep each other busy (from same litter)... but are kind of concerned that our 800 sq. feet appartment may be too small for two... is our 2bed1bath shanty too small for 2 cats?

Just trying to see which option(s) will be best.

Thanks!!!


----------



## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

> sashywashy
> We want to get a kitten from either the shelter or a friend... but both my boyfriend and I work full time, and won't be home to supervise the kitten. Would it be safe to leave a cat who's 8 or 12 weeks old home alone during the day till 5pm?


Its a good idea for you to get two so it has companionship while your not there..You could keep it confined to one room for starters.


----------



## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I don't think your place is too small for two cats.

But if it's possible, I think it's a good idea for at least one of you to take your vacation time so you can be home for a couple weeks. That way you can discover what kinds of things you need to do to cat-proof your house. You're less likely to come home to unpleasant surprises. And you get some bonding time.  

Getting two cats at the same time from the same litter is a great idea....the highest possibility they'll get along well.


----------



## Kelae (Sep 4, 2004)

I had originally planned to adopt an older single cat from my local humane society but when he got adopted out from under me, I ended up with two 6 month old sisters. I have to say that I'm glad it worked out that way. The two of them have such a good time playing together! It's daily wrestlemania at my house. I just have a medium sized one bedroom apartment and they don't seem to have a problem with the amount of space, so I would imagine you would be fine with your two bedroom.

It's been about a year and a half since they came to live with me, and I still confine them to the bedroom and bathroom when I'm not at home. They have everything they need in there and I've made it as cat safe as I can, although I've come to learn that nothing is ever 100% cat proof :roll:.

To minimize unpleasant surprises I would wear them out with a very active play session before you leave. Also be sure to provide them with a scratching surface or you can be sure they'll choose one themselves.

The only other piece of advice I have is to establish any grooming routine you want while they are babies. I am currently trying to get the girls into toothbrushing and it's not pretty. However, I've been trimming their claws since they moved in and they don't have a problem with it.

Good luck and enjoy!

Kel


----------



## fbodgrl (May 10, 2004)

I would think as long as the place is kitten proofed you should be ok. Here is a thread about how many animals everyone has and how many sq. ft. http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=18039

I had three cats in under 900 sq ft. It was a 2 bedroom flat. I didn't feel cramped, so maybe 2 would be OK for you.


----------



## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Just remember: when you think you've got your place cat-proofed, think again!! Cats have a way of discovering something we've overlooked or didn't think was a problem. :wink:


----------



## sashywashy (Mar 16, 2004)

hah! 

Yeah... we'll have to cat-proof the place... for sure. I think we decided one or two will be fine in this place. I think we're more worried about leaving them home alone for the day... vacation time is out of the question as we just graduated college and are now starting our lives together with full time jobs that don't grant vacation time till the end of the year :roll: 

I suppose the age range that is available here is 8-12 weeks for the most part. I'm leaning towards one 12 week old cat... my boyfriend wants 2. If we were to do the 1-cat thing, is there a big chance that it'll be bored/lonely & crying all day long till we get home? :?


----------



## fbodgrl (May 10, 2004)

It is possible that the kitty may want a play mate.


----------



## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

I recently adopted two kittens (sisters). In the past I had always gotten one at a time, but I see that the two together are much happier and more independent. They keep each other company, play, and sleep together.

It will be easier for two to stay busy while you're away. One kitten could end up being pretty lonely all day. Plus, if you know that at some point you would want more than one cat, your best bet is to get two littermates now instead of getting one and then bringing in another cat later.


----------



## Jockette (Feb 2, 2005)

my boyfriend is expecting a cat or two within the next month...

and here are the things I gotta do to prep
-depending on the cat and personality, a small "hideway" place with something to sleep on in the corner of the closet
-make sure all small places (for example, under the bed and couches) are cleaned squeeky clean so they don't go under there and come out a dust covered cat
-my boyfriend and I have had experiences with box springs for the mattress. If the bottom is exposed, try to get some fabric to cover it up. The fabric with most box springs is this thin thin layer of cotton(?) and cats can easily rip a hole open and climb into the box spring. It's a huge pain to get them out... even if you reach under there to poke at them


----------



## sashywashy (Mar 16, 2004)

Well, after some thought and weighing options... I think we may want to adopt a slightly older kitten (maybe 6 mo - 1 year). I think we forgot how much we ended up spending for Sasha's shots, spaying, and supplies. I would highly prefer two smaller kittens, but it's just so expensive here in California :?


----------



## Katten Minnaar (Mar 18, 2005)

I would say your house would be fine for a few cats as we have (well soon to be) 4 cats in a 2 bedroom cottage and we are coping fine. Although we wont be getting any more untiln we move as we know we'd need a lot more room.

I would say if your going to be away a lot at work you should really think about getting 2 cats to keep them company. Whether that is 2 kittens or 2 slightly older cats. When we rescued Eviecta from a shelter there we cats there that ghad to go in two's....so if you are still looking for 2 cats to keep each other company that could still be possible. 
With the kittens, when you get them they should of had most of there jabs that they need. Then all you have to do which you'd have to do with any cat is regular flea and tick stuff etc. Which does not cost a huge ammount. So I don't see how it would be that much more expensive to ger a kitten and I know from experiance you can start to miss what they were like as a baby etc or if the fact neatuering has been taken out of your hands etc.

I would say from having taken home a rescue cat and also later on a kitten that they still needed the same attention etc so if you really want kittens I wouldn't rule it out. And it is so lovely to see them grow up...something after having 2 kittens (soon to be three) I am glad I never missed.

I hope the above has helped, I know things maybe a little different where you live as I live in the UK but I do hope I helped in some way.

If you need any more advice or want a chat feel free to PM me anytime.

Take care and Good luck

Bobble


----------



## sashywashy (Mar 16, 2004)

Hmmm... that's what I think too... how nice two would be. I know shelters here will let you have the kittens for $80. And that covers the spaying/neutering, first shots, and a dosage of advantage/frontline (or whatever they use).

I think when we got Sasha, she had an upper respitory infection and it ended up being over $250 to take care of it. 

More debating, here we come! :lol:


----------



## Katten Minnaar (Mar 18, 2005)

Did you get Sasha from the same place? Normally shelters will check over the cat(s) before they let you take them home and if they are not healthy they wont lety you take them until they are well.

Good luck with everything and makie sure you get some pet insuranmce to cover the cat(s) when they come home as you never know what will happen and if something does at least you wont have to worry about the money side of it.

Take care and I hope you can sort out what you want do too

Bobble


----------



## fbodgrl (May 10, 2004)

When I got Mateo from the shelter he had a two week health plan in addition to his shots and neutering. He had an upper respitory infection, but they covered the visit to the vet and medication. Plus medication for my other three that ended up getting the infection.


----------



## horseplaypen (Apr 1, 2004)

We got our cats from the shelter when they were three months old, and they are sisters. We live in a medium-sized one bedroom apartment, but they aren't allowed in the bedroom, and they seem to be okay with the rest of the space. But, I tend to think that cats can adapt fairly well to any space - my boyfriend's sister at one time had three adult cats and a rabbit in a bachelor suite, and they all did just fine. 

Neither my boyfriend nor I get paid vacation from our jobs, so staying home wasn't an option. But we went to the shelter on Friday night, so that we had at least the weekend to spend with the kittens. Even so, they didn't cause that much trouble during the day, and the only kittenproofing we had to do was to move breakable objects and small plants that could be knocked over to a higher shelf or into the bedroom. They stay away from electrical wires and the dieffenbachia without having to be told. It wasn't even an issue. 

I would personally not get only one cat if I were going to be out all day... whether or not the cat was lonely or not, I would worry all the time that she was. Plus, I find that two kittens together develop many interesting personality quirks and habits than just one alone. It's really neat to watch them interact. 

Good luck!


----------



## sashywashy (Mar 16, 2004)

Yeah... after talking with my boyfriend's mother and sister... I think the two kitten option might be better in the long run. At least they can keep each other company during the day... not to mention how fun it would be to have two. 

I just hope that we can find two kittens at the right age in the shelters near us. Most have a ton of older cats... but not many seem to have kittens. I suppose we'll have to keep our eyes open for shelters/pounds that'll have at least a few 8-12 week olds so we can pick 'em out.


----------

