Kitten advice

natec12

Hi all just looking for a wee bit of advice for my new kitten. He arrived today from a local rescue we've fallen in love already and named him fluffy (Kid's overruled me) . So far so good he playing, sleeping, eating, drinking and using the tray. The thing is we lost our last cat a few months ago. She was mostly indoor and let out for a few hours during the day. She always slept inside and one night she didn't come home. We live in an urban area in a housing estate and there was rumours going around that neighbours were "disposing" of the cats. Btw I only found this out afterwards because I would have kept her in. So to cut a long story short how do I keep him happy in the house?

aonb

How old is the kitten? Male or female? Whats its 'background'
If its used to NOT going out, and is kept entertained and lots of space to ramble about, and its personality is such that it will be happy wherever it is, and hasnt been used to being outside, then you could keep it in and see how it goes.
I had a feral kitten that I rescued, it was very young when I found it - I kept it in for the next few months until she was old enough to be neutered. I live in a very remote rural area, so I never planned on her being an indoor cat, but during that time, she was perfectly happy indoors. (Now shes outdoors when she wants, mostly in/out/in/out/in/out/in/out, and is in overnight

natec12

It's a boy they estimate 8 or 9 weeks he was a surprise litter from a family cat and left in to be rehomed. That's all they said they didnt say if he was out or in but at his young age I doubt he could have been out? I want him to be completely indoors I was devastated when my last cat disappeared I want to keep him safe but happy if you know what I mean. It's just my other cats growing up and my one that went missing have all been in and out so I was just looking for some advice on keeping him happy and occupied I'm afraid he'll get bored.

boomerang

There is so much good info out there, OP!

Lots of "indoor cats" groups on facebook. One is "Indoor Cats UK & Republic of Ireland"

Also the Ohio State University Indoor Pet Initiative is very helpful.

Most American cat authors write on the basis that your cat/kitten is indoors-only. Pam Johnson Bennett and Jackson Galaxy are great.

Really all you need to do is google!

People keeping their cats indoors-only are a small but growing band in Ireland.

juneg

Limerick Feral cats society are on Facebook. If you send a message they can advise you. I know they keep some cats indoors .

Guess_Who

I had an indoor cat for 5 years from when he was 8 weeks old. Unfortunately he passed away last week due to a heart condition.

Over the years I sometimes wondered if I was doing the right thing by keeping him inside but in the end I was relieved that when he became suddenly unwell he was at home where he could be cared for.

To keep him happy inside I provided plenty of toys, mixed and matched them a bit so he couldn't get bored i.e. put some away for a few weeks & then rotate them. Give him access to where he can see out. My lil guy loved curling up on an armchair by double doors where he could watch birds coming and going to the bird feeder. I made sure to give him lots of attention when I came in from work.

He did develop a weight problem for a little while which I sorted out but may need to be pre-empted because he'll naturally be less active than an indoor / outdoor cat. Just make sure you're giving him food in the right quantities and I found an empty egg carton to be a great puzzle feeder.

Hope this helps

jungatheart

Lots of toys and a nice cat tree for him to lounge around and observe things in. If they haven't been outside, they don't miss it and it's definitely safer in urban areas with all the cars and everything. If you had some space and could do it, it might be worth building a little "catio" with good fencing or mesh so he can have some safe outdoor access. I did this for my cats and it means they have best of both worlds, they are indoors but with limited safe outdoor access, they can't go beyond my back garden and they can enjoy air and sun outside if they want. It also means they can watch the birdies but can't do any damage ! He won't have been out at that age and he won't get bored if he has enough toys and stimulation and sure you know cats after a while, they have perfected the fine art of regular sleeping

SillyMangoX

You can also train kittens to walk on a lead if you still want to get him some outdoor time! I have a 4 month old Bengal kitten who is indoor only, but trained him to walk on lead as he has so much energy it's the only way to tire him out
All I have to do now is say "get your coat" and he runs to the back door to get his harness on! The DaBird/flying frenzy toy is also fantastic for letting them still have a 'hunt'. Even my 8 year old cats love that one!
Plenty of high spaces indoors are a must too, tall cat trees or shelving they can mooch across. Or if you're not house proud, curtains provide hours of entertainment :pac:

jungatheart

yes, the harness is also good, I did that with mine for a while before I built the catio and they liked it and got used to it quickly enough. Once we got the catio though, they had so much outdoor space and opportunities to climb and so on in the sun, we stuck with that. Plenty of high spaces are good ideas, shelving would work well. It's amazing how quicky you can catify your house ! Maybe check out some Jackson Galaxy stuff on youtube about indoor cats.

Shivi111

My guys are allowed out but Mori was an indoor cat for the first year and a half of his life, so we picked up some tips!

you will want lots of toys, and don't leave them all out all of the time, if you rotate them then they feel new when they reappear. (At one point we had a kids ball pool in the living room... mad, but he loved it!)

Cats tree is a must, this gives the cat somewhere to climb and is their own territory in your house.

When you are home you want good quality play time, interactive play with a fishing pole type toy is great.

Lots of scratching posts for sharpening claws!

Watch the diet when kitten is fully grown, you'll need a food for a neutered indoor cat to stop weight gain.

The biggest help we found in keeping Mori happy was introducing Loki when he was about eight months old, a friend to spend the days with can be really helpful in alleviating boredom.

Mori eventually patiently explained to us that he would like to go outside please, and we eventually gave in, but I think that's just down to his personality, our girls would probably manage fine inside, just mentioning it as I do think some cats aren't suited to indoor living no matter how much you put in place, so don't feel bad if it doesn't work out!

Paddy Cow

I was going to say teach it to walk on a leash as well. Here is a website with great tips and a YouTube video. There's loads more.