Indoor cats

[Leanne]

Jess is an indoor puddy cat, he had never been out before we rehomed him and he shows no signs of wanting to go out even if the door is open he'll get close smell and air and run away.

He has so many toys and scratch posts and things to do to keep him occupied. We hide treats around the house before we go to work, we're out the house 10/11 hours a day and he seems to be coping well. When we come home we make sure we give him lots of cuddles and play with him in the evening, not that he always wants to play he just sit on our laps and sleeps  

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Chimpzoo is very much a man   

Whoops!    Please accept my apologies for giving you a sex change!

[clarenmax]

Hi there, my boy is FIV+ so has to be an indoor cat.  He was picked up as a stray when he was 2, so had been used to the big wide world, but he's been kept now as an indoor cat for 6 years and he's absolutely fine with it. 

It will almost certainly be easier with kittens, as they will not have been outside before, and will not be aware of what's out there!

As everyone else has said, you do need to make sure they have plenty of stimulation, so lots of playing when you are at home, and toys they can play with on their own when you're out, so they don't get bored. 

[Sarah (seldom_use)]

Hi,

My situation is similar to yours..

I adopted two 9 week old kittens mid November last year. They are brother and sister. I live in a large 2 bedroomed flat with my partner, so there is plenty of space for them. They are indoor, but because they have each other and lots of space and toys they have a lot of fun. Most nights I sit down and play with them, throwing balls etc, giving treats..

Because I can be out of the house for 4/5 hours at a time, the best idea was to adopt the two of them bc they keep each other company when I can't be there.

Hope that helps and best of luck

Sarah x

[Ela]

Has anyone here successfully managed an indoor cat

I keep my cats in and would not dream of letting them out. My reasons are on the indoor debate on my Cats Protection site, address below.

[sheryl]

I have got indoor cats and as everyone else has said they need to be occupied and entertained. I have got 2 large scratch poles and loads of toys, to be honest I think if you chose to have indoor cat/s it is nice for there to be more than one so that they have got company when you are out.

[Christine (Blip)]

Hi Chimpzoo is very much a man    slightly off topic for a second - is it easy / possible to make the change from an indoor cat to an outdoor cat?  There's the chance i might move to the middle of nowhere in the future and have been wondering about this

Hail O Male One! If I were you, I'd start a new thread with this question to get the most replies. 

[chimpzoo]

Hi Jane 

Chimpzoo is correct when she says it can be tiring if you live on your own.  

Chimpzoo is very much a man    slightly off topic for a second - is it easy / possible to make the change from an indoor cat to an outdoor cat?  There's the chance i might move to the middle of nowhere in the future and have been wondering about this

[Littlebobo]

  Jane I have 4 indoor cats.

Invest in a good cat sratch post/activity centre and i would definetley reccomend 2 over one

good luck !!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Hi Jane 

I  have 2 cats who are indoor cats.  I live in a ground floor flat.  Originally I had 2 moggies who lived happily indoors for 8 years until one of them died.  I then got a somali kitten to keep my other cat company and they are both indoor cats.

Chimpzoo is correct when she says it can be tiring if you live on your own.  Both of mine are very lively (Jaffa I couldn't have predicted his temperament as he was a rescue kitten but he has the build of a foreign type cat - a bit like a burmese - and the slightly hyper personality that goes with that type of cat, Mosi I knew would be like that as he's a pedigree Somali) and it does take a lot of time and energy each day to play with them.  Sometimes when I come home from work I'd like to just chill out on the sofa but I have my play duties and often spend several hours playing cat games!  I wouldn't swap them for the world though.  With indoor cats you just need to think about what they'd get by going outdoors and try to provide that inside.  So lots of opportunites for exercise, climbing, playing (different types of games and you'll need lots of different types of toys - they get bored with the same ones all the time) and mental stimulation.  But I think if you're committed to it it's perfectly doable.

Christine makes a good point about adopting an FIV or disabled cat.  Some cats need to be kept indoors so those of us who want to keep our cats indoors are perfect candidates to adopt such a cat.  Just something to thnk about. 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

  to Purrs 

My cats are outdoor cats so cant help but there are loads of indoor only cats on here so you will get loads of help 

[Christine (Blip)]

  to Purrs Jane

Many of the people on here not only have cats that fare perfectly well as indoor cats, they think it's for the best in any case. They'll be able to give you all the advice you need.

You might consider adopting a cat or cats who have to be kept indoors, for example an FIV+ cat or a blind one? People will be able to advise on that too.

[chimpzoo]

Check for holes, nooks and crannies! Mine's 5 months and indoors, i try to give her at least 2 or 3 half hour play sessions a day just for excercise and to stop her getting bored, this can be quite tiring if you live on your own but you must be prepared for this as they won't be able to run about outside, that seems to be enough for mine, she seems happy.

[Sootyca]

My friend lives in a 2 bed flat, no outdoor space only a tiny balcony, and has two cats with no problems whatsoever.  She has lots of toys for them to play with so they don't get bored and they are happy as anything.

At the moment by two kittens are indoor but only because one is waiting to be speyed.  Typically, she is the one that wants to get out the most even though.  The other is happy to be inside and doesn't make any attempt to head for the door when opened.

A lot of people have indoor cats and others should be around to help you out.

Karen
x

[Jane2]

Hi, I've just joined this site, looks great...

I'm thinking about getting a kitten (/2 kittens) but i live in a flat with no outdoor space at all. Has anyone here successfully managed an indoor cat?  Any tips or things I should be aware of before doing this? 

Thanks for any tips at all!

J