Hey guys!
My girlfriend and I are taking care of a beautiful black and white long haired cat this week. He's a cross breed, but he's half forest cat and used to being able to pop outside whenever he wants to. He can't do this here, since it's a fairly small (50 square meters) 4th floor appartement.
He seems to have taken it all surprisingly well, apart from the bus ride which he hated. We're in a quiet neighborhood in a quiet building so there's no typical "city noise" to bother him, and it's (luckily) a separate bedroom, separate kitchen layout so for now he has been happy just checking out the rooms, getting used to the smells and the things here. I think he also appreciates the fact that we're still moving in here, so we've got thousand boxes and lots of stuff lying around.
The balcony is off limits to him since he has no concept of what a balcony is and would most likely try to walk the railing etc. which is something we just won't risk.
He's already eating and drinking well, he immediately found his litter box and started using it, and since both my girlfriend and I are cat people, he has been getting a LOT of attention since he got here. I think he's fine, but a little bored. He doesn't find much joy in typical "cat toys" and we won't be buying any "cat stuff" like a scratching pole since he'll only be here for a week.
Any tips on how to keep a cat entertained indoors?
My girlfriend and I are taking care of a beautiful black and white long haired cat this week. He's a cross breed, but he's half forest cat and used to being able to pop outside whenever he wants to. He can't do this here, since it's a fairly small (50 square meters) 4th floor appartement.
He seems to have taken it all surprisingly well, apart from the bus ride which he hated. We're in a quiet neighborhood in a quiet building so there's no typical "city noise" to bother him, and it's (luckily) a separate bedroom, separate kitchen layout so for now he has been happy just checking out the rooms, getting used to the smells and the things here. I think he also appreciates the fact that we're still moving in here, so we've got thousand boxes and lots of stuff lying around.
The balcony is off limits to him since he has no concept of what a balcony is and would most likely try to walk the railing etc. which is something we just won't risk.
He's already eating and drinking well, he immediately found his litter box and started using it, and since both my girlfriend and I are cat people, he has been getting a LOT of attention since he got here. I think he's fine, but a little bored. He doesn't find much joy in typical "cat toys" and we won't be buying any "cat stuff" like a scratching pole since he'll only be here for a week.
Any tips on how to keep a cat entertained indoors?
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Comments
What makes you think he is bored? From what you've written I can assume that the cat should be feeling quite well given so much attention and love (and surrounded with so many boxes!!).
He seems to be settling in pretty well, he found a spot on the highest bookshelf where he can observe every move we make, and escape from the vacuum cleaner when he has to. It's funny, it's the first time I've ever seen a cat go UP instead of down (in, under, below something) when trying to escape something
I don't think this is going to be a problem at all.
I think he's quite content with exploring all the stuff at your current home. At least, this should be enough to entertain him during the week. Apparently, this is why he wasn't really interested in "cat" toys: they look boring compared to the boxes and other "mess"!
But I didn't get you... do you mean that you're not his real owners and in a week he'll go back to them?
Like I've said before, I'm not really a fan of keeping cats confined to small spaces like city appartements, but in this case we have no choice
Note: I have no idea why this was double-posted. It shows up only once in the editor.
It seems your girlfriend is in love with cats as much as you are. You're lucky to meet each other! Does it mean you won't have any cats if you live in a city apartment?
P.S. That double-texting was a bug we've fixed, so no worries!
No, I wouldn't keep a cat in a city appartement with no access to the outdoors. I know that it's a very, very common thing to do, and I know more than a few happy "indoors cats", but I just couldn't. The right breed of cat, in the right appartement, with the right owner can be very successfull I'm sure. Still, cats are active and independent hunters, and I could personally never cage such a beautiful and free animal in a city appartement.
There is a reason why it's very, very hard to turn an outdoor cat into an indoor cat. They're just not ment to be confined in such a small space. I'm not saying city cat owners are cruel, because they're not. I do think it's a little selfish though. Think about it - the average male cat will mark up a territory that is somewhere between 150 and 250 square meters, and they will happily roam up to more than a kilometer away from it's home every day. Sure, they're adaptable and intelligent, but how can an animal with instincts like that truly be happy and satisfied in a 50, 40 or even 30 square meter city appartement?