Pets in apartments

u2gooner

Does anyone keep cats or small dogs in an apartment?
How does it work out?
Would a cat jump from a balcony if it was let out for air?

Tabitharose

the first thing you would need to consider is whether or not you are allowed to keep pets in the apartment you live in (Landlord / Management company rules)

otherwise cats can be kept as indoor only cats very happily but if you were to get a cat you would have to cat proof your balcony if you wanted to let the cat out on the balcony

Irish-Lass

I know quiet a few people who live in apartments that have cats. Obviously if you lived on the ground floor the situation would be a lot easier.......any higher and I would seriously consider not letting the cat onto the balcony. You maybe able to cat proof the balcony but I know a lot of Management Companies can be a little funny in relation to what is put on a balcony the apartment complex near me are not allowed keep bikes, bbq, clothes etc on the balcony so I would check before you did anything

thatkindofgirl

In university my flatmate and I had 2 cats and there were no problems. Her cat was indoor/outdoor and mine was indoor only.

We were on the 2nd floor too, but the stairs were exterior, not inside, so that's how Harley got in and out.

We didn't have any disasters, but I did have a friend whose cats fell from the first floor balcony.

I guess the difference in Canada was that we had screens on our windows!

Arcadian

First of all make sure you get the ok from your land lord or management company.

Dogs can do well in apartments provided they have lots of excercise opportunities, but bear in mind that sound insulation is often poor in apartment blocks so a barky dog will certainly cause trouble with the neighbours.

I wouldn't be inclined to let a cat out onto an open balcony, the risk of them jumping or falling is very high.

Sigma Force

I lived in Germany for a time and most people live in apartments and many people have pets in them. However the laws are much better over there and the public too with regard to dogs roaming free, tagging etc (not saying its perfect though) many people have cats and dogs in their apartments. At the same time I have heard many a story of cats and dogs falling from balconys, so what you would need to do is put a strong netting around the balcony, it won't look great but it will keep the cat safe.
Small dogs can jump very high, my little one can jump 5 feet and over if she takes a notion so a strong netting or wire might be required on a balcony for a dog too, it depends on what way the balcony is too.

It's not impossible though, cats can live very happily in a decent sized apartment, although if you aren't around during the day for company it's better to get two cats or kittens that get on well together. A cat tower, cat scratcher and also access to grass is important somewhere where you don't have access to a garden, you can get the cat grass in some pet shops and www.pet-bliss.com sell it too I think. Be wary of poisonous house plants too.

I know people with small dogs and huge dogs that live in apartments and they all live happily many apartments are the size of a small house anyway. However they need extra walks because they have no access to a garden but once in a routing they are grand, when toilet training my aunt used to have her dog go on the balcony when it was too late to go outside.

An ideal pet for an apartment is a house bunny or two, once the place is bunnyproofed they can be great fun, can be easily litter trained too.

u2gooner

Thanks,
According to rules of the building 'you may not keep animals that will cause nuisance to other residents' so there shouldnt be a problem with a cat.
As for the balcony there would probably be a problem with putting up a net or anything for that matter.
I never kept cats before, so dont know how I would manage two kittens. Would they wreck the place while i was at work during house training?

Arcadian

Kittens don't need house training in the same way as a puppy, they should already be using their litter boxes reliably by the time they leave mum.

u2gooner

Any particular breeds of cats more suitable to indoor living than others?

u2gooner

Arcadian wrote:

Kittens don't need house training in the same way as a puppy, they should already be using their litter boxes reliably by the time they leave mum.

Obviously this is the case if you take kittens from someone who's cat had them. What about rescued cats? Are kittens that come from a shelter hard to train?
Do people sell cats? I often see ads offering kittens free to good homes but never for sale

Nasty_Girl

u2gooner wrote:

Obviously this is the case if you take kittens from someone who's cat had them. What about rescued cats? Are kittens that come from a shelter hard to train?
Do people sell cats? I often see ads offering kittens free to good homes but never for sale

This is because loads of people don't neuter their cats and then end up with 5 or 6 kittens.
It's hard enough to find people to take care of them for free let alone with a price on them.
The only time people generally sell cats is if they are pure breeds.

From my experience of kittens, they generally like to "toilet" somewhere where they can cover it up. So if you have a lino or wooden floor the kitten is likely to go for the litter box. A carpet, however, could be mistaken for a substance that could be dug up to cover the mess.
Sometimes they can be territorial about these things so if you have more than one kitten you may need an additional litter box.

With regard to wrecking your house; kittens by their nature are very curious and like to explore everything, so some things may get knocked over.
So provided you keep anything of extreme value out of their way you should be fine.
They're adorable creatures and well worth it.

u2gooner

Yea, like i said i never had cats before , always had dogs. Dont mind cats tho. I wont be moving for about a year so have loads of time to think about it.
Do all cats shed hair on carpets or furniture, or are some breeds better than others?

Nasty_Girl

Obviously a long haired cat will be worse.
I don't know how much molting your cats will experience if they are to be kept indoors.
Two of my cats have thick winter coats and shed when petted. It's nothing a stiff brush of the furniture won't sort out though.

u2gooner

Thanks for the advice.

Ive been looking on the shelter websites and theres always cats looking for homes, so should have no probs finding a cat when the time comes

Tabitharose

www.kittenadoption.ie

:cool: