Dog or cat in apartment

rferguson

Hey just looking for some advice. I have been living in an apartment for 2 years now and am missing having a pet. we always had a dog when i was growing up and i feeling the need to get one for myself.

my question is. would a small dog be suitable to have in an apartment. i do walk most evenings and would have no problem bringing the dog out in the morning for a quick walk. so the dog would be getting enough excerise.

or should i just go with a cat??

please help

andrewh5

rferguson wrote: »

Hey just looking for some advice. I have been living in an apartment for 2 years now and am missing having a pet. we always had a dog when i was growing up and i feeling the need to get one for myself.

my question is. would a small dog be suitable to have in an apartment. i do walk most evenings and would have no problem bringing the dog out in the morning for a quick walk. so the dog would be getting enough excerise.

or should i just go with a cat??

please help

My guess is that you will not be allowed to have a dog or cat in the apartment under the terms of your developments house rules.

rferguson

andrewh5 wrote: »

My guess is that you will not be allowed to have a dog or cat in the apartment under the terms of your developments house rules.

its more of a duplex apartment. ie. i have my own entrance on the ground floor and is owned by myself

JB1

In an appartement, you are better of with a cat.Inside ONLY please-cats use a litter box. Dogs will require to be left out AT LEAST 3 times a day, out of which 1 has to be at least a 1 hour walk, 45 minutes for a mini dog (yorkshire terrier or so).
I would go with a cat if I were in your situation.

MsFifers

Well, you haven't mentioned if you are working full time or whether you live on your own or with someone, but bear in mind that a dog left alone all day in an apartment might get destructive with being pent up.

Also, dogs bark - your neighbours might not be happy.

I had two cats living in my apartment with me until we moved about 1 month ago. We were all v. happy there together! I got them as kittens and kept them indoors all the time, making sure they had plenty of toys, hidey places, climbing places etc. They also loved sitting on the windowsill, watching the world go by.

Cats are really funny, affectionate animals - I'd say you would enjoy having them as pets.

If you are working all day, consider getting two cats so that they can be company for each other.

andreac

do you get home at lunchtime at all? or could you get a dog walker in? if so you could have a small dog, is there any garden area to let the dog out for a while?
I own a rottweiler and i dont have a huge garden, but to be honest he's never in it, he comes to work with me everyday and gets walked on the stud farm at lunchtime and after work so when he gets home he just wants to sleep in the house with me.

Glowing

If you're working full time, then I'd recommmend a pair of cats rather than a dog!

Cats are great craic! They are funny and affectionate, and there is nothing nicer than a cat purring on your lap. You could perhaps foster one or two and see how you get on before making your final decision ....

Sigma Force

By the sounds of it you will be gone all day and only be able to walk the dog most evenings (not sure of your hours) so I think a pair of cats would be better, they are ok to be left alone but do miss human company and do miss their owner, depending on the bond you have with them but in an indoor setting your cat will have an even closer bond being with you all the time when you're home.

GeturGun

+ 1 on the pair of cats.
I have 2 cats and they are no bother and the neighbours don't know they are there (well, as far as i know )
A girl i work with had a dog in a duplex own door and they had complaints from the mgmt company. I'll guess the dog barking during the day.
My 2 are absolute divils but amazing fun and I love coming home to them. Have had them 4 months now and I can't remember what it was like when they were not here!!!! They're curled up together here on the bed as I type this!!!! I know you don't get the fun of walking cats but they are pretty amazing company all the same!!!

rferguson

thanks all for your comments.

i think the pair of cats is the way to go alright.

any tips on training cats or whats the best place to rescue kittens would be great :-)

kerrysgold

It depends how long you work for really. on the continent a lot of people who live in apartments also keep dogs. As long as the dog wasn't left alone for more than around 4 hours a day, was taken outside for the "bathroom" every 4 hours and got an hour or so walk every day as well, then there shouldn't be a problem.

If you work more than 4 hours a day and aren't prepared to adopt a pair of dogs and also hire a dog walker, then I'd day you'd be better off with a pair of cats.

As for adopting cats, check out www.irishanimals.ie and also http://petsireland.invisionzone.com there is also www.kittenadoption.ie

The Sweeper

Just a note on leaving any animal alone during the day - the domestic cat will tolerate being left on its own during the day better than a dog would, but conversely you get out of a cat only what you put into it - so they won't be as delighted to see you when you get home as a dog would be.

Depending how long you're gone for each day, you really need to interact with your cats when you get home, especially if you don't want a pet that just eats, sleeps and ignores you. Same works with two cats - because they'll bond with each other and not necessarily with you. When you arrive home you need to call them, greet them, go and find them and cuddle them, give out treats and generally make a fuss of them.

Cats can be really marvellous pets if they get a lot of attention, and pretty dull pets if they don't. (I know people whose cats sleep in the house and don't come when called, so you could spend hours looking for a cat who's asleep in the bottom of a cupboard, and it isn't hungry so it's not going to come running just because they're calling it.) It's also important to put that time in when they're kittens, because as they get older they naturally become more independent, and if they're not trained to respond to being called when they're small, they'll be less inclined to respond when they grow.

The more interaction you give an indoor-only cat, the happier it will be living indoors. There's a lot of argument about what living situation makes the cat happier, but there's one fact that simply can't be argued against - your cat is safer as an indoor pet than being allowed to wander. How contented it is as an indoor pet is up to you.

sillymoo

Def +1 on the pair of cats.

I always had dogs growing up and would never really look at a cat. But then my boyfriend rescued a stray tom and have never looked back! We live in a small 2 bed apartment on the ground floor. We took in a wee girl cat too and the two curl up on the window still together and are minor celebrities in the complex! They use litter trays and dont go out and are as happy as larry.

On training cats, if they come from a shelter they prob will be already able to use a litter tray. My tom was able to use it and the girl learned from him (she had not a clue!). They are very clean and take care of themselves really.

GigaByte

+1 on 2 cats.

I got 2 cats, ones a year and 5 months old and the other one is 7 months old and there the best of friends. They're very clean and will often clean each other. They're great pets and are no trouble to look after. They both use the same litter tray as well!

Just don't eat prawns in front of them.

MsFifers

I have failed to train my indoor cats - they do not come when called, and jump up on the kitchen counter etc. So I can't give much advice on that.

But I don't think training is as much of an issue with cats as with dogs. They use their litter tray naturally (as long as it is kept clean), and do sweet things like run up to say hello when I come in in the evening.

Just spending time playing with them and stroking them increases the bond with cats, so I wouldn't worry about training really.

The main thing with indoor cats is to ensure they have an interesting environment. The best things are empty boxes and big paper bags, places to climb, a window to look out of (maybe put a bird feeder table where they can see it so they can practice stalking without the bloody consequences), and rotate their toys (tiny fluffy mice, plastic rings (like top of milk carton) and feathers are the favourite in my house).

Its important they get fresh air, so make sure your windows can be left open without a cat taking a jump for freedom.

rferguson

MsFifers wrote: »

Its important they get fresh air, so make sure your windows can be left open without a cat taking a jump for freedom.

Thats a good point. is there a special contraption i can get for the windows, because i do like my windows open when im at home and dont want them jumping out

MsFifers

Woodies has window locks for sale, so you can leave the window open a bit but not wide enough for them to get through. I used to just tie the window handle with string though, so they couldn't push it open any wider. It wouldn't be secure though against burglars obviously!

You could also investigate this kind of thing: http://www.catterrace.com/html/photos.htm

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/cat_flaps_nets/cat_nets/cat_nets/29941

I haven't tried any of these things as when I lived in the apartment, I was up high on the second floor, so my guys weren't tempted to jump down as it was too scary. They did however fall off once or twice! :eek: Luckily no damage done! I discovered one window ledge wasn't wide enough for them to sit on so kept that window closed all the time.

Oh - forgot to mention to you also - its important to get them a scratching post (or two). They really need to be able to scratch so get a good long post or else your furniture may suffer!

Sage'sMama

I lived in a duplex apartment for two years with my kitty sage got her when she was six weeks old. She was fine in the apartment although ideally get two around the same age or from the same family. All you will need is a few toys and a litter tray etc. Training cats is easy for the first few days/weeks keep them in one room at nite like the bathroom and leave all they need in there that way the sleep in their bed, use their litter tray and eat their food. It makes it easier for training to use the litter tray and that way when you get up in the morning you dont have any smelly surprises behind the tv I did this with my cat and don't worry she slept in the bathroom for the first week and then she slept on my pillow beside me and still does my partner hates this!! Hehe but she's my baby!