Keeping a cat in a ground floor apartment - opinions please?

bobbysands81

Hi folks,

Just wondering what people think about keeping a cat in a decent sized ground floor apartment.

Would it be a cruel thing to do or would it be ok?

anniehoo

Cats are ideal pets for apartments imho. Even better that its ground floor so you can let it in and out whenever you like.

siobhan.m

I have 3 cats in a ground floor apartment - its a big 3 bed apartment and it is set in quite large grounds but it is still an apartment. They are perfectly happy and are able to pretty much come and go as they please so I don't think living in a house would make much difference to them. The only thing to consider is whether you will be letting your cat out or keeping it inside - mine don't like to be kept in so we are installing a catflap in on of the windows for them.

bobbysands81

Thanks for the answers folks, much appreciated. Would be more than happy to hear what anyone else has to say.

Is it cruel leaving a cat indoors all day whilst the owner is at work?

Sigma Force

Nothing wrong with keeping a cat indoors although I wouldn't leave a cat out at night whatever about the day during the day a cat can be seen but at night there's even a higher chance of a car hitting them etc.

Also at this time of year cats are taken and thrown on bonfires etc. all sorts of horror stories every year, or they get spooked by fireworks and bangers.

I'd keep the cat in all the time and perhaps if you are allowed by landlord you could built a timber (timber is cheaper and non permanent) avairy type set up even a low one so the cat can perhaps get through a window to sit in the sun safely.

If getting one cat perhaps two is better for company for each other when you're out during the day, perhaps a pair of bonded older rescue cats who have plenty of years left but just want to lounge about.
zooplus.co.uk have tons of toys and cat trees which cats love there are loads of things to keep an indoor cat busy from dvds to toys to climbing stuff to radiator beds etc.

It's not cruel, people don't (well shouldn't) allow their dogs to wander day or night ok they get walks but cats can too with harnesses in the garden.

doctor evil

Not cruel at all to keep cats as indoor ones.

Shewhomustbe...

I am a major advocate for keeping cats indoors unless, as mentioned, out for a walk on a harness or in a safe outside area. I have six permanent indoor cats. Our seventh is able to come in and out, via our ensuite window. She gets to use our bedroom as hers! But she spends a lot of the day/night indoors. (I live in a bungalow before anyone freaks!!)

I really wish more people would keep their cats indoors, I have two un-neutered male cats that also come into my bedroom, generally speaking they're okay but not together and all hell broke loose last night between them.

I will defer this rant to the rant/raving thread but I wish people would stop throwing cats outside and allowing them to get up to who knows what.

If you offer enough stimulation in their living environment there's none of this cruelty that people think you're doing by keeping them indoors, but definitely get two if you'll be gone for most of the day, they LOVE company, another myth.

Loopsie

I live in a first floor apt and have a three year old i have had there since he was 6 weeks old
He is happy as larry, he goes out when i leave for work in the morning and is usually waiting at the main door when i come home in the evening. There are plenty of places for shelter if the weather is bad and a friend of mine lives on ground floor apt and she leaves water and food for her cat out during the day so kai (my cat) avails of this also!!!
he is the happiest little cat i know and loves coming in at night for his cuddles.......;)

Adventure Pout

I live in a apartment on 2nd floor, so I have no option. My cat has to be indoors but when I get home, he goes on the balcony and I take him out on a harness.
We give him lots of stimulation and play when we get home. However, he likes to do his own stuffs. So no, I don't think it is cruel to have your cat indoors if you provide plenty of interaction and affection.
If you decide to let your cat out, make sure to have all vaccinations (cat flu, leukemia etc..) and microchipped him.

Anti

i had 3 cats in a 3rd floor apartment, all 3 of them happy as larry as they had fresh food and water every day and pleanty of toys to play with. They never destroyed the place either. Now im in a house, and only two of them are left now as one of them was hit by a car I dont see any difference in them at all now they have access to come in and out all day.

metaoblivia

I live in a ground floor apartment with my cat. She's an indoor cat only as we're surround by three parking lots and a street. She's fine being an indoor cat. She likes to sit in the windows and watch people come and go. Even when we lived with my mother - who has a large garden - she always stayed close to the side of the house and didn't like being outside for very long (especially when I came inside!).
So I don't think it would be cruel to keep a cat in an apartment.

The Sweeper

The only problem with keeping a cat in an apartment is if you allow the cat out into communal areas and it poos and pees in those communal areas. It's one thing for a cat to go into your neighbour's garden and crap in it, it's another for it to be peeing and pooing in what are recognised as shared areas for everyone's use. Just something to think about on that front - if you rent the apartment and one of the neighbours complain to the property management company, you may end up being asked to get rid of the cat (extreme, yes, but some apartment blocks introduce a 'no pets' rule that stems from problems with animals in communal areas.)