Apartment Pet?

fend

Hi all!

I have a very spacious apartment and really looking for some sort of companion to keep me company! Just wondering what pet do people recommend?
Not a huge fish fan and hamsters scare me! Always afraid I'll break them or something, always had this fear since I was a child!

Was just wondering if people have cats or dogs in an apartment and whats it like toilet training them? Both would be well exercised as I'm quite fond of the aul walks myself! Just can't imagine it being easy to potty train them if living in an apartment?

Does anyone else have any suggestions for apartment pets that are generally loyal in some way?

Cinnomen

Hi there, Well Having a dog in an apartment may not be easy but it can be done!! We lived in a one bedroom flat and got a Cavalier King Charles Puppy, a few weeks later we was given another cavalier puppy free, I didnt think for the life of me that I would be able to train them both with us having stairs to get into the garden and all but I did!

We started by placing news paper in the living room, Its easy to get them paper trained if you keep your eye on the pup all the time whilst its around playing and not in its bed (will come to that in a bit).
As soon as you see the pup start to squat lift them gently place them on the news paper..say "newspaper" Puppy will be in mid squat and hopefully get it on the paper...praise and make a massive thing of it and soon the pup will go to the paper by its self! Some breeders paper train they puppys before they come to you too.

Then it was the case of gradually moving the paper over the period of time closer and closer towards our front door as the puppy gets more and more used to using the paper, this may take time but you will get there!, eventually there was our newspaper by the door, I kept their harnesses on and as I saw them start to squat on the paper it was a case of getting down the stairs as quick as poss! hehe, I put a bit of news paper down outside held by stones to encourage them and of course at first the garden is so interesting so they may go off what they were gonna do but with persistence my little girl and boy had their paper taken up they realised the direction of the garden and would go to the door when they needed to go out.
Of course it may not be as easy as it sounds but it can be done, im not sure if everyone uses the newspaper method but I always have with all my dogs and its easy to roll up and throw away when they use it with training.

The reason I said come back to the bed is we had a puppy pen to put the pups in when we were out, this was good as the whole floor of the inside of it could be covered with newspaper so there was never anything on the carpet in the mornings or when we came home from being out.

Dogs are amazing but I would recommend a smaller one really as I know these apartments can seem kinda full sometimes, I couldnt live without my dogs they are my world and I know having a faithful loyal dog by your side will really make a difference to your life! Would this be your first ever pet? I mean such as a dog? Of course above is a short version of what can be done and theres lots more to learn about or canine friends, such as vaccines and other things which im sure you are aware off! AWWW so exciting please keep us posted and im here anytime if you need to message me I may not be much help but I try!

Ive added a pic of my cavs now 4! (I have four dogs now and have since moved to a house hehe)

fend

Thank you sooo much for your post! Very helpful!

Ah no I'v grown up with a dog in the house all time, in fact at one stage 2 or 3! I live in a duplex apartment on pretty much the bottom floor of the building, but I'm still trying to get my head around how i'll train a puppy to "go" outside... I'm sure its possible but training was never my strong point!

Was thinking about a King Charles and after seeing your babies I'm half tempted now :P!!!!! Are they smart or pick up on things easily? Iv had Dalmatians, Cocker Spaniels and Basset Hounds all my life with the basset hounds being the last pups we had... and MY GOD are they as slow as Christmas! Wonderful dogs though, they were my first option for a dog this time round but I'm thinking I may need to rethink the mentality of the dog before going for an investment!

I'll have a look at King Charles I think, they look like very gentle, intelligent dogs!
Thanks again for your post!

Cinnomen

No worrys and I hope the post was of help. I could not live without my cavaliers They are one in a trillion! They all have their own character, I have three cavaliers a black and tan, Tri Colour and Blenheim. The only thing I would tell you to be aware of with Cavaliers is their health problems, Of course you will find this with most dogs they all have their problems as you well know but with cavs its their heart, Most Cavaliers will at some point in their lives suffer with a murmur, You really must look into breeders and I know of one who is great but she is in the Essex area which I think maybe far from you?

They also suffer with syringomyelia, Not all cavs some, my kaytee has got it and its a disorder where their brains are too large for their skull, its the way they have been bread which is a real shame.
Kaytee also has Irritable bowels but I think this is a kaytee thing rather then a cavalier thing lol.
I do not want to put you off in anyway, all dogs have their problems with the breed unless you go for something of a "Mongrel" Cross breed who generly seem to be a lot stronger.

But then in my opinion I think you would be missing out! Cavaliers are loyal lap dogs, they love a snuggle, they love to get into bed with ya and put their heads on your neck, their small enough to carry when its a rainy day and you just wanna get inside, they will happily let you do pretty much anything to them they are that laid back, yet at the same time as pups and in adult life they are full of life, always wanting a walk or to play and so unbelievably intelligent, My rosie has learned so much, She knows who mummy is daddy is gawd even nanny and grandad...I must remember their not human...lol.

Here is a video of my babies, the first one is not good quality as it was my old camera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjCgM12EKJE

And here is the most amazing one in a million puppy in the world! its sad though as shes 10 now and she was younger in the vid.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhZ7F5s0p4A

http://board.cavaliertalk.com/ here is a wonderful cavalier forum ive used alot their in usa but they know their stuff! Good luck looking! With love from a Cavalier Obsessed mummy!!

YamaMotoYama

We live in an apartment and have a cat - they are fantastic for that type of living. You won't come home to messes on the floor as they use thier litter trays and sleep most of the day.

You should however consider getting 2 so that they can play with eachother and keep eachother company during the day. Overall - they are low maintenance... clean... and good fun to have around.

Personally - I never liked cats up until my gfriend insisted we got one. He's turned out to be great asset to the apartment.

00112984

Have apartment pets here too- a rabbit and a Cavalier King Charles. Both are very integrated with us- bun's hutch is in the livingroom and the pooch has the run of pretty much the whole place (bar the spareroom, kitchen and bathroom).

The thing I will say about Cavs is that they don't do very well when left alone for long periods of time so you'd have to consider your situation in terms of people being home at various times rather than the layout of that home, if you know what I mean.

sillymoo

YamaMotoYama wrote: »

We live in an apartment and have a cat - they are fantastic for that type of living. You won't come home to messes on the floor as they use thier litter trays and sleep most of the day.

You should however consider getting 2 so that they can play with eachother and keep eachother company during the day. Overall - they are low maintenance... clean... and good fun to have around.

+1 for this post. I also have 2 cats in an apartment and they really are fantastic pets for apartment living. We are never away from home for long but the two are great company for each other if we are out. Just make sure there are plenty of cosy places for them to curl up and sleep or a window stil to watch the birds outside. Also a laser pointer for them to chase and a scratching post if you dont want your couch destroyed

fend

Thanks all for your helpful posts! I'm torn between a puppy or a kitten!

Is it difficult to train a cat? Or is it just pretty much instinct for them to use a litter box?

fend

johnny1234 wrote: »

Hey Fend. Are you off your Nut thinking of keeping a dog in an Apartment. If your landlord finds out he'll boot you out and then your walks to the boozer will be gone. As for cats -- forget it. The worlds most unfriendly creatures.

Luckily enough my landlord has -13 eyesight...

Cinnomen

but noooo this aint right! Cavs hardly bark at all! As long as your dog is trained right no problem,

hunterwelly

Cavs are wonderful little dogs and very suited to apartment life. Is your apartment on the ground floor? If so your house training shouldn't be too bad. If you're on a high floor, you'll have trouble getting him outside quickly.

Cats are a lot more low-maintenance than dogs. And they pretty much toilet train themselves. Their mother teaches them to use the litterbox when they are kittens, and they take to it instinctively very quickly. They don't require anything near as much attention as a dog. They're quite happy sleeping or doing their own thing.

You'll probably get more affection from a dog, and if you're interested in training, there's a lot more you can do with a dog, but they do require a lot more work than a cat.

Best of luck, whichever you choose.

Edit - To answer your other question, I'm currently doing some obedience training with my brother's Cav. He learns really fast. They are very clever little dogs.

Orla K

fend wrote: »

Thanks all for your helpful posts! I'm torn between a puppy or a kitten!

Is it difficult to train a cat? Or is it just pretty much instinct for them to use a litter box?

I picked up one cat from an amimal shelter she's grown and already knew how to use the tray. The other cat I have I found him straying (probably for years) he hadn't a clue, I used to keep them seporate and he and his own tray but used the bath and the sink. When I started introducing them to each other, he saw her use her litter tray and since then he's been using one without any problems. I don't know what kittens are like to train but the cat was easy once he knew what it was for (I think he thought it was a bed, he was always curling up in it)

sillymoo

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Cats are very clean creatures and dont like the smell of cat pee any more than you do. Thus they use a litter box. As long as they are neutered you should not have a problem with spraying unless there is some issues with the litter box or the cat is unwell and may have a UTI.

I have had both dogs and cats and I dont think dogs are more affectionate than cats - I think they show their affection in different ways. If you have an indoor cat, they rely on you for food and attention and can become affectionate lap cats. My two cats were strays but now they are complete softies who love to curl up with you in the evening.

Sigma Force

Ignore that Johnny troll. Cats or dogs can happily live in apartments.
In other parts of Europe apartments are where most people live and they keep these animals no problem. Even large dogs, but then again some of these countries are more dog friendly and you can socialise them more by bringing them everywhere with you.

If you have the time to give them then I don't see the problem, toileting can always be worked around. Although do keep in mind if getting a pup or even an adult dog that there will be trips outside at all hours if they have a dose of the runs or something lol. Then again I have fenced 3/4 of an acre but my dogs are never out unless I am there with them so there's no extra hardship in having a pet in an apartment.

One thing to consider though, even if in a house, make sure you have a large enough bin to accomodate the extra litter if getting a cat. There is flushable litter available methinks, it was mentioned on here before.

MistyCheese

sillymoo wrote: »

What the hell?
Maybe you should troll somewhere else where you actually have some idea of what your talking about.

+1

FAYESY

Troll banned for 1 week.

watna

sillymoo wrote: »

Also a laser pointer for them to chase and a scratching post if you dont want your couch destroyed

+1 A Laser pointer is your friend. We get them from the $2 shop and he wears them out pretty quickly. I have tears running doen my face laughing at our cat when we play laser pointer with him. It's hilarious!

I definitely agree with getting two to keep each other company as well. We don't live in an apartment but our cat has to be an indoor cat because the neighbourhood has a cat bully who keeps biting him (causing quite serious surgery and a plethora of vets visits). He gets lonely during the day on his own but we didn't realise he'd have to be an indoor cat. When we get home from work he runs to the door to meet us and he's so happy when we get back.

My OH has only ever had dogs before and he was surprised by how clean cats are. You don't really need to train to go in a litter box. They prefer to go there. They are great apartment pets and really good companions.

Demonique

Reptiles also make good apartment pets. Cornsnakes and leopard geckos. Bearded dragons are also fun to keep and will bob their head and wave at you

namurt

If you're concerned aout toilet training you could always get a dog who has passed the puppy phase and has some degree of training. There are always loads of small dogs available to rescue.

Lollymcd

fend wrote: »

Thanks all for your helpful posts! I'm torn between a puppy or a kitten!

Is it difficult to train a cat? Or is it just pretty much instinct for them to use a litter box?

We took in a stray kitten, she had two mistakes and then never looked back! If you get a cat get a decent litter and you wont get any smells. The Worlds Best Cat Litter is what I would reccomend.

susanroth

YamaMotoYama wrote: »

We live in an apartment and have a cat - they are fantastic for that type of living. You won't come home to messes on the floor as they use thier litter trays and sleep most of the day.

You should however consider getting 2 so that they can play with eachother and keep eachother company during the day. Overall - they are low maintenance... clean... and good fun to have around.

Personally - I never liked cats up until my gfriend insisted we got one. He's turned out to be great asset to the apartment.

Definitely agree withthis post:D, you can't beat cats if you want a low maintenance pet, for apartment living and toilet training they are ideal. I don't know why they have such a bad rep in this country.:(

What floor are you on? I just can't imagine having a dog and having him go down a flight of stairs to the toilet.

karlos11

Hey OP,

Just looking at this thread as myself and the Mrs are talking about getting a dog or a cat...i want a dog, she wants a cat...so basically we're going to end up with a cat, aren't we!!

Anyway, we've just moved into an apartment and wondering what you ended up with and how it's going for you?

MsFifers

If you do get a cat (or two) then I'd recommend you get some stuff to keep them occupied. I had two cats in an apt for a year before I moved and I found they did get bored (and then have little fights with each other) unless I made an effort to entertain them.

You won't need to spend a lot of money - cardboard boxes and big paper bags are kitty playground heaven. Some dangler toys and little toy mice are fun for them too. I also used to hide some of their dry food in paper bags and hide them round the place - they would have fun sniffing them out and then ripping open the bag.

They'll love climbing frames that you can get in pet shops or on zooplus.co.uk (or zooplus.ie) - if you want to spoil them.

Finally - a kitten you get from a rescue will probably be used to using a litter tray so there is no training involved. Its kinda instinctual with cats to go to the toilet in a sandy place, so you shouldn't have any major problems there.