Cat suitable for apartments

IcedJade

My husband and I were talking about getting a cat or kitten. We have an 18month old and live in a second floor apartment.
With the little research I have done ragdoll cats keep coming up. They are very expensive and I would prefer helping a kitten from a rescue.

So can any cat/kitten be an indoor one? or is it possible to have an indoor/ outdoor cat in a second floor apartment?

Any information about getting a new cat or apartment living is very much appreciated.

mymo

Any cat can live in an appartment, cats don't need to go outside to live a happy life, and are often safer indoors.
Do you have a balcony?
I grew up in London and many friends in tower blocks had cats, they lived happily indoors, a few had balconies they cat proofed with wire netting.
Make sure you have a couple of litter trays per cat, plenty of toys (anything from a paper bag or a lid off a milk carton to expensive toys will suffice), cardboard boxes with holes cut in a great too, and cat trees can be got pretty cheap, the ones with big scratching areas are best.
I would suggest two kittens, if you call around a few rescues and tell them you want a young tame kitten or two, they will often have some suitable.

anniehoo

I have a fulltime resident cat (and a few strays the odd time ) in my first floor apartment and i cant emphasise enough how easy they are to look after. I got my cat for free, from Boards actually and it was the best decision i ever made. He's a deadly little fella. He needed a home, i wanted a semi grown up cat (he was ~8mths when i got him) and havent regretted it once since i got him.

My best friend bought a Ragdoll kitten 18mths ago (€800)...this was my reaction-->:eek: ( bought from a reputable breeder as far as i could see)

I did the "rescue/adopt" spiel numerous times,but she was bought anyway. At the end of the day if you want a pedigree of any species its up to you. Now she's a seriously beautiful cat, really gorgeous...but presuming you've researched Ragdoll traits you'll know they are particularly placid cats hence the name. For me this isnt a good thing, but that's a different kettle of cod.I wont slate them too much, they are a pretty cat, just a bit lacking in personality for me.:o My friend, although spoils her rotten and loves my cat, now understands that getting a kitten..any kitten...there's no guarantee of its personality type regardless of how much money you spend on purchasing it.

Cats + apartments= no problem to answer your question

MaryK666

Any cat can, and will, live happily in an apartment as long as they have food, water, toys and at least one litter tray thats cleaned twice a day or more often.
If you have a balcony, you will need to completely cat-proof it from floor to ceiling with bite-proof wire mesh which will save your cat/kitten from a nasty fall.

My only concern with an indoor cat would be the 18 month old child.
In close confines, this may not prove the best combination.
For a start you will have at least one litter tray at floor level that a crawling child or toddler can get into, plus - you'll have the litter that gets tracked out on the floor following each visit. There are mats and other things you can use to try and catch the litter but no matter what you use, some will get carried out onto the floor where your child will be crawling around.

There's also the fact that a small child is at risk of getting scratched or bitten by the cat or kitten when trying to play with it and being too heavy handed. Children don't often realise their own strength and their attempt to play with the cat or pick it up may involve unintentionally hurting it, resulting in a scratch or a bite. I know of people who have got rid of cats and dogs because the animal reacted to being hurt by a child and I believe that it's seldom the animals fault as they are just reacting to pain.

I'm not saying that it will happen in your case but it's just another factor to consider before getting a pet.

keano_afc

Thank you for the feedback. Its been really helpful.

My 18month old is walking and quite good at sticking with boundries however the play issue is one I have thought of. I do think cats lash out more than dogs. Perhaps so more reading up and a little more time to pass and we could look into getting a kitten to live with us in the apartment.

Does anyone else have experience with young children and kittens?

keano_afc

Oops signed in as Husband:p

paddyandy

Females are better in confined spaces because males have strong ranging instincts .2 cats are better than (company) one .Toys are mostly a waste except for the laser beam .Cat flap to balcony .Cats are very self contained and very easy to keep ; providing you see to the few basics .Speyed at the correct time to stop her calling .Safety of balcony essential .

mymo

Well my girl was just 3 when we got the kittens, she's 14 now.
Since the kittens had been hand reared and mostly by a 9yr old and 11 yr old, they were incredibly tame, and there was very little scratching or biting. (what there was came from over zealous play)
Put a baby gate on one of the rooms so the cats/kittens have an escape, create places to sleep out of reach of toddlers, and you can get covered litter trays and position out of reach of toddlers (IKea hackers page has some great toilets made from furniture with cat flaps).
Its do able, it really depends on the child, we were bought up with cats all our lives (and dogs and other animals), like anything just teach boundries.

grey_so_what

Just a thought for the OP - if you have a balcony consider a catflap with a small kennel/enclosed box adjoining outside for the litter tray - saw this and works like a dream to keep small children away from the tray...:)

Mountainsandh

I have a 6 year old and a 4 year old, and a big softy of a cat, but he can be very grumpy as well, and bite on occasions, if we don't get the signals in time, or if we ignore the signals.
The cat was there before the kids.
There was never any problem really. There have been a few "biting" or "clawing" incidents... but usually cats give fair warning, and as your babies grow, if you teach them to be attentive and respectful of the pet, they will grasp that concept pretty fast.

The cat is very patient with the kids, and when he did extend a paw with the claw out, it's always been as a warning more than an injury. Same with the teeth, it's more of a "biting the air" move to let you/kid know that's the last straw.
He's not as patient with me .

So, I wouldn't worry really.

All cats are different, if you end up with one that has a bit of ... character, you may want to watch it more and warn your kids more when they'll be able to understand.

You could also end up with a purring machine that will have zero issues with being handled, and you will look back at this thread in amusement.

My sister is a cat woman (currently has 6, and 5 kids), and it's interesting of the present cats and previous ones, to see how different they all end up... but it is nice to have them all being handled by a child as kittens, within reason, even if it means that later as their character develops, some will have to be given some space.

I've never had any issue with the kids and the litter tray, they were told to keep off it and that was it really.

IcedJade

whoooo I'm optimistic again! our balcony door is all glass and we are renting so changing that probably isn't an option. loving the covered tray idea. that would be most of my concerns covered.

I was raised with pets all my life and I think its something I definately want my children experiencing too.

Where would I find out more about cat proofing the balcony?

anniehoo

Icedjade, if you're renting this is probably your best option from Zooplus as a temporary measure to prevent falls.

If you can believe it, cats can do more damage to themselves (as i found out the hard way) from a first or second floor balcony than they can from a higher one. The reasoning behind it is the very reason why they say "cat's have 9 lives". Cats are amazing acrobats and if given sufficient time, unlike dogs for example can rotate themselves sufficiently in the air to land on all four paws.



The main damage from a balcony fall is generally mandibular (broken jaw) rather than limb damage.A lower level balcony doesnt give enough time for them to do this and that's how the damage is done instead of from a spinal or limb point of view.

IcedJade

Wow that is so interesting. I want those nets for our bedroom windows too. more for the 18month old. most impractical windows ever. evenunsafe for adults.

IcedJade

Quick update. We got a beautiful kitten in DSPCA. Black with a white dicky bow spot under her neck. We got her the day Katie Taylor won gold so she is named " Kitty Soft paws Taylor" or just kitty for my toddler! Everyone gets on so well. My daughter and the cat are like sisters and she loves her so much. Kitty has also converted my Husband into a cat lover, at least this cat!

Thank you all for your help. Rescuing a kitten is a really good feeling.