Is keeping a cat in an apartment cruel?

Question

I plan to take it out to the nearby park and give it toys, but is it cruel to leave it alone in an apartment all day while my boyfriend and I are both at work? Will it get lonely? It's a new kitten.

Answer 1

Oh, please get TWO kittens! They will be such good company for each other and when you come home you will have TWICE the love! The best exercise for a cat is another cat. They will never be bored and neither will you -- watching two kittens play is ultra adorable!

Keeping them inside isn't cruel, it's a GOOD thing. You will find that they probably won't enjoy outings to the park, since you will have to keep them on a leash and cats HATE leashes.

Make sure your kittens have good food, fresh water, a clean litter box and some toys. And have fun with them!

Answer 2

Not cruel at all. Cat's are more solitary than dogs are, and can often amuse themselves. Not to say that they don't need attention because they certainly do, but on the whole, they don't need as much. A cat will spend more than half the day sleeping, too. Provide catnip toys, jingle ball things, or other cat toys, and he'll be fine. You'll also want a scratching post, too.

However, if your cat is of the more sociable type, than he may benefit from a playmate. I've had two cats most of my life, and it's really not much more work than one. And since it's a kitten, he'll adjust to another cat much easier, generally, than an older cat would. Make sure that both are spayed or neutered, though, or you could end up with more kittens than you wanted.

Side note - not all cat's hate harness/leashes. Some take to them immediatly, some need a little more time, and some do hate them. With anything, if you get them used to it when they're young, they're more likely to adjust. If you take them outside at all, you'll need to use both a harness and leash. Cats can wriggle out of a collar too easily, so a harness is a better option.

Answer 3

A cat in an apartment while you're at work, that describes my situation exactly and my cats are fine. With a kitten however I'd kitten proof the whole apartment to make sure he can't get into anything that he should not. Put away (behind a door he cannot open) anything you don't want knocked over, scratched, batted around, etc. Make sure your clothes and shoes are in a closet with a door that closes securely. All food needs to be in a cabinet or frig. Any plants you have you'll either have to sacrifice (kittens love digging in the dirt, will sometimes eliminate in the potted plants, will chew on the leaves) and are cat safe (some houseplants are toxic to cat if eaten). Once you get the kitten, be aware of where he is at all times, even when you're rushing to get dressed for work, so he doesn't get enclosed in a closet or shut in a drawer/cupboard. Make sure electric cords are either tucked behind furniture where they can't be reached (by a small kitty paw), or are encased in a protective hose so the kitten cannot chew through it. make sure the toilet lid is down. Take a look around you place and think "what could a small cat possible get into and/or get into trouble with?" If you leave windows open, put screens in (and secure them)--you don't want your kitty getting outside and you don't want it falling and possibly hurting itself. Use of your "superior" brain to outthink the cat and don't let his small size and youthfulness fool you--they are curious and agile and can find ways of getting at stuff and into places you wouldn't believe. He may at first get a little lonely but he'll adjust and be fine. As he matures and loses some of that excess energy, learns the houserules, he'll settle down and probably sleep most of the day while you're away (as most cats do), stay up all night. But that won't be for a year or two.

Answer 4

I wouldn't get a kitten and leave it there alone for a whole day while you are at work. He will simply get bored and depressed. Unlike dogs, they don't need to go to the park for a walk but if you train them properly, they can enjoy a walk around the block for 15 minutes on a lead/harness. I would highly recommend getting two cats so that they don't get bored. I have 3 little cats aged 1 year, 6 months and 5 months and they get along really well. If nobody is at home to play with them, they are happy to run around with each other or just huddle up and groom/sleep together. Obviously not everyone living in an apartment needs to get two cats but it's much better to have two to keep each other happy than one who will just get bored and lonely.

Answer 5

I'm the type of person who likes to have more than one cat. That way when you're not home and they want someone to snuggle with, they've got each other:) awwww they're so cute when they cuddle together! (My cats aren't above cuddling with the dogs either!)

Having one cat isn't cruel, but I think it's nice when a kitty has a playmate. I knew a woman that had 13 in her apartment! (Her place was one of the cleanest I was ever in, she changed the litterboxes very frequently and scooped frequently) If all of her cats were hiding you wouldn't have known she had them...but they were hard to miss since they were EVERYWHERE, lol.

Answer 6

No its not cruel, people do it every day. You might want to consider another cat playmate, 2 are definitely easier than one because they amuse each other, trust me I have 8, once you get past 3 it doesn't even affect me anymore. Just get a playmate another litterbox and problem of being lonesome solved!! Try to stay around the same age as your cat now or a little younger.

Answer 7

no its not cruel, just make sure it has fresh food n water. some toys will help u can get catnip ones some cats love those. the kitten will probley sleep the day away and not even notice ur gone.

Answer 8

if you're worried get two it's pretty much the same as having one care wise. Alot of people own cats in an apartment since it's really the same as keeping it a house the difference comes only if you allow it outside then thats only a good idea in low traffic areas.

Answer 9

No it's not cruel, that's fine. It would be really cool if you had two that could play all day...just a thought.

If you can afford two, I would have two just because they will play all day or sleep all day, keep each other company, and they will both love you :)

One cat is fine, they really do sleep most of the day. Congratulations on your kitty!!

Answer 10

Not at all. But make sure kitty has fresh food and water before leaving and some toys to play with. Although, I'm sure it will just sleep all day and be rambunctious when you guys get home.