Do cats live well in a studio apartment?

Question

My husband and I rescued two baby kittens a few months ago. They were so cute and tiny. With much loving care and devotion (I'm talking 3 am bottle-feedings) they've grown into very healthy rubunctious four month old boys. The problem is we live in a studio apartment. We don't mind sharing our space with "our babies" however I am beginning to worry that they may not have enough space to grow into. Is there an amount of space that two cats need? Will they be able to live comfortably in our studio? I sure hope so. I have grown so attached to them. I couldn't bear to let them go. They are indoor cats only so far.

Answer 1

Cats do well in small homes, so they should be fine in your studio apartment.

Answer 2

Don't worry. All cats need is love, and I see they've got enough. They don't need too much space. The have interaction with you and each other, and that's what they want. They love the place they know as home, whatever it is. Sure they may like more space, so would you, wouldn't you? But you live happily there, because this is your home and you have each other. It's the same for cats. well done!

And it is not cruel to keep them indoors. It would be, if they were outdoor cats, used to roaming around. However, my indoor cats are so afraid to go out, they tremble whenever I tried to get them out. Plus there are dangers outside.

Answer 3

This all depends on the landlord. I did management for a good 10 years and there were NO pets allowed. One of my renters brought in his snake and I totally came unglued. He argued with me as to what is considered a pet and what is not a pet. If the owner of the building knew there was this great big snake in one of his buildings and I wasn't enforcing the renters agreement; I could have been fired as well as the renter. In your case; this is your parents home and if they say "NO CATS" you need to respect their rules or find a place where pets are allowed. One thing you must remember is a cat is loving and cute, but they like high places and will climb up the curtains , scratch up the furniture, play with wires jump on the kitchen counter and make a mess there. I could go on and on mainly because we have a no kill shelter for cats and kittens. At first; we let them live in the basement and they trashed it. If the litter box wasn't cleaned every day; they found a nice clean spot on the carpet and did both. We now have two shelters outside with heating lamps and everyone is happy.

Answer 4

You could try getting a 'cat tree'. Like a climbing tower. Thats an easy way to provide some exercise in a small space. But I would say they are better of inside than outside.

Answer 5

How nice of you to spend so much time and effort on the kittens! That's a lot of work. As for keeping them in your apartment, it would be fine as long as they are allowed to go outdoors too. People do keep cats confined in houses and apartments but that is cruel to them. Cats need to be able to roam a bit, that is their nature. A regular sized house isn't even big enough for them. They start acting strange when they are kept inside all the time because they don't want to be cooped up like that.

If you live close to a busy road you shouldn't keep them because of the likelihood of them getting hit by a car.

I know they are easy to get attached to but please be sure to putt their best interests first because they don't have any choice in the matter and are relying on you.

Answer 6

Sure they can. Lots of toys and a scratching post will help keep them occupied. A perch by a window would be a favorite spot for them. Keep them indoors. Outside cats face so many perils, it's just not worth it.

Answer 7

We had three in a studio. Just make sure they have a lot of toys to keep them busy. A good piece of cat furniture can do a lot to provide them with entertainment.

Answer 8

Hi. Cats are climbers as well as stalkers so they live adequately going horisontal as well as vertical. My suggestion is two things. 1st, get several condo's (cats climbing beds) for them to not only get exercise on but have a place that they can call their own as well. Be sure that they have at least one poll that is as long as a full grown cat standing up on his hind quarters. That way they have a good scratching post and you can teach them how to stratch on that vs on your furniture. Dr. Foster and Smith on the web is a good place to get a look at a large variety of cat condo's and purchase them as well. They usually have a lot of sales on them too. Another good place is either PetCo or PetSmart which both have websites as welll as stores nation wide. 2nd, be sure to have at least 2 activity sessions with your kitties each day. Get some kitty toys on strings and bounce them around in front of the kitty, or play ball and chase with pingpong balls, etc. Each session should be ended by the kitty and not you. In other words, you play until kitty gets tired and goes and lays down. All cats usually sleep more than they stay active every day of their lives but when they are up, they need to have their own romp place. Pick a corner of your studio that is for kitties and put their toys and at least one of their condo's there. They will be fine. If you have space, have two condo's. I have 5 condo's at present. My kitties have their own bedroom and two of them are in there. One is in my dining room and one is in the study and the other is a smaller one in front of our bay window in the living room. I have found that they either like one of two places no matter what the condo looks like. They either will sleep in the box so that they can be hidden, peaking out at you at their leisure, or they will be on the top perch of it. I always make sure that my condo's have 2 bed areas or a box and bed area since my cats like to be on the same condo at the same time. Your kittens will do just fine as long as they have a place to climb on for energy and a few playtimes a day to release their energy in. Have fun.

Answer 9

i think so because i have 2 young cats who live in my small apartment and they are fine. they have plenty of space to play, but you might want to buy a cat tree or cat tower for them. It will give them a place of their own and cats like places high up.

Answer 10

Cats Like To Roam About And Guard There Territory. So It Could Be A Problem If You Live Up High But It You Live On The Ground Floor Then There Shouldn't be a Problem. Cats Tend To Get Very Protective Of What They Own So Other Cats Tend To Stay Clear. Bigger Is Always Better For Any Animal. Cats Live Comfortably Anywhere But Its Always Better For Them To Be Outdoor Cats Because There Natural Instincts are To Hunt And Run Around Outdoors. Hope It Helped...................xx