We are adopting 2 kittens, and have a fairly large dog cage that is not in use. I am worried about the kittens exploring the house unattended. Would it be cruel to keep the kittens in the cage at night. Or while I am out of the house until they become more familiarized with the apartment.
I was thinking of putting down carpet reminants because of the larger lattice on the bottom.
2007-10-30 15:21:03 · 8 answers · asked by sjchristian 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
The kittens are 11 weeks old. Cat proofing my house is not a problem, but until my other animals get used to them I want to protect them when I am not able to supervise them.
2007-10-31 02:17:05 · update #1
they will do just fine, and add some cozy and soft cloth, old towel so they are warm and comfortable. for a couple of weeks it will be ok.
after that and while you are at home, give them tons of affection and let them get to know their new home.
2007-10-30 15:28:23 · answer #1 · answered by GreenEyes 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No. It is not OK to keep your kitten confined to a cage. You could, and only if necessary though I fail to figure why it would be, confine her to a room with a safe sleeping area, clean litter, food and water. Although this is not ideal it is better than the cage. The 'funny' running is not at all funny, the poor kitten is literally as you said yourself "going crazy." She will soon settle into a routine and find a favorite place to sleep most of the day away without any confinement. Remove any hazards and let that poor little kitten have her freedom.
2016-05-26 03:57:44 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It isn't cruel to protect the kits from their curiosity. : )
I wonder how small the kittens are. You might be surprised how small a hole they can get through. Your idea is a good one, but I'm not sure the cage is the right one. You could accomplish the same thing by putting them into a small room like a bathroom or laundry room.
If you do use the cage, make sure you have both water and litter in the cage.
2007-10-30 15:27:44 · answer #3 · answered by susanmaried 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's not cruel at all.Right this minute,two kittens that were abandoned on my porch are sleeping in their cage.I do this with all of my kittens,keep them in a large dog cage with a litter pan,food and a water bottle,like the kind used for rabbits ( they will spill a dish.) I let them out to play and watch them so they don't get hurt.Kittens are so fragile,and there are a lot of hazards in an average house;electrical cords to bite,toilets,buckets and aquariums to fall into,chemicals,blind cords,etc. Kittens can also be stepped on or rocked on,or a larger cat or pet dog could hurt one.As the kittens get older,I gradually let them out for longer and longer periods until,at about 5 months,after they have been spayed/neutered and are finished teething,they are allowed to be out all of the time,except for when I go away,or at night,People keep puppies and dogs in crates,and babies in playpens;there is no difference as it is for the animal's own safety.
2007-10-30 21:23:10 · answer #4 · answered by Dances With Woofs! 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Okay, I'm going to tell you this from personal experience. My boyfriend and I just adopted a 3 month old kitten. It's our first time as cat owners, and we did NOT want Napoleon roaming around our apartment while we were at work... eight hours seems like such a long time, and who knows what mess he'd get himself into, right? It was a large dog cage too, and I figured that since he was from a shelter, he should be USED to cages. WRONG! He hated the damn thing, cried constantly, acted as though we were torturing him! And it was expensive too! He cried and cried for hours, and would not get used to it at all. Just like all cats, he was curious, and just wanted to feel safe. I think for a lot of these cats, cages brings back bad memories... So I'm going to tell you to just let the kitties enjoy the freedom to explore your house. It's better for them, and they're going to have it to get accustomed to it sooner or later anyway.
2007-10-30 15:35:44 · answer #5 · answered by jocey 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There is some variation from cat to cat. Some cats don't mind playing "fort." Others are severely stressed, and may even become aggressive.
Reducing conflicts among the cats is very important, however. An insufficiently socialized cat caused eye damage to two of its housemates recently at an elderly cat hospice.
The aggressive cat's movements are now restricted, but the damage has been done.
2007-10-31 09:44:54 · answer #6 · answered by Dave_in_Maryland 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Instead of caging them, why not make the effort to cat proof your house?
2007-10-30 15:25:09 · answer #7 · answered by bioluminate 3 · 0⤊ 5⤋
i would just shut in kitchen rather than cage
2007-10-30 20:45:46 · answer #8 · answered by sky 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋