[Bits]

Me & the bf now have our own place - a 2nd floor apartment. We would really love to adopt a cat but i'm not sure if it would be fair on it...what are your thoughts? I've emailed a couple of local shelters to ask if they would even consider rehoming a cat with someone who doesn't have a garden so i'm waiting to see what they say, but was just wondering what kind of quality of life an indoor cat would have - i know there are people on here who have indoor cats...so what are your experiences with cats adapting to an inside life?<br><br>
thank you!<br><br><br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Thalia]

Actually, many groups will only let people adopt if they promise to <i>not</i> let the cat outside. If you do a search, you will find a few threads about indoor vs. outdoor cats. There are a lot of health advantages to keeping a cat inside, plus, many cats are so used to being indoors, going outside scares them. It depends on the cat though. I live in an apartment with cats, and there are lots of things I can do to keep them stimulated: toys, grass, windows, cat videos, places to perch, and just good old attention.<br><br><br><br>
The bigger concern with apartments is if your lease will allow it, and if your future apartments will allow it.

 

[Michael]

Nothing wrong with that if you think you're ready for the commitment. It's better that the cat have a loving home than be stuffed in a cage in some shelter (or worse).<br><br><br><br>
Some things to think about though... Does your landlord allow animals? Are you fairly certain that anywhere you move in the future will allow animals?<br><br><br><br>
Bah, Thalia beat me to it.

 

[Bits]

Thanks for your quick replies <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> We are allowed cats (& most other things except dogs) we are eventually going to buy the place, so the long term housing for a cat wouldn't be a problem <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[raw jess]

I never liked cats. When I got my own apartment, I "needed" animals, but would never have a dog in an apartment (my dog stayed with my parents.) So I looked into fostering cats for a local rescue. I got a mother and her 6 newborns. I kept them until they were able to be adopted. Adopted out 4 babies, decided to keep the mother and the runt. The last kitten was up for adoption in a cage at PetSmart, and I went back and adopted him, too. So I have 3 cats in my apartment. We're doing great. I don't THINK they have any complaints.

 

[karenlovessnow]

Yay, raw jess! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[spectrum42]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Thalia</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
The bigger concern with apartments is if your lease will allow it, and if your future apartments will allow it.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I'd add to this to get details on any additional requirements the apartments have for cats. Most of mine required that I could prove my kitty had been spayed and had shots (not a problem), but one of them also required that all cats living there were declawed. That is not something I wanted to do to a 7yr old cat who didn't do damage anyway.

 

[kraftykraft]

I live in an apartment and I have cat. She is an indoor cat, but when the weather is nice, we go out on the balcolny or I open the windows so she can get some fresh air. She also likes making supervised visits to the hallway. Cats are great pets to have if you live in an apartment because they are small, don't bark and you don't have to take them outside for a walk. I say go for it!!

 

[rabid_child]

Thalia is right, at least as far as the US goes. Many places won't let you adopt a cat UNLESS you promise to never let it go outside. I realize in the UK it is the norm to let your cat out. I've had many cats and none have ever gone outside.<br><br><br><br>
My cat Monchichi has moved with me a bunch of times... he's lived in a fairly large 2 br apartment, then my parents house, then in a fairly small 2 br apartment, now we live in a house that is probably bigger than my parents' house. We've always had more than one cat, too, but Monchichi has moved the most. He's cool with all of these situations. Monchichi and Atticus do rather enjoy the stairs though in a house for chasing each other up and down and trying to trip people, but they were fine in the apartment as well. They just really like to have open windows to sniff out of. I think you may just have to make sure you're playing with the cat more so he can get plenty of exercise, and make sure you don't overfeed.

 

[Marie]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>spectrum42</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I'd add to this to get details on any additional requirements the apartments have for cats. Most of mine required that I could prove my kitty had been spayed and had shots (not a problem), but one of them also required that all cats living there were declawed. That is not something I wanted to do to a 7yr old cat who didn't do damage anyway.</div>
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I've lived in a few apartments and none of them ever checked to see if the cats were really declawed. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[raw jess]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>kraftykraft</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Cats are great pets to have if you live in an apartment because they are small, don't bark and you don't have to take them outside for a walk. I say go for it!!</div>
</div>
<br><br><br><br><br>
My cats bark at birds and squirrels that are on the balcony. I'm on the 2nd floor. Which is another reason why I have to have the air on, and windows/sliding door shut all the time. My cats will barrel into the sliding screen door to the balcony and bust it off the track (all. the. damn. time.) to try to get to the birds out there.<br><br><br><br>
When the cats were babies, someone rang my doorbell at 8 am. I wasn't expecting anyone and my intercom is stupid, so I went down to the door and opened it. There were 2 people standing there, each holding one of my kittens. Apparently they busted out a window screen and fell out. They said they heard meowing and found the kittens below the window, looked up and saw a bunch of other kittens peering out so they figured they were mine. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/laugh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lol:"><br><br>
Which, it wasn't funny at the time, but they were ok. It's just funny to visualize it now. All these little kitty faces staring down, all confused.

 

[karenlovessnow]

Two of my cats are indoor and two are outdoor...the indoor guys are funny. I have a bird feeder attached to the bedroom window. They jump at the window all the time trying to catch the birds! I even have a squirrel who manages to get to the feeder. He's not afraid of my cat. Both of them can be seen attached to the window, cat on the inside, squirrel on the outside, as the cat puts his paw right up to the squirrel, but the squirrel somehow knows that the cat can't touch him, so he doesn't run away!<br><br><br><br>
raw jess...since the kitties are ok, I can say, that is too funny!

 

[Bits]

Thank you for all your replies! I'm really excited at the minute because i rang a local shelter this morning & they have a cat that seems to be absolutely ideal. She's a 10 year old black female who has always been an indoor cat (& apparently she is actually frightened of the outdoors) she's been in the shelter quite a while (due to her age i'd imagine) & the woman said she is very shy but very loving. We're going to see her on saturday...i think we've already made up our minds though <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> They emailed me a picture & she looks so sad <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> i just hope they think we are suitable for her. The donation is £35 which is more than most places but she's been neutered, chipped, de flead,wormed...everything really, & i think she'll be worth every penny. I'm trying not to get too excited incase it doesn't work out, but it's hard not too ! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br>
I'll keep you posted on what happens <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
ETA: i forgot to attach the pic lol<br><a href="http://cdn.veggieboards.com/0/01/01c4327b_vbattach4583.jpeg"><img alt="LL" src="http://cdn.veggieboards.com/0/01/525x525px-LL-01c4327b_vbattach4583.jpeg" style="width:291px;height:325px;"></a>

 

[spectrum42]

Awwwww, such a pretty cat! She does look sort of sad, doesn't she?

 

[Pescas]

I think cats are meant to be outside most of the day. Only ever knew one person who didnt let their cats out..<br><br><br><br>
But If you live in a trafficated area I guess that the cat has to be inside. I lived in an apartment and daily would take the lift down with the cat and let him out <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> And then the cat would come when I yelled in the evening. With indoor cats you need a cat toilet, and it needs to be changed a lot..My cats never needed one.

 

[GhostUser]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Bits</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Thank you for all your replies! I'm really excited at the minute because i rang a local shelter this morning & they have a cat that seems to be absolutely ideal. She's a 10 year old black female who has always been an indoor cat (& apparently she is actually frightened of the outdoors) she's been in the shelter quite a while (due to her age i'd imagine) & the woman said she is very shy but very loving. We're going to see her on saturday...i think we've already made up our minds though <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> They emailed me a picture & she looks so sad <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> i just hope they think we are suitable for her. The donation is £35 which is more than most places but she's been neutered, chipped, de flead,wormed...everything really, & i think she'll be worth every penny. I'm trying not to get too excited incase it doesn't work out, but it's hard not too ! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br>
I'll keep you posted on what happens <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
ETA: i forgot to attach the pic lol</div>
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<br><br><br>
I hope it works out! and good of you to take on a hard to place cat. It'll take her a while to get used to you and the new place, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Fyvel]

Here's another person who is impressed you might adopt a cat that most other people wouldn't <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":up:"><br><br><br><br>
As others have said, yes you can keep cats in an apartment quite easily. Before I moved, I had two cats in a small one bedroom apartment. To be honest, I think it was better to have two as they kept each other entertained, since I was away at classes most of the day.

 

[Arainu]

Saving an animal, adopting one from a shelter, is a wonderful thing. I'm sure you'll all get along and love each other very much.<br><br><br><br>
I prefer to keep my cat indoors, and think it is a wise decision and think that most people should probably do that. That's not to say that outdoor, feral cats shouldn't exist - not at all, there is very much a place for them in the natural world. Unfortunately, our habit of breeding cats isn't very... compassionate, and we add considerably to their numbers, I think.<br><br><br><br>
Keeping a cat indoors increases their quality of life significantly, I think. As well as their lifespan. I think I've read that an outdoor cat's average lifespan is 2 years! That's crazy, considering that an indoor cat can live past 10 or 15 years, sometimes.<br><br><br><br>
My cat is going on three years old and he still acts like a kitten. I wouldn't trade him for anyone. He's my baby.

 

[peaceglitter]

Aww, the kitty looks beautiful. My partner lives in a ground floor flat with an unsecured garden, and I was wondering how indoor cats fare with regards to exercise? I've seen cat harnesses in pets stores, does talking them for walks help?

 

[Arainu]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>peaceglitter</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Aww, the kitty looks beautiful. My partner lives in a ground floor flat with an unsecured garden, and I was wondering how indoor cats fare with regards to exercise? I've seen cat harnesses in pets stores, does talking them for walks help?</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
My cat barrels down the halls, ricochets off walls and furniture, and always lies in wait around a corner, ready to surprise and start a chase. I call him Bruce Lee.<br><br><br><br>
Frankly, I wonder how *outdoor* cats get their exercise. Chasing birds or squirrels can't be all that interesting, can it?