Help! New Kitty Mom

[tiffyb388]

Hi All!

My boyfriend and I just got a 4 month old kitten named Simon this past weekend. He is adjusting well to the apartment and cuddles with us already. He is so sweet! I has given the advice to crate him during the day while we're at work for a couple weeks. Since cats are independent animals I do not want to do that for long. My boyfriend and I work opposite schedules which means that he will only be crated for more than 4-5 hours at most, usually less. Should I allow him to free roam most of the house after the first week or any suggestions? I do not want to keep him caged for too long but also do not want him to hurt himself. Any advice will be appreciated!

Also,
We do not crate him at night, however he is pretty active around 4 am. A friend stating feeding him later at night with warm wet food will help him sleep at little longer but he is still a kitten so not much longer due to their high energy level. Any thoughts? Picture is attached!

 

[war&wisdom]

As long as your apartment is kitten-proofed (electrical cords hidden and/or wrapped, loose objects secured, choking hazards eliminated, windows closed when you're gone, etc.) and you leave kibble and water for him, he'll be fine without a crate. Also, if you're mainly gone during the day, he'll probably spend most of his time sleeping anyway!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Simon is totally adorable.

Rather than crating him when you have to leave him alone, you could leave him in a kitten-proofed room (i.e. spare bedroom). As long as he has food, water, litter box and toys, he will be fine.

TCS has some articles with more info that might be helpful, including how to kitten proof your home.

First-time Cat Owner's Guide
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips

 

[tiffyb388]

Thank you so much! I just feel so bad leaving him!

He is already litter trained so that was a big plus, we do have an extra bedroom that I can kitten-proof. Once I place the litter box in there should I just keep it there so he is not confused?

Thank you!

 

[rubysmama]

You probably should leave the litter box in there, at least as long as you keep that as his kitten-safe room. Then, if you want to move it, maybe get a second litter box to put in the desired location, and keep both of them till he's using the second one regularly.

When you have to leave him alone, another idea is to leave a radio on, so the room isn't totally silent.

 

[danteshuman]

Congrats on your new furbaby! I agree about you not needing a crate (were they thinking of puppies when they advised this?!?!?)

Take lots of pictures! Kittens grow up so fast!

Since he is a kitten, you can try clapping your hands if he tries to rush the door when you enter or leave. I was a mean mommy and used a penny can on my cats to train them not to run out the front door. 11 years later my boys still respect the invisible line of the doorway, and back away if they get the warning tone from me. I had a penny can by the front door for a year just in case it was needed but it really only took a couple of weeks for them to wait 3-5 feet by the door. Once the door was closed the can was set down and they were greeted.

The only extra thing I would advise is if you can, set up a bird feeder in a near by treee. Then give him a bird watching spot or perch next to the window. That way he getscat tv