How Long Do I Keep Kitten In Sanctuary Room?

[Zigmont]

My stray kitten, who was supposed to be eight weeks when we got her, ended up being maybe four. She was tiny, but there was no way the acquaintance of my friend, was taking her back. I wasn’t looking for a kitten. I just couldn’t see her without a home and my guy was lonely.

I have a year old, neutered male and a HUGE, bi-level, open house with a loft, huge stairs, open plan, ceramic floors, nightmare for an unsupervised kitten home. Between the older cat and the big house, I don’t want her at risk. she is in a separate bedroom at night, and when we are out.

She is getting spayed in a week. I figure she will need two weeks to recover and will then be about 11 weeks. So far, I have a paddle board cover under the stairs, in case she falls, and a scat mat on the loft stairs that she got zapped once and stays away from now. If I close the closets, the toilets, put away wires and other strangle items, is that old enough?

My husband says she’s alone too much and will have issues and I should leave her out now, but I feel like that would be like expecting the six year old to watch the two year old child! He doesn’t know or can control his strength or intervene if she gets herself in trouble!

 

[5starcathotel]

Hello! Bless you for taking in this kitten!

If I have done the math right, we think she is 8 or 9 weeks old now? Have the cats met, and if so, how do they interact with each other when you are at home? This is a really critical relationship, and kittens can have an amazing ability to create bonds with adult cats and short circuit a lot of the tricky cat introductions. That ability will diminish greatly in the next 4 to 6 weeks.

EDIT: just saw your photo, so nevermind, looks like they get along great!

I think maybe you are a bit too worried. As a kitten, she *will* get into something she should not. She will end up behind or under a piece of furniture, or in a cabinet. She will explore and slip and fall from things....that is her job, to learn the capabilities and limits of her body and balance. But there is a reason people say cats have 9 lives!

Protect the wires (if she shows any propensity for chewing on them, she's not likely to strangle herself with them), make sure your house plants are not dangerous....or expensive....

 

[ArtNJ]

The main idea of a safe room is to set a place they retreat to, so they don't hide under the stove or what not. A few days to a week is typical. If the older cat is not troubled by the kitten, there is generally no need for continuing supervision. I've only once seen play so rough I was worried about the kitten, and that was mostly because the kitten was 5-6 weeks old.

Thinking about cat proofing is 9/10ths of the battle. The goal is to take care of what you can and allow the cat to roam and demonstrate what you didn't realize. I certainly don't want to minimize the importance. My brother did have a cat die when a cat licked a *closed* can of something the handyman left behind for an ongoing job -- there were some drippings on the sides I guess. But this demonstrates that what is important is getting in the habit of thinking about pet safety, that it is a life long job, not 100% perfectly setting up things from the get go, which you will really never manage with a kitten. Although it might be uncomfortable for you, kittens can almost always get themselves out of those spaces where they shouldn't have gone in the first place. Generally speaking, the only error that cannot be recovered from is the one shown by my brother's experience -- poison. Well that and mind the washing machine -- heard horror stories there.

So yeah, if they are getting along well, let the kitten roam. You'll forget something, but it will likely be on the order of "I guess I should close the bathroom door so he doesn't do that to the toilet paper"

 

[catlover73]

If the cats are getting along really well it is fine to let the kitten out. I adopted my senior kitty Starbuck when she was a 6 week old kitten. She is also a Munchkin with short little legs. Even once my adult cats got along with her really well I was worried about her ability to navigate my stairs on her own. Then I was watching tv one night while we had her out of our safe room. She was upstairs and wanted to come down stairs. She was still unsure of our stairs at the time and started meowing at the top of our stairs. My adult male Tegato got off my lap and ran upstairs to her. She came down the stairs with him sitting on his back. He carried her down the stairs. He did the same thing when she wanted to go back upstairs later. I saw him do this a few times and realized he wanted to help her. Once she got a little bigger. She would still meow but he would guide her down the stairs. She did learn how to use the stairs on her own. She is also still a small cat as an adult but gets around the stairs fine.

One thing I would do since you have a multi-level home is make sure there is a litter box on each level. I live in a 3 level townhouse and did this when Starbuck was a baby. I also had food and water on each level. She never did use all 3 boxes but I wanted her to have access on each level. I did some short tests with being gone and leaving her out before she was out full-time. We went to run local errands, we went out to dinner, we went to a local concert. After the concert I left her out for half the day when I worked part-time. After the half day test she was granted full unsupervised access. Another factor for me with giving Starbuck full unsupervised run of the house was that my Tegato at one point insisted on being in the safe room with her when we were not home. I really did not want him locked up all day in one room.

 

[ArtNJ]

She was upstairs and wanted to come down stairs. She was still unsure of our stairs at the time and started meowing at the top of our stairs. My adult male Tegato got off my lap and ran upstairs to her. She came down the stairs with him sitting on his back. He carried her down the stairs. He did the same thing when she wanted to go back upstairs later. I saw him do this a few times and realized he wanted to help her. Once she got a little bigger. She would still meow but he would guide her down the stairs. She did learn how to use the stairs on her own.

Was this pre-youtube? They could have owned the internet! I've never seen such a thing!

 

[catlover73]

Was this pre-youtube? They could have owned the internet! I've never seen such a thing!

No but Tegato was camera shy. I would have been worried about her falling if he had been startled. I had never seen this before either and have not seen any pictures on the internet. They were very bonded. When Starbuck got fixed and had to be confined Tegato stayed in my bed room at her side the entire time.

 

[Zigmont]

If the cats are getting along really well it is fine to let the kitten out. I adopted my senior kitty Starbuck when she was a 6 week old kitten. She is also a Munchkin with short little legs. Even once my adult cats got along with her really well I was worried about her ability to navigate my stairs on her own. Then I was watching tv one night while we had her out of our safe room. She was upstairs and wanted to come down stairs. She was still unsure of our stairs at the time and started meowing at the top of our stairs. My adult male Tegato got off my lap and ran upstairs to her. She came down the stairs with him sitting on his back. He carried her down the stairs. He did the same thing when she wanted to go back upstairs later. I saw him do this a few times and realized he wanted to help her. Once she got a little bigger. She would still meow but he would guide her down the stairs. She did learn how to use the stairs on her own. She is also still a small cat as an adult but gets around the stairs fine.

One thing I would do since you have a multi-level home is make sure there is a litter box on each level. I live in a 3 level townhouse and did this when Starbuck was a baby. I also had food and water on each level. She never did use all 3 boxes but I wanted her to have access on each level. I did some short tests with being gone and leaving her out before she was out full-time. We went to run local errands, we went out to dinner, we went to a local concert. After the concert I left her out for half the day when I worked part-time. After the half day test she was granted full unsupervised access. Another factor for me with giving Starbuck full unsupervised run of the house was that my Tegato at one point insisted on being in the safe room with her when we were not home. I really did not want him locked up all day in one room.

Do you have a video of him on Tegato’s back?! How cute that must have been! My older cat Outlaw is teaching her but not like that! I was so worried about her falling over the railing and she jumped up and was hanging from it!

I have been leaving her out for longer periods, just not all day, or all night.

 

[Zigmont]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and helpful advice. This site has such level headed cat owners, it’s refreshing. Plus, I love the stories! Outlaw Jose’s Wales and Suki Stackhouse are pretty much old buddies now, it’s more the dangers of the big house I need to consider. You have all given me lots to think about. We have raised five kids, who are grown and gone, raised and buried two dogs and many a cat, and pet.

After several years, I thought we were done and now I have an outdoor barn cat who found me with kittens, one of whom is Outlaw (the rest have homes and she is feral, spayed and happy in the barn with the horses and chickens), and now the new baby who needs me. I feel like a beginner again! Thank you!

 

[catlover73]

Do you have a video of him on Tegato’s back?! How cute that must have been! My older cat Outlaw is teaching her but not like that! I was so worried about her falling over the railing and she jumped up and was hanging from it!

I have been leaving her out for longer periods, just not all day, or all night.

Unfortunately I do not have any video of this. I wish I did.