Is there any alternative ways to secure a kitten/cat than a wire crate?

[Xiomara]

I live in a studio apartment currently and I want to get my first pair of feline friends (siblings most likely). I've already started to prep my home and in my research I've read that I should set up an area for them to see as their safe haven but is also a safe way to secure them overnight and when I'm not home while still young. I've only found two common options, setting up a room in the house which doesn't work for me because the only other room is the tiny bathroom and wire dog crates which I'm not fond of due to a negative experience in the past (sharp wire that broke and my dogs eye).

Is there anything else I can use instead of the wire crate for them? If not, do I crate them together or separately? How do I determine what size crate to get? Should I buy a crate cover too? Of course I'll be the cage daily for anything sharp or broken.

Thank you for help in advance!

 

[Elphaba09]

Are they kittens? How big is your studio apartment? Personally, I have never seen the need to crate any of my cats. We kept them separated as each was brought into the house (we have nine) and have kept fosters in a room to keep them from the other cats; however, you are planning on getting siblings (or even two that have been around each other previously), so the need to isolate and introduce is not there. If they are kittens, you could get a playpen/pack-and-play and keep them in that if you really feel the need, but, honestly, I do not think you need anything like that at all. The only kitten that is going to stay in a playpen is a tiny, young kitten that should not be away from its mother or left alone for extended periods of time.

Since you are getting two, they can keep each other company. As for the "safe space," for most situations, that can be as simple as a box with a soft blanket. They make plenty of little cat beds, with or without a hooded section. They might even just choose to hide under something for a bit. My one cat, Tara, was, like all my other cats, highly traumatized when she came to me with her friend Simon. They hid behind my washer for days, coming out only when they were hungry or needed to use the litter. Simon started exploring first. Then, a week or so later, Tara started being more adventurous.

You can try calming spray or a calming diffuser to make the space feel more welcoming to the cats.

Our house is just under 1,000 sq ft and has three bedrooms, a living room, a sitting room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a hall. (And a partially finished basement where we have kept some cats for TNR.) They have lots of hiding places and vertical spaces, so it seems bigger to them.

One thing I would suggest for the litter box(s) is to look into a divider or something like that. Some cats like enclosed spaces when using it, but many cats do not. A divider keeps the box(s) out of sight and gives the cats some privacy so they do not get spooked.

Good luck! Post pictures of your sweeties after you get them!

 

[Xiomara]

The 2 that I am hoping to adopt (once the shelter is open and processing applications again) are a pair of Domestic Short Hair sisters who will be probably be 8 or 9 weeks old. My apartment is about 300 sq ft but I've already started purchasing little cat trees and condos to add to the vertical space for them. I can't use multiple cat shelves mounted directly on the walls but I did get approval to attach the trees and condos so that they can't fall over which is a big plus.

 

[Willowy]

I generally do crate kittens that young, but I have a lot of older cats and large dogs so it probably won't be necessary if your entire apartment is kitten-proofed. At that size it shouldn't be too hard.

If you decide you need a cage, rabbit/ferret cages work well, dog crates have never worked for me (the kitties get under the tray and out of the large openings on the bottom).

 

[Xiomara]

I do have a cage I used when I rescued guinea pigs a few years ago that is 63 x 23 x 16 (inches). Do you think that will work if I need to use it?

 

[Pjg8r]

I have one that looks like this. If you have a small apartment there may be times a repair person needs to come in and it might be nice to have somewhere safe to put them.

 

[LTS3]

A large soft sided crate could work. Like this one a local blogger has used previously:

That particular crate is the 42 inch one: https://www.amazon.com/EliteField-Folding-Outdoor-Multiple-Available/dp/B01HKF4ANU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Some cats can claw their way out of a soft sided crate, though. Check the full length of the zippers and edges and seams for any signs of clawing or chewing. A wire crate or multilevel cat cage would work better for attempted escape artists.

An old blanket or tablecloth will work as a crate over al though I don't see why you would need to cover a crate up while it's in use. Just don't completely cover a crate. You need to allow air to circulate through. Covering 3 sides of the crate will work or cut the cloth / blanket so it leaves the bottom 6 inches of the crate uncovered.

 

[banana queen]

We have a playpen, which was a safe Teddy space when we had just got him, that we used for introductions and times we needed to keep him somewhere safe. Ours is octagon shaped with mesh sides and a waterproof floor, and it folds flat.

 

[Azazel]

You already live in a very small space - I wouldn't crate them. It's unnecessary and may actually cause more harm than good.

 

[sivyaleah]

We have a playpen, which was a safe Teddy space when we had just got him, that we used for introductions and times we needed to keep him somewhere safe. Ours is octagon shaped with mesh sides and a waterproof floor, and it folds flat.

This is what we used for our kitten when she came to us for the first week or so when we were not in the room with her and, at night. It was plenty big for a 15 week kitten to have a litter box, her food/water dishes on the other side, a small hidey hut and a few toys. We used this until we felt comfortable with her being with our resident cat at night and even used it when she got spayed to make sure she didn't bounce around too much the first day or so when we couldn't watch her.