Limited to one bedroom okay?

Anoxia

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Hello! I need to find a new place to live, but it seems many places will restrict my cats to just my bedroom. Even in places that may allow my cats to roam in the common areas, I've found I am overprotective of my cats and do not trust the housemates, especially since due to my budget I am looking at something similar to boarding houses where I have no say in discussing or establishing common rules (and many of the places I've looked at like to leave the front door open so tenants can easily go in and out...). Because of the current economy, it is unlikely I will be able to move to a better job and thus a better housing situation within the next year or more.

I have been searching for 3 months already; I'm starting to lose hope of finding housing where my cats can freely roam outside of the bedroom with housemates I trust but I cannot stay in my current situation. At this stage, I'm wondering if it will be possible for my cats to be happy if they are forced to stay in a small bedroom for an indefinite amount of time over a year, most likely with no ability to roam outside of it.

- They currently have full access to a 2 bedroom apartment, with the smallest room being greater than 130 sq ft.
- I live in a dense city and being able to find a room that is 130 sq ft. minimum has been difficult; I'd say I find 1 room that meets that size a month under my current searching criteria, and other applicants have been selected over me for those rooms each time.
- They are indoor-only; non-negotiable.
- They are 2 adult cats between the ages of 1.5 and 2 years. They are friends but not bonded (i.e. they do not hold or groom each other).
- They chase each other for fun around 3 times a day.
- I work a 9-6 job and they will be left alone during that time. I will be home all other times.
- Because I will be renting a room, I cannot add things such as cat shelves, but items that do not damage the walls such as free-standing cat towers are fine, assuming the bedroom will be large enough to fit one.

I'd be happy to provide more information if needed! Thank you so much for the help!
 

havecats

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Are you able to lock the door of your room? It would seem that they would be safer in a locked room while you are away than wandering the house in your absence. There are so many stories about how a roommate let a pet out and the owner is frantically looking for it.

Have you considered a studio apartment? If they have things to play with such as you mentioned, and also have each others company I would think that being in a room while you are gone would be fine. Having access to a window to look out would probably help keep them entertained during the day also.

When I rented a room years ago with a cat I used to worry when I was away. You could also get a camera to check on them during the day while you are gone. Hope this helps, and that you find the right housing for you and your feline friends. I'm sure you will get more suggestions shortly.
 
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Anoxia

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Thank you for your response! Some places allow you to lock the room door with a key, others only let you lock it from the inside; either way, I intend to close the door before I go and common courtesy dictates that no one (not even the landlord) enters your room... although I do agree, I would be more comfortable being able to have it locked.

Unfortunately, I live in a high CoL area and I am only able to afford to live with housemates. I've found studios within my budget are heavily infested, which is a deal-breaker for me.

I'll definitely look into a camera though; thank you so much!
 
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di and bob

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Cats can adapt to small areas, they have each other for company. A year or two wouldn't hurt them, get a cat tree and some toys and they will be fine!
 

bella.cat

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Hi.
I think that since they were never outdoor cats and large-house cats, they would be okay. 🙂
Since your cats are friends I doubt they will be any arguments or fights while you are gone.
Do they like to play a lot? (Apart from chasing each other for fun) Or do they just sleep most of the day? They aren't young kittens so they don't need you around all of the time, but they are young cats so a toy or 2 would be good.

I like the idea of a cat tower, but that's only of course if you have room. Do you have a radiator in your new room? I quite like hang-on radiator cat beds, they often don't take up much room, aren't expensive, and cats like them. You can also put them on the floor. If your cats are a really large breed or really heavy, this may not be the best option for them since (even though these beds are sturdy) there is always a risk of it slipping off the radiator/the hooks which hold the bed to the radiator breaking.
I have one of these beds and, even though I don't keep in on the radiator, I only keep in on the floor, I thinks its quite a comfy and nice option for your cats.

Radiator cat bed - the one I have
Bamboo radiator cat bed

There are cheaper/smaller/larger options, these are just the ones that caught my eye.
Hopefully this helps! 😊
 
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Anoxia

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Thank you guys so much; I'm really glad to hear it'll be doable, even if we do end up staying longer than a year!

Thankfully they spend most of the day sleeping, even when I work from home haha! I leave mice, balls, and springs out for them, and rotate them with things like kickers, chews, and different types of mice (soft, rattly, etc.). They have a variety of wand toys, too, for when I'm home and able to play with them!

Thank you so much for sharing the radiator bed! I was told cats love to sleep on radiators but I was worried it would hurt them, and it'd be a huge comfort to me to have something in between them and the radiator if I end up in a room with one! :hugs:
 

bella.cat

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Thank you guys so much; I'm really glad to hear it'll be doable, even if we do end up staying longer than a year!

Thankfully they spend most of the day sleeping, even when I work from home haha! I leave mice, balls, and springs out for them, and rotate them with things like kickers, chews, and different types of mice (soft, rattly, etc.). They have a variety of wand toys, too, for when I'm home and able to play with them!

Thank you so much for sharing the radiator bed! I was told cats love to sleep on radiators but I was worried it would hurt them, and it'd be a huge comfort to me to have something in between them and the radiator if I end up in a room with one! :hugs:
I'm glad we have it figured out.
No problem, hopefully you find the perfect radiator bed! 🙂
 

Xraystyle

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I live in a 200sq ft apartment (lofted studio), so I can sympathize with the small space. I would say that cat towers and bookshelves would be most helpful. My cat is very active and he's constantly jumping up on everything that he can. However, when I am away, he basically just sleeps. He only gets into trouble/acts bored when I'm around! Since your cats have each other, hopefully they wont constantly be annoying you (as you can't shut the door on them! haha...earplugs are a great thing)

There are also window-clinging cat beds that could be nice! And maybe a childproof gate on the bedroom door so even if you can't lock it, the cats will be deterred from running out should the door be opened (would have to be high enough that they can't jump over...but maybe a thought!) Would also go a little ways into protecting your stuff--just in case!

My friend had what was basically a dorm for her apartment one year and her cat handled it pretty well. She had lots of shelves and hideaways that the cat could explore, which I think helped a lot.
 
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