Who else have just one, indoor cat ?

BeaG

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Hi, just wanted to ask people who have just one, indoor cat, how is your kitty?
Does it depend on character and breed if they will be ok or not?

I work Mon-Fri 9-5. Over the lockdowns and whole COVID time I was at home much more, now we are slowly getting back to full weeks at work so hope the kitten will be fine.
I make sure our kitty has some quality play time before and after work. He got a bit less active recently (he is 7.5 months old). I noticed that he could run for almost an hour before, now 10-15 min and he needs a break. Then will play again for a bit but in general less than before. My little kitty is growing up ;).
Recently I started to let him go to the garden (on the harness and a very long leash until we can properly cat proof it so he doesn't escape). He'd normally just sit and watch things, occasionally try to catch some insects.
He'd rub on my legs after he gets inside or sometimes just comes in for a sec, rubs on me and goes out again. When I take him back inside he'll meow for a bit if he thinks it was not enough, but he only does it for a minute or two and then accepts this was it.
I've started to take him for short walks, every few days, in the cat backpack (he prefers to sit inside and watch things rather than walk - at least so far).

When I come back from work he'd be asleep, nothing is damaged, he doesn't misbehave when he is left alone. He will come and welcome me when I get back, wants a cuddle for few minutes but is not too clingy. When he gets enough he just goes away again or just want to play.

Only thing he'll do, that I'm not very happy with, is sometimes he will grab me and bite and lick - don't know exactly if it's play aggression or "love bites" - sometimes it's clear but not always. When I know it's play aggression I say no and walk away and stop playing with him for a short while so he knows I'll not accept that. But sometimes he'll be on my lap, I'd be petting him and then he'll just grab me and start biting - gently but sort of holds tight. I know when he had enough or start to be agitated - sometimes he just does it without any warning signs - or maybe I have to watch closer. And I know when he does "love bites" he doesn't grab with his paws, just licks, then give you a gentle bite and then continue licking. It's when he grabs with his paws as well and sort of doesn't want to let go - this is different and worrying. Doesn't happen a lot, but it happens and I'm not sure why.

He looks happy, eats and drinks ok and is not very clingy so I hope he will be fine as an only cat but was wondering how many people have just one cat and what is their experience.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. I have had 3 cats - including one now - who were/are single, indoor cats. All of them have had different personalities, but I can say overall they were/are all very calm with pleasant demeanors. And, each grew up with no one at home with them during the day because we worked.

I do think what you are describing about your kitty is over-stimulation, even if you think it happened out of nowhere or didn't see the signs ahead of time. And, there could be a bit of a boredom factor. I also think it will subside some as he ages more.

In the meantime, see if you can determine if you are missing some of his signals that suggest he is headed into 'overdrive', and continue to do what you are doing to stop him when needed. Also, make sure he has plenty of entertainment when you are not at home - cat trees, window perches, perhaps even some automated toys. Those should help if there is a bit of boredom causing some of the over-stimulation.
 

Micaela227

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Hi! I have more than one indoor cat, but I thought maybe I could give some little advice. I would keep toys all around while I'm not home, like the ones the person above me said, but you could also give him a carton box, they love to hide in them and they are great for scratching. Also, make sure he has a few high places he can jump on without breaking anything.
If you want to know what he does while you are not home, maybe you could buy one of those cameras that connect to your phone. My sister got one that also has a microphone, so she can hear what's going on and talk to her cats if she wants to. She bought it online and it wasn't expensive at all.
 
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BeaG

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He has plenty of toys around, boxes, tunnels, huge cat tree etc. Downstairs looks like little cat playground :D for some reason doesn't like automated toys, they scare him - I was thinking about the camera - good idea.
 

dustydiamond1

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Gypsy is a former alley cat of our quiet neighborhood who decided to adopt us going on 5 yrs ago, vets guess that she was1 or 2yrs old. She had been TNR'd. At the time we had absolutely no intention of getting a pet but she quickly became one of the family (her fur dad & I are her adoring minions) I sometimes wonder if she would like a fur bro or sis but since she seems very content (she roamed solo when a stray) and if she hated sharing her home we would have the heartbreaking decision of returning them to where we got them plus we really can't afford another pet at this time she continues to be an only cat. She is happy and since I'm currently laid off we go on walkies (meandering) at least once a day. We are on the 2nd floor and she is eye level with the squirrel highway with lots of big trees and birdies to watch too. She has always had perches in the windows facing West, North and South, a cat tree, several high places to perch and nap, many box lids to doze and a plethora of toys (most of which she ignores) so when we were both working she was just fine being alone. Since she has never overeaten we have always free fed Purina One Hairball formula. She gets one and a half to two cans of FF 3 or 4 times a day. I would have a camera if we were both still working, I like the interactive one your sis got.
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neely

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In the past, BC (before children), we had multiple cats. Once we bought a house we started adding a dog(s) to our family and from that time on have only had one cat at a time. Our present boy does absolutely fine being a solo cat since we dote on him and give him as much human attention as possible which he adores. :catlove:
 

Katdog

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We have one cat only. She’s my first ever cat. I’ve had her for about 8 months. She was a stray that had a litter and then got found so then I adopted her. None of her kittens are with her, I’m sure those got adopted fast. None were around when I came to adopt her. Anyways, she’s 3. She’s a diluted calico. I wfh currently, and she sleeps pretty much the entire 8 hr of my work day. Rarely bothers me. We play twice a day for 10 min sessions. She gets pets and lovies in the evening and am. She has a meow fit about once or twice at night that wakes us. She doesn’t like sleeping with us in our bed anymore but she used to do it (I miss this a lot). She has two cat trees, one small and one large. She doesn’t really have many toys besides her rope and cardboard boxes. I used to get her toys but they never seem to amuse her, and I just wasted my money. She likes looking out the window often at squirrels and passer by, as well as sun bathing. Occasionally she’ll play with a candy wrapper or a crumple paper to entertain herself, and she has the zoomies - but other than that, she seems fairly content being the only cat. I have felt guilty and have considered getting another cat, but then there’s always the fear of if they don’t get along or if one starts peeing everyone as a defense mechanism or if one got sick but I couldn’t tell which one was the one that puked...so basically getting a second cat seemed like a lot of effort and work and cost - all bc I have a paranoia that my cat currently “might” be lonely seemed like too much , so here we are- still one cat.
 

Juniper_Junebug

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I have a single 10-month old cat, adopted in October. I felt strongly that I only wanted one and was surprised they even placed a kitten with me. But I'm glad they did! She's the best.

My kitty is also in a "bitey" phase that I suspect is related to the lack of feline playmates. She bites when she doesn't get her way, and sometimes totally randomly when she's sitting on my lap. I, too, do not think it's overstimulation, because it's when I'm not even petting her (often when I'm on the phone). I think it's her way of demanding attention. I think of her like a toddler who get frustrated because she can't communicate her needs with words.

She was a lot better at bite inhibition when she was younger, presumably because she was raised with her litter as a little one. I have been assuming that the lack of playmate has caused her to "forget" some of her manners. I haven't figured out a great solution except to walk away when she bites.

She does seem to regard me as her playmate. She has me chase her several times a day. I do feel a little bad every time, because I can never hope to keep up. But she seems happy. She likes to be near me most of the time but seems to do fine when I'm gone-- like today when I went into the office. The real test will be when I'm back full time.
 

strider rose

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i cant live with one kitty ... i like to have as many as the apartment owner will let me have ... right now i have two females
 

Neko-chan's mama

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I have an only cat. She seems content. When we're both gone, she plays the game of knocking all her toys down the stairs. She'll probably miss that when we move next month but will have better windows to look out.
 

ladytimedramon

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Delilah is a single apartment kitty as well. I'm also going through the "Is Delilah lonely?" She's my first cat, and first pet in 30 years. She has plenty of toys (springs and pipe cleaners are her favorites), a timed feeder for kibble snacks, a fountain, 2 cat trees, and is spoiled rotten.

We've reached a consensus that she doesn't sleep in my room at night, but she has the whole rest of the apartment to make herself comfortable. I know she will play with springs and pipe cleaners at night - I hear her sometimes chasing them around the hall. She frequently joins me at my 3am bathroom run and sits and rolls around on top of my hamper.

Lately, we've discovered Cat TV and on the weekends I'll put it on the big tv while I have my coffee. Which reminds me I need to climb up and fill the bird feeder. Right now the biggest worry is a food change. She likes her snacks of kibble but I need to find a new wet food since hers was discontinued.
 

Lari

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My cat was an only cat until I moved in with my now husband about 10 months after I adopted her. Like K Katdog said, I think she mostly slept when I was at work, and she got to know my routine because she'd often be waiting in the window for me when I got home.

She'd been in a foster home with other kittens when I adopted her, and adjusted well to being an only cat. And then adjusted again to living with my husband's cat. It sounds like you're giving your kitty enough love! I agree with the play biting veing a bit of overstimulation.
 

tuffsmom

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Tuff has been an only cat since he adopted us 5 years ago when he was 3 months old. He seems very content and I think the main reason is that we live by a park with plenty of trees, squirrels and birds. He is strictly an indoor cat but has several windows to look out of. I don't think adding another cat to our household would make him one bit happier than he already is!
 

Juniper_Junebug

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Tuff has been an only cat since he adopted us 5 years ago when he was 3 months old. He seems very content and I think the main reason is that we live by a park with plenty of trees, squirrels and birds. He is strictly an indoor cat but has several windows to look out of. I don't think adding another cat to our household would make him one bit happier than he already is!
Did Tuff ever go through a "tough" adolescent phase (couldn't resist)? Did he ever become non-aggressively bitey?

I ask because, as noted above, mine has recently. My home has tons of windows with views of the birds and even a bird feeder suction-cupped to the window directly opposite my kitty's perch. And I take her out on the deck every day. I'm hoping this bitey-ness is just a phase, but I'm really curious about tips and experiences from folks who've successfully raised a single kitty from kittenhood, since that doesn't seem like a particularly common fact pattern.
 

Maurey

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Jum was an only cat until recently (from 8 months to 2 years), though, as a cat from a breeder, she grew up with many other cats. Prior to COVID, I worked fairly long hours away from home, but compensated by playing and giving her all the attention she wanted the moment I got back. I left a load of toys scattered around that were safe for solo play before I left, but I’m fairly sure she just slept the day away while I wasn’t home :>

She did well as an only cat, but as she’s getting reacquainted with her daddy, Chip, and they’re figuring out boundaries, I’m hoping she’ll do just as well, if not better.
 

tuffsmom

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No, Tuff has never been very bitey. I have always thought he was our gift from God, so I think he was given strict instructions as to what he could or couldn't do! Ha!
 
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