Working and leaving new kitten home alone.

[Kitchin74]

Hi,

I'm getting a kitten in a couple of weeks. He will be 13 weeks old by the time I get him and I'm just wondering what I should be arranging in terms of care for when me and my housemate are working.

I work half 7 to half 4 and she works a couple of different shifts but I'm hoping she can do mostly evening shifts for a while so he would only be alone for a couple of hours some days. She doesn't work full time. She would be around in the day and me in the evening. Weekends I'm at home.

What kind of periods of time are acceptable for leaving a kitten that age and how often would I need someone to come and keep him company for a while, if we were gone all day?

Also, will I be able to form a good bond with my kitten if I'm working 7.30 - 4.30, 5 days a week? I'm worried that he will grow up to not be particularly bothered about me.

Sorry for the essay, and thanks for reading.

Kind regards,

 

[GoldyCat]

When I got my first kitten, much younger than 13 weeks, I was working 12 hours shifts with an hour drive on each end. That meant I was away from home 14-15 hours at a stretch. I suspect Shareena just slept most of the time I was gone. There was no problem bonding with her when I was home.

With two of you there at different times I don't think you need to worry about him being alone too much. It's always hard to say how a kitten (or cat) will respond to a specific person. He might bond with both of you equally or he might choose one to gift with more of her attention.

Good luck with your new kitten, and let us know how it goes.

Oh, and we want

 

[Kitchin74]

Thanks very much for your response. Definitely put my mind at ease. I'll be spending plenty of time with him when I'm home so hopefully should make up for me being out during the day. And as you mentioned, they sleep something like 16 hours a day at that age.

Thanks again, and don't worry, I'll be taking plenty of pictures, so I'll come back and post some and let you know how he settles in.

 

[She's a witch]

The best what you could do for him is to ensure he has another kitten company. Imo kittens shouldn’t be adopted without another kitten/young/playful cat company, especially such young kitten as yours. In some countries it wouldn’t even be possible to adopt one kitten that young, as the risk of behavioral problems increase if he/she doesn’t have a playful mate in crucial development phase.

Single-Kitten Syndrome - MEOW Cat Rescue

If you’ve ever raised a litter of kittens or adopted a pair of them, you know how much they play together. Some of this play is painful, as confirmed by the yowling and complaining that occurs. The kittens bite and scratch each other, sometimes quite hard. All the while they are learning from...

www.meowcatrescue.org

Early weaning increases aggression and stereotypic behaviour in cats

Behaviour problems are common in companion felines, and problematic behaviour may be a sign of chronic stress. In laboratory animals, early weaning increases the risk for aggression, anxiety, and stereotypic behaviour. However, very few studies have focused ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

If you can’t adopt two cats, can you consider adopting an adult or at least much older kitten around 6mo?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Given as it seems your schedules won't leave him at home for very long at one time, you should be in good shape. If that changes in the very near future, do you have a neighbor or close relative that would be amenable to coming in and playing with him for a couple of hours to break any long stretch of time that he would be home alone? Do either of you work close enough that you could take a lunch break at home? The longer he is in your home and the more comfortable he gets with the two of you, the less likely it will be a real problem down the road. If you are particularly concerned, you could set up baby cams in your home to see how he is doing when left alone.

 

[Kitchin74]

The best what you could do for him is to ensure he has another kitten company. Imo kittens shouldn’t be adopted without another kitten/young/playful cat company, especially such young kitten as yours. In some countries it wouldn’t even be possible to adopt one kitten that young, as the risk of behavioral problems increase if he/she doesn’t have a playful mate in crucial development phase.

http://[URL]https://www.meowcatrescue.org/resources/articles/12/single-kitten-syndrome/index.html

[/URL]

http://[URL]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5583233/

[/URL]

If you can’t adopt two cats, can you consider adopting an adult or at least much older kitten around 6mo?

I'd love two, but Im not really sure if it's a viable option. I'm buying a pedigree so definitely couldn't afford another kitten from that litter. To be honest, I've never heard of rules against adopting only one kitten. None of the breeders I've been speaking to have mentioned it. They are all GCCF registered. I had a look at trying to find an older kitten but I couldn't find anything as I was looking for a certain breed.

 

[Kitchin74]

Hi. Given as it seems your schedules won't leave him at home for very long at one time, you should be in good shape. If that changes in the very near future, do you have a neighbor or close relative that would be amenable to coming in and playing with him for a couple of hours to break any long stretch of time that he would be home alone? Do either of you work close enough that you could take a lunch break at home? The longer he is in your home and the more comfortable he gets with the two of you, the less likely it will be a real problem down the road. If you are particularly concerned, you could set up baby cams in your home to see how he is doing when left alone.

Thanks for your reply, we have arranged a next door neighbor and my uncle to come and visit him in those circumstances. I guess if they came in the middle of the day for an hour or so that would ample until one of us got home. I was thinking about cameras as well but I may just wait and see how he does at first.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. And congrats on the soon to be new kitten.

Friends of mine got a new kitten a few years ago, and would be gone from about 7:30 to 5:30 each day, and the kitten would be left alone during that time. He bonded well with the entire family, though he does consider the wife his main "purrson".

At first, when they were at work, or out of the house, they kept him in one kitten proofed room. That way they knew he wouldn't get into any mischief. They ensured he had food, water, litter box, toys, and a cat bed, and he was fine. I think they kept a radio in there as well, so he wasn't in a totally quiet room.

They left the cat bed in that room, and even though it's been years since he was kept in there, they'll still find him sleeping in the bed sometimes. So he did not associate the room with any sort of negativity.

 

[Kitchin74]

Thanks for the welcome. That's good news. I feel a lot better about him being alone now. I think with the neighbor and my uncle popping in whenever we both are out all day, I feel like he'll be fine.

I still haven't decided on a room for him yet. We've got 2 bedrooms that are both in use, living room and kitchen. And bathroom obviously. I think maybe the living room would be best but that means blocking the stairs off somehow.

 

[susanm9006]

Provided you kitten proof his or her space, your kitten will do fine in your absence and you can always use a video cam to check in on them. Most singleton kittens grow up perfectly fine without having a playmate so I certainly wouldn’t feel compelled to get a second. An only will need more playtime and people time but with plenty of toys will occupy themselves when you aren’t around.

 

[rubysmama]

Here's a TCS article that might be helpful: Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – Cat Articles

Plus: 9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment | TheCatSite

 

[jefferd18]

Congradulations on your new fur buddy.


If you are the one who feeds him and plays with him, there should be no issue when it comes to bonding. Another trick that has always helped me when it came to bonding was to put an unwashed shirt in kitty's bed, so that they become very comfortable with your scent.

 

[sivyaleah]

Hello, welcome to TCS.

You've already gotten a lot of good advice, I'll just add one more which we did when we got our kitten last September. While we were lucky that my husband was home to be with her all day (I took time off the first week but went back to work after) we did have a play pen which we utilized for the times when he/we needed a break and for at night to ensure she was safe. The playpen was large enough to contain her litter box, some toys, a little hidey hut for her, her food/water bowls and a small scratching item. Certainly for an hour or two a kitten is perfectly fine being left this way. I didn't feel good about letting her wander around her safe room unconstrained until she was older and I trusted her better. No matter how well one kitten proofs, they always seem to find something to get into trouble with - ours liked messing with the lamps particularly and climbing up on the bed and leaping off and at 15 months old she really was still too small to be doing this without someone watching her. Anyway, it does sound like you have things well covered but a playpen might be something to consider for those times when you need a little extra coverage.

 

[Jemima Lucca]

The best what you could do for him is to ensure he has another kitten company. Imo kittens shouldn’t be adopted without another kitten/young/playful cat company, especially such young kitten as yours. In some countries it wouldn’t even be possible to adopt one kitten that young, as the risk of behavioral problems increase if he/she doesn’t have a playful mate in crucial development phase.

http://[URL]https://www.meowcatrescue.org/resources/articles/12/single-kitten-syndrome/index.html

[/URL]

http://[URL]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5583233/

[/URL]

If you can’t adopt two cats, can you consider adopting an adult or at least much older kitten around 6mo?

Thank you for all the information! I had no idea such problems could happen by early weaning and social isolation. I’m glad I adopted a second kitten when Jemima was 5mths old. Her former “companion” Makita, our 13yr old had a tumor pressing on his spine and we had to have him put to sleep. Jemima did notice and was stressed because he was gone. We got Lucca soon after. Again, thanks

 

[danteshuman]

Now this is my 2 cents. I remember when the three ‘minions’ were that she and how very much they needed each other (they still do!) So I would suggest asking the breeder about his personality and adopt a mix/mutt kitten (preferably a boy) that loves to cuddle. Might I suggest a house panther (black short haired kitten) or if you want more an exotic/pure bred kind of a look a lynx point (half siamese but only if you do not mind a hyper punk.) oh and unplug everything & baby proof the heck out of his room. You can hang some bird feeders outside in view of a window from his room to entertain him.

We adopted Jackie out at 11 weeks, they yoyo’ed him to and from their house (& resident cat.) Jackie started stress peeing and just 2 weeks later he was returned. I adopted him and he was traumatized for a few months. It took him over 3 months to feel safe enough to go to another room than me!!! When he was returned he ran up to his bff/brother and they were ecstatic to see each other! We realized then and there we had to find a way to keep them together. So Jackie visits his brother every weekend. Jackie is also calmer/less stressed when his brother is around. This is Jackie & his brother Nick 1 month after he was returned.thd other one is what Jackie (the lynx point) looks like now, since they darken until around 2 years old. lastly here is a picture of the bonded pair together.

 

[Kitchin74]

Thanks everyone for all your great advice. It seems having 1 kitten is going to be fine and perhaps once he's settled, if he does seem lonely, a few months down the line I can look at adopting another one at around the same age. But he'll be getting plenty of attention so I think he will be OK. On the point in the post above me, I've already placed a deposit on my Russian blue so if I'm getting just one, getting a mix breed isn't what I wanted really. Your pictures are great though, they look adorable curled up together like that. Definitely makes me want to get two.

 

[Elemteacherjoy]

I have a kitten,and he's a "single." I too am at work all day, and I don't have anyone to check in on him on a regular day, but he does just fine. No problems bonding either. I leave out plenty of toys, and, of course, food, water, litter box. Enjoy your new baby!

 

[fionasmom]

I think that you have taken a lot into consideration for your new kitten and he should have enough company throughout the day that he should be fine. I have had to leave rescued kittens alone in a cat proofed room in emergencies....it was a choice of being alone in a nice, safe room or facing certain death on the street....and no one seemed to suffer because of it as long as there was sufficient interaction for at least a part of the day.

 

[Kitchin74]

Yeah I think he's gonna be ok. I'm hoping after a while he can get used to my dog. He's about 12 now so won't be a playmate but could still provide the company he might need. I won't be leaving them alone until I know they have a good relationship though. He will be staying at our dog sitters when we're out at first just in case.

 

[lavishsqualor]

If it were me, I'd definitely adopt a second kitten around the same age, if not a little younger, from a shelter. She's a Witch is right about them being able to entertain each other. My experience is that kittens, regardless of breed, do much better in pairs. There are A LOT of kittens/cats in shelter that could use a good home.

Just something to think about.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family.