You let your cats run loose in your home or keep them caged when you are not home?

ajrsmom · #1 (**permalink**) 09-07-2006, 11:59 AM

I have to admit that we keep our kitten in his travel carrier when we are gone--never more than a couple of hours at a time. I cannot stand the thought of him jumping on the table, counters or getting into things while we are out. He sleeps in his carrier for the same reasons. He is used to this and has no problem with it since this is how it has been from the beginning. When he is too big for his carrier, we want to get a big enough wire cage that will hold his food, a sm. litter pan and his blanket for him--again, the food and litter will only be in there when we are on an outing for the day. He has the full run of the house otherwise.

Am I strange for doing this or does anyone else do something similar?

Thanks,
Tami

jrztomato · #2 (**permalink**) 09-07-2006, 12:06 PM

this is sort of a to each his own thing..
mine runs free whether I am here or not..he doesn't go on the counter or tables..(my last one did)..he uses his litter which is in one of the bathrooms and his food and water are in a holder which is on a placemat on the kitchen floor...I was always told that cats do not like to eat in the same area where they use the bathroom so mine have never used the same room for both..
I also find that cats tend to spend most of the day sleeping anyway...

ajrsmom · #3 (**permalink**) 09-07-2006, 12:25 PM

The older our kitty gets, the more nosey he is becoming. He has a fascination with water! he loves to jump into the shower, on the sink and onto the kitchen sink when I am doing dishes.

I have found that even when we go outside and leave him in the house, he considers it his play time to get into things. He is just like a curious little boy (or in my case just like my curious little daughter

).......he loves to shred newspapers, stick his head into whatever you might be drinking at the time, crawl on top of my computer monitor to sleep and climb in the windows and terrorize the mini blinds.

He is not "bad", just being a kitty. I do feel better knowing that he can't get hurt and that my house will survive while we are away.

sweetnell3 · #4 (**permalink**) 09-07-2006, 01:15 PM

I think that idea is okay. As for our cats the grown ones are outside most of the time ,the kittens are put in this one large room that used to be the patio but we made it into a extra room that way they still have room to roam but the rest of the house is safe and so are they.

Candy · #5 (**permalink**) 09-07-2006, 10:15 PM

Whiskers ,our cat, is nobodies fool. She knows she is not allowed up on the counters and table and only goes there if she thinks we don't see her! For this reason at night and when we go away we close the sliding door to the kitchen so she can't get in there.
Also keep the toilet seats down as the thought of her getting in there is just to disgusting. She does jump in the tub also.
Cats like to go up and I don't like the thought of thise dirty little litter paws going everywhere even though they look so clean.LOL I try to put it out of my mind on everything but the kitchen!LOL
My opinion is to each there own, do what you are comfortable with.

crystalk33 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-13-2006, 07:49 AM

Our kittens are 5 months old and they have the run of our house as long as someone is home. When we leave they get shut into our entry way ( sort of a mud room) with the dog in his kennel. They do fine in there but with winter coming they will be free inside. It gets cold out there.

boggsZ · #7 (**permalink**) 09-13-2006, 07:50 AM

candy that sounds just like my cat lilly she knows she is not allowed on the counters and only gets up there when she thinks we are not looking

I have gave her indoor formuly cat food since we got her do you all change your cats food if thay seem to get bored with it and if so how do you do it without giving them the runs

**Sammi1961** · #8 (**permalink**) 09-13-2006, 12:26 PM

My cats run free whether we are home or not. I had never heard of anyone kenneling a cat (or kitten) before. I guess I can't imagine doing that. All of the cats I have ever had have always been pretty well behaved and knew they were not allowed on counters or kitchen tables.

Pag36 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-13-2006, 03:33 PM

My cats when little use to jump up on table/counter and I knocked them off onto floor a couple times (never hurting them) and they never went up again. And I set up a camera in kitchen one weekend when we were gone to check and see if they got up and was pleased to see they did not. But on top of couch, chairs, bed etc yes. They were free to go in any room and toilet seat was always donw and never left water in tub or sinks for their safety.

**cat lover** · #10 (**permalink**) 09-13-2006, 03:45 PM

We have 6 cats; 4 are house cats. They have free roam of the house and usually the mud room downstairs and the garage. But right now mama is in the mudroom due to give birth anyday and she doesn't get along with the house cats when she has kittens. Our newest has only been here a week so she is still learning the rules. She sleeps with us, and the others are 9,8 and 6 so they don't do much but sleep and stay out of Rerun's way! LOL

Their litter boxes are in the laundry room and their food and water is in the kitchen on the floor.

I have had to kennel some once in awhile for a short time when someone decides they don't want to have other cats around but themselves! LOL

Our two out door cats live in a 10 x 10 dog kennel with a beagle; during the day the tomcat roams the property with the beagle, but comes home when called. They all get locked up at night or they would become the coyotes next meal. Mama cat lives there too, but not when she is due to deliver(the beagle thinks shes the mama). So I think they can adjust to whatever suits your family; seems to be okay for them as long as you stick with whatever you start with. In my experience cats don't like change! LOL