Advise for first time cat owner!

[Sunflower91]

I rescued my two cats from a local rescue. The rescue centre actually recommended them to me as I wanted indoor cats, and due to how close I lived to a main road, they wouldn’t have let me have an outdoor cat.
The process was a bit stressful because they would post cats or litters of kittens ready for rehome on a Facebook page and it was basically a first come first serve basis on that particular post, so you could be a waiting forever for a cat if you weren’t paying close attention. I adopted two short haired moggies, brother and sister. I wanted two so they’d always have eachother If I was ever out during the day.
It was my first real pet so I had a lot of learning to do. Like making sure they had insurance/ how to check it was the right insurance. I didn’t realise indoor cats needed flea treatment so they got fleas . I was a bit too reliant on my partner at the time to know what to do as he’d had cats before.

Cat litters are more complex than I realised. If you have 2 indoor cats you’d need 3 litter trays. My girl is really particular about the type and brand of the cat litter. Placement of them in relation to foot traffic, food and water is also important.

You have to be really careful with plants and fresh flowers to make sure they aren’t toxic to cats/ reachable.
I work from home and im not sure if it’s the breed/ linked with wfh but my cats are very clingy and can get quite anxious if I close them out of a room or destructive and try and rip up the carpets and they are happiest when I have a routine with them.

Honestly don’t know what I’d do without my fur babies they’re such good company when working from home, very loving and a better source of entertainment than the tv

 

[PineappleQueen19]

My cat dislikes going outside, he much prefers staying inside. He loves a sunny windowsill and being able to see out the window at all the comings & goings. On sunny days he will go out but only if one of us is with him and after 20 minutes he’s ready to go back in.

I thought he would relax with time and start exploring outdoors (even had a microchip-reader cat flap installed) but he was seven when we adopted him and we’ve had him for another seven years now and no change despite encouragement. He is an indoor cat by choice. He does have more energy to burn as a result so we ensure we have plenty of play time every day.

Tldr; don’t give up hope - I would check with your local shelter as they will be able to pair you with a genuinely indoor cat. (I agree it is cruel to force a cat to stay inside against its personality/nature.)

btw purina make a good dry food for indoor cats: https://www.purina.co.uk/cat/cat-food/product-purina-one-dry-indoor-turkey-whole-grains

 

[Tinkerbell cat]

I disagree with people saying its not right to have cats stay indoors. I have a very happy nearly 2 yr old cat who is indoors. We live off a main and very busy road, also beside a train station too and I just constantly see missing cat posters We have had our little cat since she was a kitten so she doesn't know any different. In the summer we bring her into the garden so she can watch the birds but 9/10 she will just run back indoors again at the slightest unfamiliar noise. I work 9-5 Monday - Friday but my partner works from home so she constantly has him there. She literally sits by the window with my partner on the computer and when she see's me coming up the road she gets all excited and starts rolling, trying to headbutt the window to get at me then she runs and greets me coming through the door. She has the full run of the house, sleeps on my partner all night, two huge cat tree's, two scratching posts, radiator bed, a million toys (her favourite is her teddy giraffe). I was always a dog person but My partner was always a cat person and in the end we decided that would be best but she has absolutely stolen my heart. Love her so much.

 

[MyLittlePony25]

I have an indoor cat, I have had him since a kitten but my grandparents also have an indoor rescue.
I am home a lot so make time to play. He has lots of toys but has two that are his favourites. I have grown cat grass for him to munch on, he has a harness and has come out on the balcony with me for short periods. He has a huge tower, 3 scratch boards/beds, an igloo, a spot under my bed that he goes to when people come over and he is mad about the laser pen. He is fed at the same time each morning and night but has treats in the day and have taught him to sit and spin on command to give him more to think about. He also gets to watch cat tv on YouTube and he sits and watches the birds on the balcony.
keeping cats indoors is not cruel as long as you provide plenty of enrichment. It also means that our wildlife are safe from them I would be lost without my boy

 

[Shutterbug99]

My cat is an indoor cat. She's 2 and a half and I've had her since she was about 7 weeks old (she was found abandoned in a car park, poor thing). She is content indoors (lots of playtime!) and gets to go out in the garden on a harness. I will never again let any cat of mine roam free and come and go as they please due to previous bad experiences. I don't think it's cruel to keep a cat indoors - it's often the responsible thing to do - especially if you live on or near a road.

I will say it's easier to keep them in if you get them as a kitten. If you get an older cat who is used to being outdoors I imagine it would be very difficult to keep them indoors all the time.

 

[judgejohndeed]

All my cats are indoor cats. I would never and will never let them outside. It’s not safe for them and it’s also unfair on birds etc which cats hunt. Cats are very adaptable creatures and it’s totally fine to keep them indoors. I used to volunteer at a cat shelter, if you reach out to some local to you I’m sure they will have some cats that would best suit being indoors

One piece of advice … please consider getting a pair.

Totally agree with this, if you have two it’s easier anyway as they play together so need less attention from you (except certain breeds eg Ragdolls)

Oh just to add you’d be surprised re cats who have gone outside before wanting to go outside. My rescues were all found living outside for ages and they run away when they front door is opened, they have no interest at all in going back out there.

 

[Nosey Rosie 69]

I have 3 rag doll cats that are indoor cats. They are happy & content. I trained them from kittens to walk on a harness so I am able to take them on walks.

 

[mcfeez]

An FIV positive cat could be perfect for you. They are not allowed outside.

My Siamese cat is an indoor cat. We adopted her from Cats Protection, she was rescued from a breeder who wasn't taking care of them and she had never been outside before. In my area it would not be safe for her to go outside due to busy roads. Cats are absolutely fine to be kept indoors and rescues will be able to help you finding one who is suited to that.

 

[strawb]

i have an indoor cat too, she's a british shorthair and i got her when she was 3 months old she's always been inside and the family who gave her to me advised me not to let her go outside. other than me being scared of cars, poison (there are some crazy people out there), someone taking her home etc. she's also completely uninterested in going out. i let her out on the balcony & in the backyard when i'm there with her and as soon as i head to the door, she follows me. she's also very gentle and kind and i highly doubt she'd survive especially since she's only used to inside life. she even has a little neighbour friend cat who visits her. we feed her with healthy food, have lots of beds and toys around the house and play with her daily for exercise and stimulation. so i think it's definitely possible as long as you put a lot of effort, patience and love into it. good luck & let us know how you get on

 

[Eureka]

My two cats are indoor cats. I do have a catio though so they get to go outside but they can’t roam. It’s just too dangerous imho. For them and local wildlife. They are happy enough.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I'll be honest your best bet would be to help out a local rescue by fostering ill and old cats. Or cats who've just given birth.

Despite what some people will try and tell you, cats do need space and they aren't bread to stay in doors. They are nocturnal and naturally will develop a 2mile territory.

If you have your heart set on a cat then I would suggest getting an older or disabled one so it's easier to keep them indoors.

Have you thought about a house rabbit or guinea pigs? even a rat makes a very good companion

 

[101d]

Persian cats (short and long hair) are lovely and predominantly indoor cats.

I like you am a dog person, but my friend was living with me for a while and had two Persian cats. They were scared to go outside! We could leave the french doors open and they'd never go out. A grey, exotic short hair and a black longhair. I love them so much.

I also love sphynx cats! They are apparently very 'dog like' in their mannerisms, which might be good for you!

 

[Everybody]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been a dog person all my life. Never had a cat. However, I’ve come to the hard realisation that living in the city centre,It will be a long long time before I can get a dog.

as such, I’ve moved on to considering getting an indoor cat (I’ve no garden). It is very early stages, so just really having a think about what to do. I have limited experience & only ever fostered a cat for a few days at a time when they strayed in.

Would really appreciate some wisdom from more experienced cat owners. What breeds etc are good to look into for primarily indoor cats & for first time owners.

I work from home, so will be around a lot. I’ve always had a pet. So spending the last 3 years without any has been really difficult for me!

 

[rainbowlemon]

Make a quiet spot for your cat if you can. Mine has a large cardboard box she loves. The top is covered so dark from the top, bottom has a hole cut out + there's a a blanket underneath.

I'd also stick with indoors only if you can. Ours was attacked by a fox and needed surgery.

 

[candyland_]

I don’t think it’s fair to have cats stay indoors. A lot of family and friends tried to have theirs indoor cats and they just cried and cried to be out.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

Contact your nearest rescue, and I'm not talking like RSPCA or another big organization, a small well organised one run by volunteers. They are normally ladies and have a huge amount of experience. They will be able to help you find the perfect cat for you and your circumstances.

My bf had a persian cat when I met him and she hated being indoors. Despite her supposedly being an "indoor" cat she wanted to be outside all the time and she was surprisingly feisty keeping all the local moggies in line. But we also had a regular moggie and he wasn't much for straying or going out, he basically just hung out in the garden.

 

[Giggling Squid]

We have an indoor cat. She’s a Burmese, and has been an indoor cat since we bought her as a kitten. Her parents are also indoor as are most Burmese. I know a lot of people disagree with both buying cats and cats being indoors but for us was the right thing to do.

I grew up with Burmese and spent 2.5 years trying to get a rescue and couldn’t find any so we explored buying a kitten. I didn’t want a cat, I wanted a Burmese. Honestly she’s amazing, she’s more like a dog than a cat. She will follow you around the house, play fetch… She is honestly the best thing that has happened to me, it’s sad to say but she’s honestly like a baby to me. I love her so much.

we currently live in the middle of a building site (new build house) and there have been so many cats on the estate go missing/die on the roads and building site. Burmese are also known for being very people oriented. Ours is nosy, and stupid and if we ever let her out she wouldn’t come home.

As long as cats as stimulated they are ok indoors. It’s not fair to keep a cat that’s been outside indoors though (unless you have to, eg FIV). Our cat has a huge number of toys, big and small and we swap them out so she always has something “new” to play with to stop her getting bored. We also make sure she gets several 10-15 min ‘playtimes’ a day. We also have her harness trained so she can come out into the garden with us when the weather is nice… she’s not that fussed about it, and usually takes Herself back inside to play with her toys after a few mins outside

 

[saltandvinegarcrisps]

My BSH is an indoor cat, I've let him into our enclosed garden a few times in summer months but he's generally there because I am.. if I go inside and close the door he scratches to get in right away. The breeder asked I keep him indoors and I was happy to do so but after a year I let him out but he's just happy following me around so I don't feel guilty about him being indoors. Advice would be get a hooded litter tray, get them neutered, regular grooming , access to scratch board and toys. Love British shorthairs they are really laid back companions and he's been great since my son came along too.

 

[strawb]

My BSH is an indoor cat, I've let him into our enclosed garden a few times in summer months but he's generally there because I am.. if I go inside and close the door he scratches to get in right away. The breeder asked I keep him indoors and I was happy to do so but after a year I let him out but he's just happy following me around so I don't feel guilty about him being indoors. Advice would be get a hooded litter tray, get them neutered, regular grooming , access to scratch board and toys. Love British shorthairs they are really laid back companions and he's been great since my son came along too.

10/10 all of this!

 

[whoareyouu]

I have three cats. The eldest we got when he was 12, he used to go out but isn’t interested now. The other two are 2 and 5 months old and have never gone out. If you stimulate and play with them they do not need to go out. We have never had issues with damaged furniture either.