Adjusting to a smaller and indoor-only new home

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Emily-Sweep
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Adjusting to a smaller and indoor-only new home

Post by Emily-Sweep »

Hello, I'm - hopefully - soon to move into a small second floor flat with my two cats. We previously lived in a house with access to the outdoors, and one cat in particular has always enjoyed spending time outside. They are 14 and 15 years old, but still have plenty of energy (albeit in short bursts) and I'm looking for possible ways to enrich their new home to compensate for the lack of space indoors and having no garden.

I'm thinking of trying to create new wall shelving which combines storage and desk space with shelves for the cats to climb and explore. They tolerate each other but are not bonded and sometimes have little spats, so I want to ensure they feel that they can each escape to their own space as well as using up energy and having more stimulation. I'd welcome any ideas for using wall space in this way, and also any other suggestions for enriching their lives in a small indoor space.

We've been living temporarily in two small rooms for two months now, and they've both visibly put on weight (neither have had weight issues in the past; last winter I took one of them for a vet check as she was looking so skinny that I was worried that she might have a thyroid problem, but apart from a 'slight heart murmur' she was declared in good health for her age). Now I'm concerned they're going to become little furry barrels if I'm not careful :( Both cats have self-regulated their food intake without problems until now, but have had lots more space to burn off energy.

Any advice to help with this transition will be much appreciated.
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Mollycat
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Re: Adjusting to a smaller and indoor-only new home

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I know this is going to sound mad but changes can trigger problems between even the best of bonded cats. So I would separate them and proceed gradually as if you were introducing them for the first time. Obviously they may be fine together very quickly, but especially in the early days when new sounds and smells can make them jumpy, the last thing you need is for them to fall out with each other. That's my first thought, as a precaution.

I live in a small second floor flat too, luckily I was already here when I took in two cats that were already adult and indoor only. Weight was a massive challenge with Molly, both cats were always free-fed and Boo regulated his intake but Molly had psychological issues that meant rationing and fixed meal times were impossible. I invested in microchip feeders which made her more food secure that her food couldn't be eaten by anyone else, and put her on a restricted calorie food. The one we used was Hills, they have two, Metabolic and r/d which work differently and should not be mixed. She lost weight and kept it off. Take advice from the manufacturer as to which is most suitable, not the vet.

I don't believe it's ever possible to exercise cats enough to compensate for going outdoors, because it's not all about physical movement, there is also the healthy stress of patrolling a territory and smelling other visitors' scents, and the mental and sense stimulation of being in a natural wild environment. That's just my personal opinion. Yes as much you can do of cat shelves, cat trees, always provide cat grass in a pot, play with them, create games that make them think as well as move like running for their treats, laser toys, wand toys, puzzles, plenty of high perches including window sills. Wishing you luck, I hope they do adapt well.
Emily-Sweep
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Re: Adjusting to a smaller and indoor-only new home

Post by Emily-Sweep »

Mollycat wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 6:45 pm I know this is going to sound mad but changes can trigger problems between even the best of bonded cats. So I would separate them and proceed gradually as if you were introducing them for the first time. Obviously they may be fine together very quickly, but especially in the early days when new sounds and smells can make them jumpy, the last thing you need is for them to fall out with each other. That's my first thought, as a precaution.

I live in a small second floor flat too, luckily I was already here when I took in two cats that were already adult and indoor only. Weight was a massive challenge with Molly, both cats were always free-fed and Boo regulated his intake but Molly had psychological issues that meant rationing and fixed meal times were impossible. I invested in microchip feeders which made her more food secure that her food couldn't be eaten by anyone else, and put her on a restricted calorie food. The one we used was Hills, they have two, Metabolic and r/d which work differently and should not be mixed. She lost weight and kept it off. Take advice from the manufacturer as to which is most suitable, not the vet.

I don't believe it's ever possible to exercise cats enough to compensate for going outdoors, because it's not all about physical movement, there is also the healthy stress of patrolling a territory and smelling other visitors' scents, and the mental and sense stimulation of being in a natural wild environment. That's just my personal opinion. Yes as much you can do of cat shelves, cat trees, always provide cat grass in a pot, play with them, create games that make them think as well as move like running for their treats, laser toys, wand toys, puzzles, plenty of high perches including window sills. Wishing you luck, I hope they do adapt well.
Thanks for responding. I agree that it's not possible to truly compensate for the lack of outside stimulation (especially after fifteen years of the real thing) and I'm trying to assuage my guilt by planning the layout of the living room with cat-entertainment in mind - and hopefully moving from their current two rooms to four will help them co-exist a little less irritably :)

I'll keep in mind your advice on the feeding/weight issue too, thank you.
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Kay
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Re: Adjusting to a smaller and indoor-only new home

Post by Kay »

some of Jackson Galaxy's ideas for making small spaces ideal for cats shown in 'My Cat From Hell' are very inspirational, so this book might give you some ideas

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154626734466 ... SSEALw_wcB

there might be ideas on You Tube too
Emily-Sweep
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Re: Adjusting to a smaller and indoor-only new home

Post by Emily-Sweep »

Kay wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 10:42 pm some of Jackson Galaxy's ideas for making small spaces ideal for cats shown in 'My Cat From Hell' are very inspirational, so this book might give you some ideas

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154626734466 ... SSEALw_wcB

there might be ideas on You Tube too
Thanks for that - I hadn't heard of it before. I've bought the kindle version so hopefully it'll give me some extra ideas :)
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