Page 1 of 1
Amount of time needed with a new cat
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:55 am
by crazeeclo
Hi all, this is my first post!
I'm looking at adopting a cat but my partner and I both work and would be out of the house for about 9 hours of the day Monday-Friday. Firstly is this feasible to have a cat- obviously we would have a cat flap etc but wanted opinions on that.
Secondly if we did adopt how much time off work would be needed in order to help the cat settle in?
Many thanks for all of your replies!
Re: Amount of time needed with a new cat
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 2:39 pm
by Kay
I would suggest you look for an adult cat from a rescue - definitely not a kitten, which would not cope with being alone for some hours
the rescue might have a cat known to have spent hours alone without human or other animal company - alternatively a cat which has spent some time alone in a rescue pen might appeal to you
I had a single cat during my London commuting days, and she was alone for 10 hours a day - it didn't seem to affect her but I always let her join me in the bedroom, otherwise her solitary hours would have been even longer, so that is something you might consider
feeders with timers are useful too, as a midday feed would be reassuring
if you live in a safe neighbourhood then a cat flap would undoubtedly be useful, once you are sure the cat knows its way home - you may find it more useful to have a week off work once the flap is installed so you can supervise outside time - if you took time off at the beginning you could well find you have a cat which wants to be left alone and hide away for a week or so, which is very common and very natural
Re: Amount of time needed with a new cat
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 12:53 pm
by Emma42
thanks for the information
Re: Amount of time needed with a new cat
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 5:10 am
by Mollycat
I'm not really sure about taking too much time off work to help a new cat settle in. Firstly a cat normally likes to settle into the place first without too much interaction from the humans (though it's great if you're there but still and quiet) but secondly there's something to be said for "start as you mean to go on" otherwise Cat gets used to you being home and has to adjust again to you leaving for work every day. A good rescue should discuss all this with you and find you a cat that is suitable for your lifestyle.