Kitty cage considerations

[CVPeg]

I am taking a work contract shortly that will require me to be 90 minutes from home. And very long hours. Supposedly for 6 months. I plan on looking for a room to rent occasionally. Maybe even stay at a hotel occasionally. Especially if/when the weather gets nasty.

Live in a house with one indoor cat. He is fine for 2 days alone. Have even left him alone once for 3 days. But that was the extent of it. Not repeated coming and going.

So I’m looking at cat cages online. Thinking about buying one if I get a room and get permission. He does claw carpets a bit - even if I keep his nails trimmed, and even with scratching posts available. And can miss the box occasionally if everything isn’t perfect. So I’m wary of leaving him loose with just the litter box.

Is this unfair to consider leaving him alone in one for about 11 hours at a time? I’d be returning each night to sleep. And my doing this several days in a row?

Recommendations for style, size, company? Tips?
Thanks!

[JoZ]

I think the easiest thing on your kitty would be to leave him/her at your house, and have a cat sitter stop in once or twice a day.

But you know your cat best. If you think the cat will appreciate seeing you each evening – even if you will presumably be asleep for most of the time you’re there – then I don’t think the cage is out of the question. Whenever we bring a new barn kitty in, he or she spends the first two or three weeks in a cage 24/7. Now usually this is a kitten, but we have done it with at least one adult as well.

And I traveled cross-country with a cat, so he was in the cage in the car for long periods each day. Be aware that if your cat is young enough to be active, coming out of the cage each night might set off the crazies (tearing around the room). If there is someone living underneath you, it might sound like a herd of elephants. I don’t know how they do that with those soft little paws!

Obviously the cage would have to have a litter box. That’s another consideration. It’s hard to fit a full-size litter box into a cage, and some cats may have trouble working with a tiny box. Also make sure to have very stable dishes for water and food, particularly water, because you don’t want the cat to dump it within five minutes of your leaving for the day.

[CVPeg]

Thanks, JoZ. Yeah. I have always had it in the back of my mind to leave him home. But he is a Maine Coon mix. I get such an earful just being gone during the day, when I return home at night. Was reminded of this last night after returning home at 830.

The cages I’m looking at are the tall ones - with a couple of shelves. Litter box on the bottom. But having had dog crates for showing, am wondering if these cages are pretty darn heavy, too.

Would like to have the company, but also thinking what would be best for him - if the weather gets nasty down the road and I’d rather stay put for a few days than have to return home. Even though it’s just 90 minutes, the valley to my east regularly one of the most treacherous for ice, wind, and white-out conditions. And my house is rural, with few neighbors, so hasn’t been easy to find a reliable pet sitter.

He is 7. And is finally slowing down for the most part. But most definitely still has his zooming moments. And a good mouser. Even if only catching one every once in awhile, he is always on night duty.

Despite winter weather, I probably would get home at least once in the middle of the week. So I’ll play this by ear. And for now expect to be home most nights. But would still love to hear experiences, thoughts, ideas.

[alto]

Have you thought about looking for an in-home cat sitter? ie MC goes to stay there (indoors) during your trips … you’d likely want him to overnight at least once a month so he stays connected with his “foster” home.

OR

just find another happy cat to share your home with

(note I have a non-home-sharing cat so try fostering first)

[JumpQH]

Agree with leaving Kitty at home. Cats are territorial. Dogs want to be where their human is (generally), but cats want to be in their familiar territory (generally).

[Peggy]

We crated our barn cat during different periods, first in a large dog crate and eventually in one of the multi-level things you’re describing. We did it at first because he’s pretty quick and we didn’t want someone opening the office door and having him fly out. Then, from time to time if we wanted to leave the office windows open in the summer for air circulation at night, but didn’t want him to wander out. Finally, at one place the office was pretty porous (not cat proof).

The thing doesn’t weigh too much and it does have wheels. It is a bit bulky. I don’t know how much of a PITA it was to assemble as I paid the groom to do it.

The cat seemed OK with it, but not as happy as with complete freedom.

Another cat. Different experience. I recently had my house tented for termites (something that the OP will never experience in her climate). This requires moving out of the house for two nights. Other than one or two times when I first got this cat, I have always had a pet sitter. She did spend 5-6 nights getting radioactive iodine treatment about seven years ago. But otherwise, she hasn’t left home. She’s 18 and not as confident as she used to be so I really didn’t want to put her in a kennel. So I found a hotel chain that takes pets (Extended Stay America, or some such thing), and moved in for two nights. At first she did not want to leave the carrier. I had to leave for about three hours and when I came back, there she was. So, I removed her with little effort and then held her. She did the belly crawl thing for a bit and then seemed kind of OK. But she spent pretty much all of the time in the hotel under the bed, except occasionally when I was there. So, moving the cat may not be the best option, depending. YMMV.