Where's your cat if you work away all day?

[IHateFlies]

We may have a cat permanently soon.
We have it on a 'part time' basis.
Basically, the owners aren't that keen on their own cat so we've been taking care of it and it sleeps in our house but we let it out every morning so it can go back home.
The owners have approached us and asked us if we want to keep it.
Dc won't hear of anything other than yes.
We're not sure what we do with it during the day though.
Any other tips would be helpful.

Can you install a cat flap?? Then you won't need a litter tray.

Mine has a cat flap, although she does prefer it if her servant opens it for her! She eats, sleeps and does what she wants. She has the run of most of the house so can get into lots of mischief. If I leave the bathroom window open in the summer, she goes out of that and walks along the single storey extension so she can annoy next door's dog! She's enjoying her life.

We have a little cupboard that has a hidden litter tray in the bathroom. I bought it off Amazon its fully enclosed except for a small hole they can climb in and out off

In the summer, usually sprawled on the outside sofa. Winter, in cat bed or igloo, on sofa or in human bed, depending on where the sun is.

I only work in the office two days a week and I only work a ten minute drive away so I nip home and let the dog out and the cat in/out and feed her on my lunch break.

😂😂😂

You should have known really...

Put in a cat flap.

I thought you'd written out the "Cats Sleep Anywhere" poem, by Eleanor Farjeon!!! (The only poem I know off by heart)

Cats sleep, anywhere,
Any table, any chair
Top of piano, window-ledge,
In the middle, on the edge,
Open drawer, empty shoe,
Anybody's lap will do,
Fitted in a cardboard box,
In the cupboard, with your frocks-
Anywhere! They don't care!
Cats sleep anywhere.

Our cats are Covid cats, so are used to having someone around all day as DH works from home. Very rarely are they left "on their own" all day, but we do go away on holiday or for weekends away. They have a cat sitter during that time, but ultimately are left on their own for longer periods of time during the day.

One of the cats has a bit of separation anxiety and can overgroom. It's a bit like us biting our fingernails, so it's become like a habit to her. There's nothing "wrong" with her, but she can look a bit scraggy as a result!

The other one is perfectly fine without human company, but just makes up for the lack of it when we get home with lots of cuddles.

My old cat was used to having the house to herself. She was mostly an indoor cat as I didn't have a cat flap and she just used to sleep or play with her toys during the day. She never really seemed that put out that we weren't home.

Most cats are, therefore, pretty self resilient, especially if they have access to a cat flap.

If you are taking a cat over from a neighbour though, I'd recommend you keep it in for a good few weeks, so it can learn that this is its new home, or you might find that it just keeps returning to its old one anyway, but with you now responsible for paying all the vet bills!

Mine is out during the day then comes home for tea then goes to bed. He has access to biscuits and shelter outside although I worry about him when it’s cold like this. We have a litter tray but he’d rather cross his legs for 24 hours than use it, it’s mostly a precaution.

@IHateFlies
The cat would probably know what a litter tray was for and would probably use it.
However, if you don't want one, fit a cat flap.
As soon as our kittens had had all their vital procedures and were able to go outdoors, we got rid of the litter tray.
We have a flap which only our cats can control with fobs on their collars, so they can come and go as they please, and no other cats can get in.

We have a covered litter tray, doesn't smell and the cat does what she likes during the day, usually asleep in a patch of sunshine coming through the window.

Get a cat flap 🤷‍♀️

My cat runs out for a wee if it's cold/raining and then comes in and goes back to sleeping!

I've never had a litter tray.

Cats like their own company, they like to sleep a lot as well.
They also learn your family routine, and are quite happy to amuse themselves.

Our cat only uses cat litter when she decide that its too cold or too wet for her highness.
Usually when it's wet and cold she's curled up by the radiator and sleeps a lot.

I love cats, but since I work during the day and don't want to keep a cat in a cage, I have no choice but to not have one.

My cats spend a lot of time outside but I keep them in a night.
I don't have a cat flap and they have a litter box.
They have been know to cry to be let in (my desk is by the door to the garden so one of my WFH roles is door opener for the cats) and then sprint to the litter box.

Cats!!

When it’s cold they defo need somewhere warm to snooze. Current position of two of mine - a dog bed, and the top of the kitchen cabinets…

This is just too cute!😍

In the summer the cats are usually asleep somewhere I'm the garden
In the winter they are usually asleep somewhere in the house

(This summer was a bit shit so they were in winter mode)

They have a catflap. We only get the litter tray out on/around bonfire night and NYE, but they hate using it and generally hold in

One of us is usually home as we are not in office FT, but if we are not, they go snooze somewhere. Cats are crepuscular: they're most active around sunrise and sunset. So they'll go be quite mad first thing in the morning (mine like to get a head start around 5am by having a scrap), then they go have a morning nap to get themselves ready for the post-lunch sleep. (If we are home, one of mine magically wakes up at lunch time to see if he can mooch anything good.) Then they go active again. So it all works.

Even if you have a cat flap it really is best to have a litter box indoors anyway, as there's going to be days when the cat won't want to go out due to weather. My current cats are indoors only anyhow, but I have had previous cats who detested snow and wouldn't put a paw outside if there was any. One would give me quite the judgmental look if I opened the door and they saw white.