A million questions about cats .........

[MinkyBorage]

He arrived from CPL yesterday.

1. do I leave a light on at night for him?
2. they told me to keep him in one room for a week, is this too long. He seems happy and v affectionate and keen to explore, although he hides whenever the dc are around.
3. he hasn't done a poo yet. I have no idea whether he has even been in his covered litter tray. Is there anything I should do to encourage him?
4. when I do let him in to the rest of the house, how do I keep him out of our bedrooms? Dh allergic and definitely doesn't want him on bed. Doors all open so can hear dc in night. Ds is 14 months old and his b'room door doesn't close properly.

That's just for starters. I'm really grateful for the advice I've been given on other threads too. Sorry to be a pain, but I really know NOTHING about cats! Tia

1. i wouldn't bother, they have perfect night vision.

2)seems right, cats are kept in for a week or two when people move house but i would let him have the run of the house rather than just one room, making sure he couldn't get outside.

3)he might wait until he feels a bit more secure in his surroundings before he poos, as long as he is eating he should be fine.

4)you can't! only way is too keep doors tightly closed. keep cat locked away in one room at night until he can be put outside.

One room for a week seems a bit excessive but certainly for a few days would be sensible.
Basically you can't keep him out of your bedrooms unless you keep the doors shut. Cats don't have rules!
We shut our cat in the kitchen (where his cat flap is) during the night otherwise he'd be waking us and dc at about 5am every morning when he thinks he needs feeding
You don't need to leave a light on for him, cats have excellent night vision but if you want to you could leave a dim lamp on.
If he's house trained already he will probably be using the tray, you do need to look and check if he is though!

Hope that is helpful. We have always had cats, they are wonderful, affectionate creatures but don't have that slavish, drooling, brain-free side that dogs have, they are always their own person/cat, that's what is so cool about them

Sorry, I wrote that on my iphone last night, and forgot to press 'post'.

In the night he did a poo in the plant, and it stinks of wee too, so I've put the plant outside, and taken the lid off the litter tray.

Thanks bamboo button

They told me to keep him indoors for 5 weeks!!! I guiess I should wait until he's using the litter tray before letting him roam around the rest of the house?

Oh and we never put our cat out for the night He has a cat flap so he comes and goes as he pleases but has the kitchen as a warm, dry place to retreat too if it's grim outside.

LOL at pooing in plant. Little sod monkey. I remember our kittens doing that. Cat do like to keep clean so if he is shut in a room with the tray and no other options hopefully he'll get the hang of that v. quickly then you can let him roam free (and you will discover all the marvellous places a cat can get stuck in - my mum and dad had a cat who got in the airing cupboard and from there under the floorboards where he stayed for about a day until mum and dad were frantic and then strolled out for tea...)

5 weeks seems excessive. Our cats are from the CPL, albeit 10 years ago. We were told to wait a week before letting them in the garden. We also gave them the run of the downstairs for a few days before letting them free around the rest of the house.

Good luck.

I've always kept my cats in for 4 weeks when we move house. But I don't see why he can't roam the house, once he is using the litter.