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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

caging kittens

5 replies

Lilyannapollyanna · 18/02/2016 11:41

A friend of mine - well more of an associate I'm polite with - has just been bought a kitten. I think it's younger than the 12 weeks they were told but that's just my opinion.
Anyway - she's out at work all day five days a week. And she's keeping the poor little mite in a dog crate. I think this is wrong and that the kitten should have at least one room to roam about while its home alone 8 hours a day. Someone else happened to say this to her and apparently a vet said its perfectly okay to keep the kitten in the dog cage. And it sleeps in there as well from about 11pm to 8am.
I'm not a cat person and don't really know but surely a vet wouldn't advise that keeping a tiny kitten caged up alone 75% of the time is okay?
Just wondering as I don't know any vets or cat people to ask really Confused
I feel so sorry for the poor little thing - I don't doubt the novelty will wear off

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 18/02/2016 12:09

Well it's fine if there is a medical reason (for example healing broken bones) but it's really not good if it's for no good reason. Do you know why she is doing it?

Kittens like a lot of play and stimulation - so at the very least a room to run around and some toys, but preferably also a litter mate to play with.

I'm not sure what you can do about it though.

Lilyannapollyanna · 18/02/2016 12:14

She gets it out to play with it basically. She was bought it as a 'gift' from someone who felt sorry for her after being dumped! I'm genuinely serious there it sounds so ridiculous but it's true!
I know I can't do much about it BUT if she mentions it to me then I'm not the type to just nod along and agree. I think it's bloody mean keeping the poor baby locked up all the time.And I'm fairly certain a VET wouldn't have given her the all clear to do it!
Wouldn't mind it's already using the litter tray properly Sad

OP posts:
Maryz · 18/02/2016 12:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lilyannapollyanna · 18/02/2016 13:50

It's not a large cage. There isn't any space for it to do anything the litter tray food bowls and bed take up all the room Sad
It's more frustrating that it's just a novelty to her and the poor little thing can be heard crying most of the day.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 18/02/2016 14:07

We never advise our fosterers to keep kittens in a cage. As long as there are no obvious hazards in the room (ornaments/candles etc) then it's fine for them to run around. I've fostered a fair number myself and always give them a room to play in. They like to run around, but they like to have litter mates and company even more. It must be a very sad, bored and lonely kitten she has there.

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