Kittens in 3 level house.

[TheClitterati]

We are getting two fairly young kittens next week. (9 weeks old) And we live in a three level house.

Now I haven't had kittens for many years but when I did it was always in a one level house so I've never had to negotiate these things before.

Bedrooms are on the top floor with the bathroom. I'm thinking I will block the stairs off going to the top floor. Stairs are open and I imagine present a risk to young kittens so best to block those stairs off to them completely.

Living room & kitchen on the middle floor. And on the ground floor is my office and laundry.

So I'll be working from home during the week so I imagine the kittens will be downstairs with me during the day. I often have garden door open while I work do I will need to create a barrier to keep the kittens indoors for a while.

In the evenings we are mostly on the middle floor. And obviously at night in the bedrooms.

Logistically do I need a litter tray on each floor?

And where would be best for the kittens to sleep?

I need to sort logistics etc out this weekend.

Unless you have doors that are fully closed, you can't really stop them going anywhere. They will find somewhere to sleep.

We got ours at nine weeks. We set up a room that could be closed off at night and put their food, litter tray and bed in there. Every night that's where they went.

During the day we would let them into the room we were using so we could keep an eye. So in your case, a similar set up on the bottom floor (keep garden doors shut til after jabs/spayed).

I wouldn't think about letting them up to the top floor yet.

Thanks this is reassuring.

@CraftyGin

Unless you have doors that are fully closed, you can't really stop them going anywhere. They will find somewhere to sleep.

They just feel so small and vulnerable to have free range over 2 floors all night.

You probably won't feel like that when they are chasing each other at the speed of bullets from a gun.

And remember, cats have nine lives :)

I’d do one room for them at night.

Remember to keep loo seats down & blind cords tied up.

Worth getting some play bits for the daytime space too so they don't get bored and climb the curtains.

Is the loo seat down just for kittens? I've never done that before.
We don't have any blind cords thankfully.

Biggest hazard (I think) is the open stairs - but once they are bigger these should be ok?

The dc are making some play bits.

Yes those 9 lives will come in handy.

Kittens need to be kept indoors u til they are neutered so until at least 5 months old! Please please don't let them out until this has been done.

Sorry and yes keep toilet seats down. Our little one ended up with a toilet baptism from being over inquisitive so I know have a note on the cistern for the kids saying "Keep the toilet seat DOWN or the kitten will DROWN!" 😂

We have a four storey house and our two were kittens when we got them last year. Initially we kept them in the kitchen at all times which was in the basement. After a few weeks we let them go to the living room which was on the ground floor and quite quickly after that they had full reign of the house. We have two litter trays - one in the kitchen and one on the ground floor and they have never had an accident. We close them in the kitchen at night with access to food bowls and water.

Also ours have no interest in the loos but have jumped into the full bath more than once! They don’t seem to mind and have definitely known it was full of water beforehand as they dipped their paws in to check 😀. We’d recommend blocking your chimneys if you have them as particularly when they come into season before being spayed they will try to go up them.

No chimneys! But seriously at the thought of cats going up them.

The dc are away this weekend so kittens will have 2 days to settle in while the house is calm and quiet.