Open Plan + New Kitten?

[ElspethFlashman]

I'm picking up the new kitten (11 weeks I believe) on Tuesday and am totally over thinking it and fretting as per usual.

Out downstairs is largely open plan. Kitchen and hallway and playroom are all basically in a big circle around the stairs.

So I'm fretting because everyone says "confine them to one room" but what happens when it's open Plan?

I have absolutely no idea where to put the food and water! We want to encourage the cat to use the playroom as I don't mind a bit of mess in there and it has a good low window to look out of. Does that mean the food and water goes in there?

Or is it more hygienic to put it in the utility room etc, will it attract flies?

Also not sure where the cat is going to sleep tbh. We will have a cat carrier obvs, so do you do it like a new dog and basically shut them in for the night to make them feel safe and secure? Or do you just go to bed and let them sleep where they want?? There's a couch in the playroom, or I can get a cat tree with an igloo box on top in front of the big window if they prefer that sort of thing.

Is anyone else this much of a worrier bringing home a cat?!

I think it will all depend on how confident your kitten is and you won't know until you have them home. My last three kittens were really confident had the run of the house from day one. They all found their own sleeping spots and had no interest in being where we wanted them to be. The most recent one (brought home on Thursday) is much more shy and is currently living in our bedroom. He's confident in the room but only left it once for a quick nose around upstairs.

Well you've made a huge mistake before you've even started! You're only getting one kitten instead of a pair. That's asking for trouble. Kittens become very distressed when separated from mum and siblings, and they also lack a playmate, making them more demanding and restless. Is it too late to get another?

As to your question. If you can't start in a spare room, for example, then the kitten will have to go in the playroom. The food and litter tray will have to be in the same room. You can move them to whichever room you want them in permanently once the kitten is older and settled. You will need a hiding place - such as an igloo or even just an upturned cardboard box - basically anything that a kitten can use as a hiding place.

As for at night - ideally you would leave a pair of kittens alone. However if you've only got one this will be more difficult. I think it depends on how the kitten reacts and you'll just have to play it by ear.

And general advice: make sure there are no open windows - even high up ones. Make sure the children can't open doors if you're not there to supervise. Never have lilies in the house. Neuter at four months. Do not let out until neutered and chipped and preferably leave it longer than that. Kittens are reckless and have no road sense and are small enough to be attacked by foxes. I would keep inside till next Spring.

General advice part two: Get another one.

Oh and no, you don't lock a cat up for the night. Recipe for a stressed and unhappy cat.

We've never confined ours to a room. We've kept the box they came home in and their bed /littertray etc all in one area and they kept themselves near it at first and then branched out. Your kittens will let you know

Does the litter tray not go in the loo?

Yes, I agree with the leaving alone comments. Really they should be able to be with you if they want to be. But having kittens in the bedroom is hell and not that many people can stand it. (Adult cats on the bed are of course lovely and a totally different kettle of fish). So what I meant was - leaving a pair of kittens alone is fine, but not so much one on it's own.

We leave ours at night in a big open plan kitchen / dining room with access to the utility where the litter tray and water is kept. We’ve done this since day 1, when he was 13 weeks old and never had any problems. There’s only one of him and he’s fine / chilled.

We don’t give him access to our bedrooms at night as there’s nothing more alarming than being woken at 3am by a cat!

Eventually the litter tray could probably go in the loo, although as that's somewhere where the door is likely to be closed sometimes it's not the best place. However, to start with, everything needs to be very close to where the kitten is. You can start moving things around when it's older. You will also probably need more than one tray.

I have an open plan lounge / dining area / kitchen and my kitten had the run of them from day one and was happy and content . He is grown up now and adapted fine . He is happy , laid back and cuddly and he was a single kitten . He does , however , see our dog as his kitty play mate .

More than one tray is easy enough. Our downstairs loo is always open unless someone's actually using it so access would be fine, but no harm having one in the playroom also.

Trying to take it all on board!

So food and water in playroom then ideally?

Yes, everything together as near to the kitten as possible to start with.

I found that ours kind of chose the location of her litter tray
I put it in a certain place and tried to show her. But she did a wee in a different corner of the room so that became the litter tray place.

Ours is a single and seems to be just fine, she gets lots and lots of playtime with the kids and us and also makes her own entertainment.
I felt awful leaving her downstairs the first night but they sleep a lot at that age. I did come down and sleep on the sofa with her when there was really loud thunder

We bought her a bed but of course she’s never gone on it, she found hidey holes to sleep in but also quite likes her carrier

My kids don't know yet, they love cats but I'm paranoid something will happen last minute and it won't happen (though it's just with a neighbour so that's me over worrying again!)

They're going to go into orbit. So he'll have lots of playtime that's for sure. Luckily the neighbour has a rather robust and determined 5 year old so they're well used to being handled!

Cat scratching posts - anything to avoid there? I was thinking one with a bed or box on top so it has a perch for looking out the window. But am possibly overthinking as there's a couch right there!