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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.

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Original poster

At what age can you leave a kitten in the house alone?

17 replies

Horispondle · 03/08/2021 18:33

New kitten only 10 weeks old and we've not left him alone ever. Both wfh so not going to be an issue being home with him generally, just trying to find out how long it will be before DH and I can go to a shop or out for a walk at the same time? Months, or a year?

OP posts:

Hollyhead · 03/08/2021 18:35

We got a new kitten recently - also at 10 weeks. We stayed in for 2 days, but after than we left him for a couple of hours at a time when needed and then built up from there.

Sarahlou63 · 03/08/2021 18:35

You could go today, as long as you leave the kitten in a crate or a room that they can't kill themselves in.

Smartiepants79 · 03/08/2021 18:37

For a couple of hours? Any time now!
Make sure he’s somewhere safe. Maybe leave the radio on and a litter tray.
He’s a cat not a dog!

icedcoffees · 03/08/2021 19:01

Ours was left all day from the age of 9 weeks. We just left her in a kitten-proofed space and made sure she had access to her litter trays, food and water.

Never had any issues.

Original poster

Horispondle · 03/08/2021 21:46

Oh my goodness so we're being massively over the top then? Genuinely didn't think we could leave him at all until he was bigger! Will try get used to a half hour here and there and see how we get on.

OP posts:

icedcoffees · 03/08/2021 21:58

The vast vast majority of cats are absolutely fine on their own all day.

Honestly - they just sleep. There's no need to build up or just leave them for half an hour at first - just go out and enjoy!

Motorina · 03/08/2021 22:13

My two were left alone all day two or three days a week from 8 weeks, as someone needs to go to work and earn money for dreamies.

The first few days they were in one small room with food, water, toys, and a litter tray. But within a couple of weeks they had the run of the house.

In contrast, the dogs are never left for more than 4 hours (and rarely as long as that.)

Twokitstwokats · 03/08/2021 23:16

It isn't a child. What do you think will happen?

Onesailwait · 03/08/2021 23:25

We got ours @ 9 wks. It was a Saturday, from the following Monday they were left mon -fri 8 -4. Why would you think they can't be left alone?

irresistibleoverwhelm · 03/08/2021 23:26

As long as your furniture is kitten proofed - especially bookcases! A friend came home once to find his new kitten had climbed a bookcase and pulled it over and had been killed by the weight of it falling on top 😢 I was so horrified to hear about that, it had never occurred to me that could happen! So make sure your furniture can’t tip!

icedcoffees · 04/08/2021 06:17

@irresistibleoverwhelm

That's awful, but I have to ask - how oh earth can a tiny kitten pull over a bookshelf?

I'm a fully grown adult and struggle to tip ours.

Mumdiva99 · 04/08/2021 06:24

We were more like you with our kittens and didn't leave them for a while. But we put them in the kitchen over night so could leave them there when we did go out and we knew they would be safe. First few times we didn't go for long. We have built it up. But....I don't think they've been left for longer than 9-4. They are 1. They are used to having us there as oh works from home.

irresistibleoverwhelm · 04/08/2021 20:55

@icedcoffees I don’t know the specifics, but the kitten was a bit older than tiny - a few months old. I don’t know why my friend had such a tippable bookshelf! He was truly devastated though, don’t think he got a pet again.

icedcoffees · 04/08/2021 21:14

[quote irresistibleoverwhelm]@icedcoffees I don’t know the specifics, but the kitten was a bit older than tiny - a few months old. I don’t know why my friend had such a tippable bookshelf! He was truly devastated though, don’t think he got a pet again.[/quote]
I can imagine, that's horrific

GiantCheeseMonster · 04/08/2021 21:19

I left mine alone to go to work from a few days after I got them, but they were a pair so had each other for company. My tip would be to get another kitten Seriously, I’ve had single kittens and duos and I’d only ever get them in pairs now. They’re so much easier as they entertain each other and are company for each other. Yours is young enough that it will welcome an adopted sibling and at this time of year rescues are full of them. Adopt a black one, everyone overlooks them as they want gingers or torties, and you’ll be doing a Good Deed too

Fluffycloudland77 · 04/08/2021 21:41

That poor man, no wonder he never got another pet.

Furries · 05/08/2021 02:54

You just need to look at your home and think “is it safe?”

If you’ve got an area he can be contained in (ie half of downstairs etc) then do that - basically what works for your house layout.

Basically, you’re just trying to minimise risk (which should reduce as they get older - kittens are nosy gits!). If you’ve got chimneys, ensure they’re can’t climb up them. Exposed cables, look to house them. Don’t leave any type of food out anywhere.

And, as a pp has highlighted, look out for things that could be “toppled” during curiosity/exploration. Someone I know had two kittens and one nudged a small dumbbell off a low cabinet which fell onto its sibling - the outcome was not good.

Upshot is, they’re not dogs. As long as they have food, water and litter tray then they’re fine. So rushing home isn’t the worry. But you need to get into the mindset of what they will get up to to amuse themselves. That diminishes with age, they will end up sleeping loads! But kittens/young cats are a bit more lively.

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