New rescue cat where's best for them to sleep?

[saturdaymorningyawn]

Hi
We have a new rescue car. She is 3 and seems to have settled in really well today. I have set up her litter tray on the utility room and her food/water in kitchen. I was wondering if at bedtime she should be closed in utility room? I would put her water:food in there (away from litter tray), her bed and a night light in there too. Would this be ok over night? Never had a cat before so not sure what the best thing to do is? Thanks!

She'll probably end up on your bed. Nothing better than having a snoring cat next to you!

One wee thing to keep in mind, it best to have water bowl away from food. My boy eats in kitchen but his water is in living room with additional bowl upstairs, he sleeps on my bed and has arthritis. Love wee night light but remember cats have excellent night vision. Not sure about closing her in at night, have found the wee furry masters prefer to have run of house, sometimes literally 🐈‍⬛. A cardboard box on floor is also good bet as expensive cat beds will be ignored. Back to point, your new boss will decide for herself where to sleep but cats get insecure and scared if closed into one room.

Surely the only answer to this is on your bed, sprawled out leaving you 6 inches of space if you’re lucky?

When we brought our rescues home we kept them in one room for a few days - then gradually increase the rooms they had access to. They have beds on the landing they use overnight with a litter tray upstairs as well as down.

On your head

We leave all the doors open so mine can sleep where they like and explore the house when we're not about. They tend to sleep in boxes round and about, in kids bedroom, on landing. And sometimes come in to see us. First few nights there was much more movement as I think they were exploring, they've quietened down a week in. IME if cats are shut away they yowl, and a cat sleeping next to you is lovely

I’d leave the door ajar and the furred one can choose whether to risk adventuring out or stay in the safe room.

Be careful if you get up during the night for a glass of water or to visit the loo as, if it’s dark and the cat isn’t white, it’s easy to trip over the little furry friend until you get used to the possibility that your cat lord and master may be chilling or snoring on the carpet. Anywhere. They do sleep randomly all over the place! Keep your eyes open and put anything you don’t want cats on top of (like the butter on the worktop) away somewhere. They can fit in small spaces too.

My 9 month old kittens squeezed themselves up behind the dishwasher and round under the kitchen cabinet! Took the baseboard off and blocked up the side of the dishwasher with bottles of water. They had plenty cardboard boxes but they are funny little creatures. Enjoy!

Thank you all! I already have a toddler in my bed so I guess an extra body will be fine she's wandering about now and seems content, will Close the living room door as she's already had a couple of go's on the sofa

Definitely on/in your bed, head, tummy, foot, shoulder, face.
Basically wherever she wants.
She is cat

Mine is shut in the kitchen/living room (open plan overnight)
He starts off in his teepee bed and then moves to a bar stool with a cushion which is where he always is in the morning. If I wake him too early and he's in his teepee, I get glared at
He doesn't want to sleep on my bed weirdly snd never sleeps on the sofa

My rescue cat sleeps on my bed. Usually on my feet.

If she was shut in a utility room she'd meow relentlessly until the door was open again.

You might have a more compliant cat but incase you don't I suggest leaving a cat sized space on your bed ready for their imminent arrival.

I should add mine is not very cat like he does actually use and love his beds and is shut in there overnight otherwise he stands in my bedroom and howls at himself in the mirror. Emo cat I call him

Ours sleeps in the kitchen in her bed… up until about midnight she sleeps in a box of cuddly toys in my daughters room. She’s never yowled about being in the kitchen. My DH works shifts and often she stays asleep at 05.30 when he goes in the morning. I wouldn’t mind her being allowed to roam at night but she likes to be near your face and I’m not doing that. Cat hairs on a pillow is a big no from me.

I would hate to have a cat in my bed! They are so smelly. We have 2 rescue kittens. Have had them 2 months now. They get shut in the utility room every night. I can't imagine waking up with a cat next to me. We are all different. At the end of the day, she will just sleep, she won't care. You choose.

I woke up the other day with my head sandwiched between both cats.

We kept ours shut in the lounge overnight because 2am was racetrack time when they'd decide the only thing to do was race around the house and up and downstairs, loudly, for about an hour. Saying that we had a few days of wailing at the door being shut so it's not always the easiest option but I couldnt bear the middle of the night activity and I worried about my neighbours as we were mid terrace.
Now both gone over the rainbow and in a new house, but lovely memories, thank you.

Cats are smelly? Eh? My cats never smelled they were always fastidiously clean. If yours smell could they be unwell or something? That doesn’t sound right.

Definitely on your bed. If she is nervous she may prefer one room/behind a cupboard/under something inaccessible for the first couple of days but after that definitely your bed

Smelly is not normal? Might be worth taking yours to the vet to get checked.

Some cats are happy sleeping outside of the humans' bedrooms at night, while others (ours) destroy carpets and doors until they are let in. You'll soon work out which type you have.

I think all cats smell to be honest. I never had one before but I found houses with cats always smell. They just smell of cat. Not as bad as dog, but still a smell. They are kittens, just been neutered and had lots of post op checkups and weighs. They are really healthy and have normal poo. But they smell like cats.

Un-neutered cats pee smells. Especially the males. Who squirt here and there to mark their territory. From six months old or something onwards.

Perhaps that’s what you’ve smelled and just presumed it’s all cat households.

There’s no reason not to neuter a cat these days (unless you’re a professional breeder) so if you’ve not done so and the vet says they are old enough to be done, you will notice a difference once you do.

My boy cat stank out the house for a week between when I got him to when he had his neutering booked in at the vet (first date I could get). What a difference on his return. No more smell. I’d forgotten about how bad it was. That must be what you’ve smelled in cat households. Or litter trays not being cleaned properly.

Ours has the spare room. She’s looking forward to the winter duvet going back on.

Thank you all. She has been settled in the utility last two night. I have got up and opened the door at about 5.30am and she has come into our room and then climbed into our wardrobe which is her safe place for last few days. She is very cuddly and it's been a joy having her here. It seems so sad that she was abandoned