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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.

Original poster

Talk me through cats in flats

37 replies

TomatoBrain · 27/08/2022 20:45

So DH has promised DD a cat sometime in the future Confused
We live in a top floor flat with a large balcony. I'm assuming no cat would be stupid enough to jump off a balcony... We have no access to a garden unless walking through the stairwell of the building. Part of the garden is communal with the rest belonging to the ground floor flats. I assume this means the cat would have to be kept indoors?

I've seen pet insurance for indoor cats is more than for outdoor. Is this because of lack of exercise? How do you ensure your cat has enough if it stays indoors?

our flat is open plan, so it would effectively only ever be in one room.

OP posts:
Leafy3 · 27/08/2022 20:48

There once was a cat
That lived in a flat
It wasn't very happy
Til it got a hat

Motnight · 27/08/2022 20:50

Cats jump from balconies. Whatever you think that a cat won't do, it will, just to spite you.

Motnight · 27/08/2022 20:51

Cats also need a space that they can go to, to be on their own. I am not sure that an open plan space is great for a cat eating or using the litter tray.

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/08/2022 21:01

Cats will jump from balconies, they always have slightly less sense than you credit them with. You can cat proof balconies with wire enclosures though.

Allergictoironing · 27/08/2022 21:31

Regarding insurance, it didn't make any difference when I went to insure my indoor cats. If anything it SHOULD be cheaper as less chance of accidents, fights or catching anything, but it costs the same.

There are various netting and mesh systems you can buy that will keep cats inside or on a balcony if you open the doors/windows. They aren't particularly pretty, but you can keep your cat safe. As pp said, cats DO jump off balconies!

Marshmallowmountain · 27/08/2022 21:37

Just have an indoor cat. You can get very smart litter trays now. And make sure not to leave any windows or doors open so it can get outside.

get a lazy breed of cat that will be happy inside like a British shorthair or a ragdoll

give it lots of mental stimulation like games etc and it’ll be totally fine

dreammattemousse · 27/08/2022 21:39

Following

StarDolphins · 27/08/2022 21:42

Cats or kittens that have been in flats since young are absolutely fine in flats with lots of enrichment & play.

I have had 5 Persians in flats, all lived wonderful & happy lives with lots of love. All died over 14th years old bar 1 that died at 11.

please don’t get one that’s used to going out & please don’t get 1 unless you own the flat or are intending to purchase in the future.

DinkyDaisy · 27/08/2022 21:43

You can get catios for balconies. Omlet Catios do balcony ones for example.

moistmingemist · 27/08/2022 21:43

Our cat jumps out of our bedroom windows, she thinks she can fly! Does it all the time!

SpinningFloppa · 27/08/2022 21:47

It’s fine,
my sister had two cats whilst living in a flat it was never an issue MN is just funny about these kind of things irl it’s a non issue

Original poster
TomatoBrain · 28/08/2022 07:01

Cats also need a space that they can go to, to be on their own. I am not sure that an open plan space is great for a cat eating or using the litter tray.

i wondered about this. As were too floor, we have part of the ceiling which is about 4m. Theoretically, we could put some kind of shelving going up the wall as stepping stones to a ledge with a bed for a cat.
@StarDolphins We own our flat and would be looking to get a kitten.

@DinkyDaisy I had not heard that word before. Useful for google! I've seen cages and netting around, but never on a top floor balcony, only on ones which have a roof over them. I don't know how that would work as we're not allowed to alter the outside of the property without the agreement of the rest of the owners. If it were large enough for our sofa and table to fit inside, it might solve our sun shade issues!

@moistmingemist We have to have windows fully open all night in the summer but all of our windows and balcony door have mosquito netting over them.

@Marshmallowmountain tell me more about smart litter trays! It would have to go in the bathroom I think.

OP posts:
DinkyDaisy · 28/08/2022 07:06

The omlet brand catios aren't permanent structures so depends if that is the issue or whether it is an appearance thing with the balcony...

Simonjt · 28/08/2022 07:09

Our cat has never jumped off the balcony or attempted to, her insurance is also cheaper as she is an indoor cat.

Cats are fairly lazy, if they want to be more active they will whether they have cat trees etc are not. They’ll usually choose to have their zoomied at 3am and be as noisy as humanly possible.

Allergictoironing · 28/08/2022 08:30

For the windows, have a look at Flat Cats . Tough (stood up to Girlcat's best efforts to remove them), keep the cats in, let breezes in, and keep all but the smallest insects out. Lifesaver in hot summers.

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/08/2022 08:47

We have flat screens too, they are marvellous. Dh always says he wouldn’t trust a Bengal with them though.

You can get so much for indoor cats now.

moistmingemist · 28/08/2022 09:29

I love the ledge idea for the cat's space. It will love its very own den. I think you'll be fine you seem to have thought things through. It's probably worth looking into what type of cat is best suited to being indoors. Mosquito netting can be very easily chewed or ripped and our cat who was from a farm and is definitely a bit feral would have no trouble getting through that.

Cats don't like their litter trays near their food. If there's room in your bathroom for it id put it in there and you can then flush the poo away. They also like their water away from their food (goes back to the days of hunting) so somewhere close but not next to their food.

Good luck

Allergictoironing · 28/08/2022 11:46

Mosquito netting can be very easily chewed or ripped and our cat who was from a farm and is definitely a bit feral would have no trouble getting through that.

Seconding this. However you can buy "cat netting" which is much tougher, and has a much bigger mesh of around 1 inch squared which I have on my french doors (can't afford tailored Flat Cat screen for that). I've seen it used on balconies where they've put up a frame sort of like a football goal thing with this very fine (almost invisible) but tough netting surrounding the balcony - stops pigeons landing there too.

Toddlerteaplease · 28/08/2022 11:50

You could get a Persian, happy to be indoors and as they don't jump, should be ok on your balcony. They are wonderful but not your average cat. A vet described mine as a beanbag that breathes!!

Toddlerteaplease · 28/08/2022 11:52

Lots of rescue Persians around.

Original poster
TomatoBrain · 28/08/2022 12:41

However you can buy "cat netting" which is much tougher, and has a much bigger mesh of around 1 inch squared which I have on my french doors
But this won't keep the mosquitos out!

OP posts:
notsosoftanymore · 28/08/2022 12:46

Cats or kittens that have been in flats since young are absolutely fine in flats with lots of enrichment & play.

I think the need for enrichment is a key point. Having only had older rescue cats for years, we have a young cat now (5ish) and he needs loads of attention and play especially if we have been out all day.

The idea that cats sleep all the time is misleading, it depends on the cat and it is cruel to get a cat and then only give it five minutes a day of your time. Our current cat is a bit of a shock although he is very lovely.

Original poster
TomatoBrain · 28/08/2022 12:56

I'm a sahm (unfortunately unlikely to change in the near future due to DC's SN) and DH wfh twice a week.

We also would need a breed which is more allergy friendly than not, so a Persian is not on the list. DH really did not think this through 🙄

OP posts:
Simonjt · 28/08/2022 16:25

You can’t get allergy friendly cats, its the dander and saliva thats the problem, not the actual fur.

Original poster
TomatoBrain · 28/08/2022 16:31

Yes, I know that. It's a protein they produce in the saliva isn't it? There are some breeds that naturally produce less of the protein and I would be looking at those.

OP posts: