Question from Kitten Owner

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  • #865875
    Camila
    Participant

    Hello!

    I’ve been looking through TDK for a while, but am just today signing up for an account and posting a thread because I had a pretty serious question.

    As the title says, I am the new cat mom of two adorable kitten brothers named Mars and Fig (names are long stories :-D). We got them in December and have been very happy with them thus far. Mars is a handsome man that lays on my chest at night to fall asleep purring like crazy and Fig loves to talk and follow me around all day. They’re both happy and healthy and quickly bonded to myself and my grandmother who I live with and I find myself falling in love with them with every purr and scratch.

    My current job allows me to work from home and to chose my hours which leaves me enough time to hang out with my kittens and to make sure they’re happy and not bored. I am in the process of getting a new job which has me working from 10AM to 6PM with a total 2 hours of commute each day. My question is: Do you think my kittens can stay home alone all those hours or should I give them up to a family who has more time to care for them? My grandmother works as well and prefers they stay in the ‘cat room’ with all their toys and stuff instead of having them roam the house (she has a lot of breakables).

    She keeps pushing me to give them up as she says it’s unfair to them to have them locked in a room and only being let out when we get home. I also wouldn’t have time to play with them as often. I know that cats aren’t like dogs and can stay alone for long periods of time, but even when I keep them in the room for a little while they start meowing and clawing at the door. We do have plenty of toys/water/food/litter for them to last the day, but I feel like just having them in a room isn’t much of a life.

    Should they go away to a family that might take better care of them? Or should I keep them with me since I feel like they’re bonded with me? I know the struggle many kittens face trying to get adopted which gives me pause. Also, in this short amount of time we’ve had together I can honestly say that I love them so, so much. They’re a bright spot in my life. I just want them to be happy.

    I also hope this post isn’t making me seem like I want to get rid of my cats. I wish I could keep them and have them forever, but I also need to think about their needs and that maybe my home isn’t the right fit for them and maybe they’ll find a better family that has more time for them since they’re ridiculously adorable.

    I actually had to take them out of my room so I could write this post, I’m about to cry just thinking about giving them up.

    Thank you in advance for the advice. I appreciate any comments about this and for your help.

    Camila

    #865879
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Wow, you DO have a dilemma. This is something I think you need to sit and have a talk with your grandmother about. Since you say she has a lot of ‘breakables’–I don’t really know what that means. We all have things that break and I have 5 cats inside my home. I put the things that I don’t want broken in cabinets, cupboards, etc. especially if they are sentimental or valuable. For your grandmother to relegate these kittens into one room while you are gone doesn’t make sense. They should be able to roam the house, look out windows and be where you and she are–even when you both are not there. This is your home too, and if you pay rent or are contributing in some way to help her out, I don’t see why you both can’t compromise in some way. If you are not paying rent, you might want to consider helping her out in that way, or look for another place to stay that is your own and you can do as you please.

    Kittens need lots of toys, cat trees to look out windows and play from you when you get home from work to tire them out so they aren’t getting into trouble while you are gone. My cats don’t do anything while I’m gone that they don’t do while I’m here.

    I hope you and she can come to some solution that works for you and her and your kittens. I would hate for you to have to give them up or put them in a shelter where they may not ever get adopted, or adopted together. 😥

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