Current Events > Might be taking care of someone's cats for several months. Need cat advice.

(+) Yeah! (+)

My main concerns:

• How can I keep litterboxes from stinking? I intend to keep their boxes on the main floor of the house in a room just off the living/dining room. Is this going to stink the place up? The kitchen is also nearby so that's a concern.
• Will they chew my computer/TV wires and shit? If so, how do I stop them?
• They aren't declawed so I'm worried about them clawing at the furniture I'm going to be bringing into the place. Is this a big concern?
• Also I don't want them crawling into my bed.

The previous owner is one of my closest friends but he's... to be blunt... not a very good homeowner or pet owner. So I'm nervous about taking over his cats for him. They seem friendly whenever I'm there but I don't know.

Regularly clean the litter box out/buy air freshener or specific litter stuff for them if you need to.

Unlikely to chew wires but just keep them out of the room the computer will be in if a concern.

Declawing is animal abuse. Ask your mate if they scratch and for him to provide a scratching post if so.

Pick cat up and move out of bedroom/keep door shut as otherwise they will go there. Make sure they have a nice sleeping area to attract them.

Your friend should know whether the cat scratches furniture or chews wires you should ask them

Clean the litter every day and change the litter regularly

you could always get wire protectors, or they make spray you can coat them with that makes them taste disgusting, they sell it in pet stores

only ways to keep them from clawing or jumping onto a bed is most likely gonna be keeping them out of the room

for clawing you gotta find something for them that they would rather claw at, but sometimes they arent interested

Regularly scoop the waste out of the boxes and they won't stink. When they smell even after scooping that's a good sign it's time for fresh litter.

The best way to mitigate furniture scratching is to give them something to scratch. Cat trees usually have posts for scratching and you can also buy standalone scratching things like wavy cardboard bits. Putting plastic wrap on surfaces you don't want scratched tends to work as they hate the feel of the wrap on their paws.

My cats have always ignored wires but if it's a problem you can get wire protectors

*Just keep the litterbox in a small room you don't go into very often like the laundry room ,or guest bathroom. There's definely still a smell but you'll go somewhat nose blind to it after a while. It's not bad as long as it's isolated to some side area. You just don't want it in your living room or some high traffic area.

*Most likely not. If they do, just keep a spray bottle with water nearby and spray them when they misbehave. They'll learn after a week or so.

*If they're indoor cats, they've hopefully already been taught not to do this, but again, spray bottle works.

*close your door

cat waste clumps up in litter, and using a scoop, you can remove it daily.

my cat never bit wires, but I don't know how rare that is.

unfortunately, I can't give any advice about them scratching up furniture, since my cat scratched up our couch. maybe trim their nails? but if so, you need special clippers, so consult a vet first.

Doom_Art posted...

* They aren't declawed

Good. If they were you should have ghosted your friend for life. People who declaw cats aren't even human.

FunkyCat posted...

Regularly clean the litter box out/buy air freshener or specific litter stuff for them if you need to.

How regular is regular? There's two cats. Both are fairly small and don't eat/drink much.

And just like one of those regular air fresheners you put in the wall plug or something?

FunkyCat posted...

Declawing is animal abuse. Ask your mate if they scratch and for him to provide a scratching post if so.

Just got a text from him actually. He says they scratch a furniture and shit but there's these little cardboard things he stashes around the house that they scratch at and that mostly mollifies them. No scratching post rn apparently.

FunkyCat posted...

Pick cat up and move out of bedroom/keep door shut as otherwise they will go there. Make sure they have a nice sleeping area to attract them.

They both have beds apparently but one of them always crawls into his bed. If it comes in and I pick it up and close the door will it just meow at me through the door or whatever?

Like I don't like cuddling with animals. I don't know why lol.

Crimsoness posted...

Your friend should know whether the cat scratches furniture or chews wires you should ask them

Heard back and he says yeah. One gnawed at his desktop cord but he's buying stuff to spray on it.

I don't like the idea of my computer stuff smelling like lemon but it's a solution I guess.

Good advise....But sleeping with a cat is devine.
If you've never fallen asleep with a cat purring on you are missing out.

Remember, they are professional sleepers.

This will be a challenge, but I think it will change your view on cats forever.

Also keep in mind, they are going to be freaked the fuck out for a while.
They are very territorial. Being in a new environment will mess them up.
They are not like dogs in the sense that they just 'Herdurr there's a human here...what can go wrong?'

Very nice of you to do this!!

SiO4 posted...

They are very territorial. Being in a new environment will mess them up.

Oh sorry to clarify I'm moving in to his place not bringing the cats over to mine.

My wording was weird

A lot of this you should ask your friend directly. All pets are different. My girlfriend's cat is on a diet, so he gets hangry and will do different things to try and make her feed him. Your friend will definitely be able to tell you of any quirks the cats have.

Fuck declawing

Doom_Art posted...

Oh sorry to clarify I'm moving in to his place not bringing the cats over to mine.

My wording was weird

Ooh. Yeah from the opening post, I thought you were pet sitting or something. If you're moving in that's a little different.

If you have your own room, you should be able to keep them out of your room. They'll probably avoid you entirely for the first day or two because they won't be used to you.

Doom_Art posted...

Oh sorry to clarify I'm moving in to his place not bringing the cats over to mine.

My wording was weird

Oh, that's a huge help.
If they know you there should be no issues.

I would suggest letting them sleep with you...if even on the couch or something.
A cat purring you to sleep is divine.

~Full disclosure, I am a cat person...if you haven't figured that out! >^_^<

As long as you buy decent litter you wont actually smell the pee and poop, just the litter scent. I scoop my cats twice a day because she gets mad if its dirty. With two cats you probably want two litter boxes but Id still scoop them every day. I only dump out the litter completely every couple weeks.

Maybe, mine did at first but stopped after a couple weeks. Your friend should know. But even if they dont normally bite wires, if you leave a phone charger or whatever dangling around theyll think its a toy.

shouldnt be a problem if they have scratching posts and your friend has been telling them no.

the last one you probably dont have much choice especially if theyre used to sleeping in your friends bed

Pet da kittys

You don't seem like a cat person...why are you this person's only choice to watch over his cats?

"They both have beds apparently but one of them always crawls into his bed. If it comes in and I pick it up and close the door will it just meow at me through the door or whatever?

Like I don't like cuddling with animals. I don't know why lol."

This concerns me...having a cat be happy to be around you or sleep on or near you is a privilege. Cats are amazing and should be treated as such, specially amazing friendly ones that like to cuddle or get attention from you.

Doom_Art posted...

How regular is regular? There's two cats. Both are fairly small and don't eat/drink much.

And just like one of those regular air fresheners you put in the wall plug or something?

Basically remove their shit everytime they use it and change the whole thing once it smells or once a week. Air freshener probably isn't needed, but you can get whatever you prefer if you feel you need it. Changing it regularly should be enough though.

Just got a text from him actually. He says they scratch a furniture and shit but there's these little cardboard things he stashes around the house that they scratch at and that mostly mollifies them. No scratching post rn apparently.

A scratching post isn't necessarily needed, just something else for them to scratch. A post is just a common/standard thing, and if what he has works then don't really need anything more unless they do start scratching your things. Lots of people do say to just spray them with water, but I've never had it in me to do that when I had one.

They both have beds apparently but one of them always crawls into his bed. If it comes in and I pick it up and close the door will it just meow at me through the door or whatever?

Like I don't like cuddling with animals. I don't know why lol.

It might meow, yes. Really depends on the cat tbh as some will want to be around someone/a warm place they like and others will just plot your demise later for the indignity of moving them.

But really, cuddling with a cat is an experience like no other. Just missing out not doing it!