Is there more than one way to cage a cat?
May 11, 2009 6:04 AM   Subscribe

Does anyone have experience with cat crates/cages?

We have to crate/cage our cats at night, as they are putting someone at risk. Does anyone have experience with cat crates/cages? What is a good brand? These are two large cats (14+ lbs), and they've always had the run of the house. Size is not a huge concern, but as this is a relatively short term (6 months max) issue, we don't want to spend a fortune on it. Should they be crated together or separately - they have a real love/hate relationship going? They're both neurotic shelter animals. Is there anything we can do to make it easier on them?
posted by clarkstonian to Pets & Animals (23 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Do you have to confine them to a crate, vs. just locking them in a room? The latter might be simpler, and would certainly be cheaper.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:30 AM on May 11, 2009


Is there by any chance a room you could close them in for the night instead? You're going to have awful difficulty sleeping if you intend to confine two formerly free-range nocturnal animals.
And this question may elicit a few yowls as well.
posted by fish tick at 6:31 AM on May 11, 2009


Also, Feliway is supposed to be helpful for calming cats under stress.
posted by fish tick at 6:45 AM on May 11, 2009


For a few months once, we used this large cage for our two cats. We were trying to sell our house, and we were worried about their safety with realtors and buyers coming in and out while we were at work, so for about 8 hours a day, the kitties were in there. They weren't crazy about it, and I felt guilty about it, but they tolerated it. They probably mostly slept. We had toys in there and a water bowl and small litterbox. If you're worried, I would recommend testing them in a cage a little bit at a time -- maybe 15 minutes at first, while you listen from another room, then an hour, and so on.
posted by trillian at 6:58 AM on May 11, 2009


Keep in mind the rule of thumb that training with positive reinforcement always works better with cats than trying to force them to do something, which is usually disastrous. If they have toys, treats, or catnip-related products they enjoy, put some of them in the cage or crate. Put a comfy blanket or towel on the floor and if they're going to be kept confined for all night or all day you'll probably need a cage large enough for a small litter pan and food/water dishes.

Be sure to praise and pet them whenever they cooperate easily with getting in the cage/crate.

Unfortunately, this sort of process usually takes a while, and it sounds like you have to implement it quickly (reading between the lines it sounds like an unpleasant apartment-mate situation). Cats don't usually change their habits quickly, but you can make it easier by doing your best to associate pleasant things with what you want the cats to do.

Good luck.
posted by aught at 7:14 AM on May 11, 2009


I have a large dog crate like this for traveling with my cats rather than shoving them each into "cat size" carriers. I don't remember it being so expensive, but for six month's use it might be worth it. There's enough horizontal space that you might fit in a little shelter so they can have separate space.

But still, I agree with the people above that if it's at all possible to sequester them in a room instead, that would be better. Cats don't tend to adjust just to please a human the way that dogs do. I'm positive my cat would poop on my pillow every chance she got if I crated her every night. So good luck!!
posted by motsque at 7:30 AM on May 11, 2009


I have used cat-sized crates to take cats to the vet on occasion. Mostly it has been fine, but I do have one cat that absolutely freaks out in a crate, as in clawing and biting the floor, walls, and ceiling in a constant and untamable fury. Just a data point. You might want to try your plan with borrowed crates before investing in something that could be totally unworkable.
posted by bricoleur at 7:51 AM on May 11, 2009


I haven't had to crate Rhubarb over night, but I have had to crate her for car trips. Basically I got a really big crate meant for a dog (she's a big cat...) so that she would have room to move/lay down/stand up/whatever. It had a fluffy cushioned bottom and I threw a worn t-shirt of mine (so that it smelled like me). She wasn't too bad but she sure wasn't happy. Basically I would suggest getting the biggest ones you can afford, and prepare yourself for hours and hours of angry kitty screams.

Also, the SPCA kept them in quite small spaces for the most part. Maybe they have a suggestion for you.

and chiming in with the "Can't you lock them in the bathroom or something" suggestion.
posted by gwenlister at 7:57 AM on May 11, 2009


Do you have a spare room you can close them in at night? My cats spend the nights (and daytime when we're not home to keep them away from the dog) in the study. When I lived in a 1-bedroom apartment, I shut them in the bathroom at night because otherwise they'd play chase at 3 AM across my face. They like sleeping in the sink and on the bath mat, or you could toss one of their catbeds in there too. Also a good idea to put their water bowl and litter box in that room.
posted by lemonade at 8:03 AM on May 11, 2009


You can keep a cat in a cage for quite a long time -- see cats in shelters. It's a very bad idea to do this unless there are no other solutions. If at all possible, lock them in a room overnight. (If you hide the toilet paper and leave some towels out, a bathroom is fine.) If this is not possible, get as large a crate as you can and put a cat tower in it, so they can climb some, as well as pillows etc. Consider leaving catnip there. I have used catnip spray. I find it doesn't smell of anything, but the cats absolutely adore it, and it makes them more willing to enter cages.
posted by jeather at 8:04 AM on May 11, 2009


Nthing the lock them in a room answers, but if that really isn't a possibility then one of the tower-type animal crates might work best. Example The advantage of this type of crate is the multi-level shelves, which will give your cats their own space if they want it. They also are roomy enough that the cats won't be on top of the litter box and food, which will be less stressful for them. The kennel I worked at used this type of crate for housing cats who were boarding and they (the cats) adapted to them (the crates) exceedingly well. They're more expensive than a cat or dog carrier, but even at $150, that's only $25/month spread out over the six months you're going to use the thing. And when you're done using it, you can always donate it to a shelter! (or sell it)
posted by ailouros08 at 8:18 AM on May 11, 2009 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Locking them in a room doesn't work. Ours is a very open floor plan. There's no room to lock them in except our bedroom. We're already severely sleep-deprived. Positive reinforcement won't work, because they don't have any sense that they're doing anything wrong - they're just doing what they've always done. Nevertheless, they are jumping on a seriously injured person at night and risking devastating consequences. It's cage them or give them back to a shelter. We can't afford to kennel them both for 6 months. Their routine is disturbed, their behavior is extreme, and caging them is the only answer. We've tried Felliway in less dire circumstances. We should own stock in Felliway. It doesn't work on these two animals.

Given that we are caging them and can spend up to $500 on the cages, would they be happier together or apart (these are not the world's best kitties, in case you haven't gathered. I have never lived without cats, but these guys have issues that no amount of love, patience and medical attention can deal with. In the best of times, they're difficult to love. These are not the best of times. We do believe that when you bring animals into your home, they are yours for the rest of their lives).
posted by clarkstonian at 9:01 AM on May 11, 2009


Talk to someone at the local shelter or cat rescue group. While I admire your desire to care for the cats for the rest of their lives, if they are not happy with you and you with them, they might well be better off in a home (separately or together) where their behavior won't require them to be caged. Some animals get terribly neurotic when caged for long periods, and so your caging of them may in fact exacerbate their behavior problems.

As for whether they should be caged together - if they already have Issues with each other, at least occasionally, I would not recommend caging them together unless you want to wake up to hundreds or thousands of dollars in vet bills (from the injuries they may cause each other).

Good luck. Please do consider finding one or both of them another home; I've been a cat owner for years, and if a cat and I were not a good match, despite our best efforts, I would not hesitate to find it a place where it would be happier. This is also part of our responsibility as good pet owners.
posted by rtha at 9:16 AM on May 11, 2009


Best answer: If your budget for crates is that high, then I would crate them separately. You could even throw a blanket or other divider between the cages, so they wouldn't even have to look at each other, let alone share a litterbox/food/water for the night. I still stand by my original tower-crate recommendation, though, those things are fantastic, especially if you add some dangling toys and a snuggly blanket. Cats operate very well in small/confined spaces when they have adequate vertical space to perch and whatnot.
posted by ailouros08 at 10:35 AM on May 11, 2009


Best answer: You can certainly ask for advice, but I don't think that you need to give the cats away for this. If you can get a large enough cage, I'd keep them together, unless they have previously injured each other. You can test out how they'd respond to being kept together by trying to lock them together in the bathroom or bedroom for a day. Keep food and litter in there, give them treats in there, and don't stress too much -- cats are fairly adaptable.

My initial suggestion would be that you get a nice cat tree/condo, and put it in an extra large dog cage which is left open in the day and closed at night. The goal is to have lots of space and a few levels for the cats. You can also consider buying one of those cat dvds that's just birds or fish or whatever, and playing it next to the cage, should your cats enjoy those things.

I assume you have considered locking them *out* of your bedroom, but I am bringing it up on the off-chance it will work.
posted by jeather at 10:57 AM on May 11, 2009


Best answer: You might want to search for "outdoor enclosures." They seem to run a few hundred bucks and give your cat more room room (and a better view than a crate would. ) Something like the kittywalk maybe? or one these Habbit Havens which are more expensive.
posted by vespabelle at 11:09 AM on May 11, 2009


Is it possible to play with them more during the day, so they will be more tired (and hopefully, calmer in the crate) at night? If my cats sleep too much during the day, they're up all night, but if they get a lot of romping around time during the day, they're not as noisy and energetic at night.

Also, if there is any way you can arrange the crate so they can see outdoors, that might also help them, since they have a view to look at instead of your walls or each other. Maybe you could even hang a bird feeder near the window so there is some bird or squirrel activity for them to watch.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 11:29 AM on May 11, 2009


Response by poster: These kitties are well into middle age. Minimum age 8, probably closer to 12. We've had them about half their lives. They weren't socialized as kittens, so they don't play very well. They can both be very loving, but only in ideal circumstances. The circumstances right now are less than ideal.

The goal is not to punish them, but to contain them. They have their claws, they can be very, very destructive without even meaning to. No shelter would take them except to put them down. We're not willing to consider that.

I like the idea of an outdoor habitat and would definitely consider that. They could amuse themselves - there's lots to look at here. In terms of dealing with them for 6 months, this might be perfect. By the time winter sets in, things here should be back to at least semi-normal. Thank you.
posted by clarkstonian at 2:53 PM on May 11, 2009


I had to crate one of my cats while I was at work for a 6 month period because he had a hip injury and I needed to make sure he didn't jump onto or off of any furniture while he healed.

I used a large dog crate, sized for a lab-size dog. It was big enough to fit a litterbox, 2 fleece donut cat beds, and water/food dishes. You can see him relaxing in it here. The crate cost us about $100.

Smacky hated it the first day (tore the place to shreds), resented it the second day, and after that, he went in there without a problem and would often go in there even when I was home (and he was given free reign again) to chill out and nap.

I would keep them separate because if one of them starts to wig out about being confined, the other one will have to suffer. They are more likely to relax if they are kept apart. Once they get used to caging, you can see how it goes if they are kept together.
posted by tastybrains at 3:01 PM on May 11, 2009


Consider talking to a local cat breeder about what they use / where they get it from. It's not uncommon for larger scale breeders to keep their cats caged for at least some of the time to prevent incorrect matings so they should have resources or ideas. Cat rescue groups will also be worth talking to, not about giving away your cats but about borrowing or hiring a cage from them. When I adopted a kitten from a foster home the kittens lived in a big cage that had been provided by the rescue group, it was a pretty normal setup for them. If nothing else they'll have experience about what kind of cages work longer term and where you might get one from.

You can get large double cages with moveable dividers, so you could change the level of togetherness of the cats depending on how they react. Definitely put a smaller enclosure of some kind inside so they can get away from each other if they feel like it. Borrowing or hiring a cage short term to start with would also let you see how things work and give you some breathing room to sort out a better solution, so don't discount that if you can't get something permanent straight away.

You're not talking about caging your cats 24/7 just at night time. It's not perfect but give them lots of love during the day and they'll adapt.
posted by shelleycat at 4:25 PM on May 11, 2009


I'm not sure I understand the setup here. You have an open floor-plan, but you also have a bedroom (in which you sleep) with a door that closes? Is there another person (the injured person?) sleeping in the open part of the apartment? Does your bathroom not have a door that locks? I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just trying to understand.

If your cats are not well-behaved, I'd really worry that they're going to yowl and hiss constantly if they're caged at night. Cats are nocturnal prowlers, and most don't take well to being crated at all, so if yours are particularly badly behaved, I wouldn't assume that anyone in your apartment is going to be able to sleep while they're in cages.

Again, I hate to be unhelpful, but I think you either need to change the sleeping arrangements to give them the run of a larger area, or you need to find somewhere else for them to live until your situation, whatever it may be, is resolved. I wish you the best of luck finding a solution.
posted by decathecting at 4:28 PM on May 11, 2009


Best answer: We have seven cats. Out of the group, we have one with behavioral issues, one with health issues and one with specific dietary needs. We have two crates, one is the 54" Midwest great dane crate, and the other is a a 42" inch Midwest large dog crate.

One cat in the 54" crate for most of the day because he has some health issues that require him to be sequestered when not supervised. He's got a litter box, bedding, food, hidey holes, toys, etc. in there with him as he's in there most of the day. This crate is huge, I often sit IN the crate with him and there is plenty of room for me.

The other two split the 42" crate, the FLUTD guy eats his food in there, away from the delicious foodstuffs being eaten by the rest of the crew, and the behavioral issue (my problem child) sleeps in there to give the rest of the household a break from his surliness. This crate is much smaller, but still has room for a litter box, perching space on top of the box, a bed, food, toys, etc.

None of them were thrilled with this at first, but now they're fine and don't yowl or destroy anything. You can expect to hear their displeasure at first, but I've found that the overnight crating, especially for older cats with behavioral issues, works wonders.

If you have specific questions, please do not hesitate to memail me.
posted by crankylex at 5:17 PM on May 11, 2009


Response by poster: You've given me some very good ideas. I think we can have a temporary solution in place in a day or two, and a more permanent one in a few weeks. I feel much better about crating them. The Great Dane crates are probably the best place to start. I would not have thought of that. I'm glad to know the kitties won't be terribly traumatized to be crated. Of course it's not ideal, but it's better than the alternatives we have at the moment. I think a combination of the indoor crate & outdoor habitat will keep them safe and diverted.

Thank you all. One less thing to worry about.
posted by clarkstonian at 6:09 PM on May 11, 2009


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