Advice on cat equipment

The first day after I brought Abbi home, I came downstairs the following morning and could not find her anywhere. Very frightening. My ground floor is open plan, no little cubby holes, no way of exiting (at that point the cat flaps had not been installed.). I searched and called for about ten minutes getting more and more stressed. Decided to calm down and have my breakfast and whilst I was eating it happened to notice to little ears high up n top of my units. Cats often go for the highest places when they are scared, although I think I was more frightened than her on that occasion.
Kept her in for about six weeks, and first time I let her out into my small garden I watched her for a bit, but then thought give her time, all back doors were wide open. Ten minutes later went out looking for her and she was nowhere to be seen. Again panic on my part. small squarish garden, nowhere for her to hide. I called her and got a miaow in response. She had got into my nieghbours garden via a small gap at the end of the fence, but could not find her way back to that. I looked over the low (4 ft) fence, but she was very frightened. Unfortunately, i knew nieghbours were away that week, so in the end had to get a chair and my kitchen steps to climb over the fence, to pick her up and bring her back with me. I could hear my children all sighing at me for taking this sort of risks (I am very prone to bad falls).

No Squiffy you haven't been failing in your duties.

One tray for one cat is fine. I'm down to my last cat now. I've had sphynx's for years and I lost my boys brother, his litter mate, 3 years ago so now just have one litter tray. It's absolutely fine and as he's a house cat is the only 'loo' he has.

I'm a fan of clumping cat litter as it's easy to regularly remove any deposits during the day. He has a lipped tray, an igloo bed which he adores and a couple of hammocks that hang off the radiators.

What I've never heard before is having the litter tray and food and water in the same room. I've had that arrangement for years.

We had over 20 cats during our married life, all from a mixture of homes where they needed to be found homes. However, last puss was a darling from Cats Protection, who managed to persuade us to buy an assembly of toys, scratching posts, etc. Honey would have none of them, and, a real old girl with arthritis and expensive medication, she was comfortable on an old cat bed, with litter tray for night but she could come and go as she pleased. Lost her a year ago to old age - still miss her terribly. Just follow your instincts and you can't go wrong!

My cat's favourite place was any Amazon box he could squeeze himself into!

Just over a year ago I got a rescue cat. Thought (and was told) she was about 5-8 years old. When her chipping certificate arrived turned out she was actually born in 2002, so a lot older. Cat Rescue home were mortified and offered to exchange her, but she had by then been with me for six weeks and we were starting to get used to each other, so she stayed (Two old ladies together).
She had obviously been an indoors cat and was good at using a litter tray, which I moved from the kitchen into the adjacent utility room. In the Spring I moved this into the garden and she has used outdoors ever since. In the good weather she would happily go in the garden when I was out there, and would patrol around the fences. Obviously never learned how to climb a fence. However, she regards this as HER territory and goes mad when any other cat has the temerity to come into it. As she is pretty small animal, it is quite amusing to see how quickly much larger animals run from her fury.
She never goes far from me - follows me from room to room - did not appear to know about stairs when she first arrived, but now comes upstairs when I am sitting at my laptop (as I am now).
The cosy cat bed I bought for her was never used, neither was the special cat cushion, and after several months gave them to the Cat home for their summer fayre. She prefers to sleep either on the rug in the sitting room, or on a cushion on the back of my sofa in there.
She goes in and out of 'tied-up' cat flaps - nothing I have done will get her to push against this herself. And she will not use her scratching post, although I stop her scratching on the sofa and show her this post.
Apart from that she is lovely - will not come on laps, but likes to be very close by me all of the daytime.
I was in a lot of pain recently and was sobbing to myself in my bedroom - I know that dogs get concerned when their owners are unwell, but had not realised this upset cats as well. She came into my bedroom and was miaowing loudly. Later that evening, long after everything had calmed down with some extra strong pain killers from my GP, she followed me upstairs when I went to go to bed, and reassured herself I was actually getting into bed calmly, before returning downstairs.
Yes, over the past 13 months she has trained me well and is very welcome company for me.

Mia alternates between the settee, my bed, the landing or back bedroom carpets, and the stairlift, for sleeping at night. At the moment we`re fighting the battle of the stairlift, my need is greater than hers, she doesn`t agree.
I had a scratching post which she ignored, most of her scratching is done on the coir doormat, although she occasionally chances her luck on the ottoman in my bedroom.
I kept her in for 2 weeks after getting her from the Cats Protection League.
I don`t know where she gets her water from, obviously somewhere, because she avoids her water bowl like the plague, I did worry somewhat during the long hot spell, but she seemed OK, but where she drinks from I just don`t know.
Anyway, the best of luck to you and to Reuben, a photo please when he`s settled in.

We have 2 indoors happy sharing a litter tray, it is big though, a under the bed storage box. We use cats best oko plus, last ages, and no smell. All cats are different, and change their minds frequently too!

Thanks for the link B9

www.catbehaviorassociates.com/how-many-litter-boxes-should-you-have/

common advice for cat owners, probably not so important if the cat(s) go out, but essential if they are indoor cats. We have a busy road close by, so ours stay in.

Oh, phew Charleygirl! Anyone else?!

Squiffy it is a first for me also.

B9exchange A cat should have two litter trays, two cats three between them, always one more than no of cats. They need a choice, or will make their own!

I've never come across that before and have never needed to do so! Have I been failing in my duties?

I'm afraid I have no idea about equipment you might need for a cat. We decided not to get another pet after our dog was euthanized last year after 18 faithful years.
Here's the thing, look at this! He lives across the street, but seems to spend most of his days in other people's houses. I know of two other homes in which he spends his time. He's a lovely cat, but he isn't ours!!!

A cat should have two litter trays, two cats three between them, always one more than no of cats. They need a choice, or will make their own! Cat litter is horribly expensive, find a clumping one from the supermarket that he/she will happily use, or have it delivered regularly, it is heavy too.

One of ours sleeps in the cat carrying crate, padded out with a cushion, the other in a bed on top of it. They love the cat tree in the living room where they can get up to 5' perches, and fight over who has which.

We have them on raw food, much more natural for them, you can buy it in frozen 'sausages', google Kiezebrink. Apart from being much better and more natural for them, it means their poos don't smell at all. Dreamies for the odd treat, rattling the box will bring them running.

Their best toy is a bundle of feathers tied to an elastic string fixed to a shortened bamboo cane. Stops your hands getting shredded, and give good exercise getting them to jump and run. Replacement feathers freely available from walks! Don't leave it lying around, produce it when they are bored and ready to play.

How lovely for you, having a new cat! I agree with most of the advice above in that each cat is different so any might apply. One of my cats sometimes uses her igloo, on top bunk bed and facing the wall but usually prefers my bed or the top of the wardrobe. She has a covered litter tray and an open, rimmed one (prefers the open one), with Golden Grey clumping litter. It never needs a complete change, you just scoop out the clumps, and it smells of baby powder. My other cat likes chairs or the floor in front of a radiator and never uses a litter tray, although of course he needed one for the first few confined weeks.
www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter/clumping_litter/golden_grey/29959
Enjoy your new companion! he has plenty more years to give you.

Mine goes outside from 7am until 7pm and it is her tum and bladder that bring her home 12 hours later- she prefers to use her litter tray. It has a cover and she likes the privacy. Do not put the litter tray in the same room as her food and water.

Cats do seem to like using the litter tray just as everyone is about to eat dinner..

How exciting! Some great advice has already been posted, but I would just add that, if you decide to go for a closed in litter tray and the cat doesn't take to it, you could try removing the door/flap. It worked for our cat, so may be worth considering.

My cat studiously walked around the scratching post, much preferring the furniture but now she is around 13 that no longer interests her.

She decided to take over an entire bedroom and slept on the bed there for years, coming to my bed at night for cuddles but usually retiring to her own room.

I decided to move that bed into the 3rd bedroom and for a week she would not go near that bedroom or "speak" to me but now it is "hers".

She no longer brings home mice and birds, alive or dead, for which I am grateful.

She is on a prescription diet as she has tummy problems and the food is dry so she fancies it during the night mostly.

She does not sit on my lap but prefers the arm of the chair or the back so I have that chair covered so that her cat hairs can be washed easily.

She loves her cat flap- when it was first fitted I helped her through it once and she is a quick learner there were never any problems.

She is micro chipped, She had a collar on years ago but got herself in a pickle up a tree and half the collar was cutting one of her front legs so luckily I noticed it and threw the collar out.

Enjoy your cat, she will soon take over and dictate what she wants!

P.S. Trold's absolute favourite cat toy is a small strip of fur fabric tied to a long piece of string. It cost next-to-nothing to make and it has survived the better part of his eleven year life and still looks like new.

My rule of thumb is that the more expensive a cat toy is the less likely the cat will be to play with it.

Apart from that the same rules apply as do to toys for dogs and young children:

Make sure it cannot be swallowed, or break into bits that can be swallowed.

NO Paint or glue unless it is stated to be safe for cats.

No toys on elastic hung up for the cat to catch - probably not dangerous to a full grown cat, but Trold nearly hanged himself when a kitten. He forgot all about it, and played happily with a toy on an elastic string as an adult, but his brother was so terrified at the sight of it, that I had to throw it away! Before that I would have sworn that no cat remembered things for nine years, so if your cat seems scared of something, take it away - you don't know what he has experienced before coming to you.

We had rescue cats who were scared silly of broomsticks and rolled up newspapers - I can only suppose they had been spanked, horrible thought!

Is he large or small?

A large cat needs a long scratching post, as they like to be able to stretch fully while sharpening their claws.

If he has never used a covered litter tray, he is unlikely to want to start at his age. There again if he is a large cat it will be difficult for him to get into it, and there may not be head-room enough when he is using it. A lot of cats tend to stretch slightly upwards whilst passing a motion.

The problem of cat litter on the floor can be prevented by using a plastic storage box with sides that are approx. 6 inches high instead of the shallow litter boxes sold for cats. And please do place his box in a secluded spot, cats dislike being watched while weeing etc. although he will happily wash his bottom and his willie in the most public place he can find!

The best advice on cat equipment is that the cat probably won't touch half of it.

It's true, ours do like their water dish well away from their food. And also drink from the pond, or any old pool of water outside. I assume rain water tastes better than tap, ours is quite chloriney.

lol Nina, mine was the same. Never drank from a dish in the house, though she would from a dripping tap. She much preferred the watering can or pond!

Oh thank you all so much for the advice. I am printing it out to refer to but the first thing I will do is go to the supermarket and get a cardboard box. The shelter will give us his blanket so that's his first bed sorted.

Thank you again.