Should My Kitten Sleep In A Crate? Don't Miss Out Reason # 3!

Q: When Should I Let My Kitten Roam The House?

Though there is no exact time duration, you can let your kitten roam free when it is litter trained and well-accustomed to its surroundings. Because exposing it to the entire house all at once means stressing it out - though all cats are different and might react differently in different situations. Also, of course, before you decide to open up your house to your kitten, make sure that the place is cat-proofed so that your cat won’t harm itself. Household accidents are very real, and you must keep your pets safe, even if it means crating them until they become used to their new life- cruel? Maybe. But it’s for their own good. Therefore, if you’re asking, ‘when should I let my kitten roam the house?’, you should know that as a kitty parent, you need to do what’s best for your furbabies no matter how ‘horrible’ it might seem on the outside. After all, better safe than sorry, right?

If you’re asking, ‘should my kitten sleep in a crate?’, the truth is that it depends on the specific situation.

Keeping a cat in a crate might sound cruel, but it’s not that bad of an idea- at least not always. Sometimes, crating your cat can even be beneficial, especially if it keeps them out of trouble. In fact, it might even be essential due to some medical condition. What’s more, some cats like the privacy that comes with being in a crate.

So, the simple answer is that yes, your kitten can sleep in a crate, so long as it is comfortable and safe. As for any other questions, like:

Should I crate my kitten when I’m at work?
Can I leave my kitten downstairs at night?
How long should I keep my kitten in one room?

When should I let my kitten roam the house?

Read on to find the answers!

Key Takeaways

Yes, it is acceptable to crate your kitten temporarily so long as the reasons behind doing so are valid.

While crating has its benefits or is even compulsory in some cases, it should never be a permanent option.
So long as your kittens are adequately trained, and your house is cat-proofed, your kittens can roam around freely without any problems.
For a new kitten, give them some time to adjust before opening up the whole house to them at once.

Disclaimers

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Should My Kitten Sleep In A Crate?

While keeping your cat in a crate for some time is generally okay, the question ‘should my kitten sleep in a crate?’ is a whole other story. Because let’s face it, if your kitty is well-fed, hydrated, and comfortable, it probably won’t mind staying in the crate for a bit.

But is it really necessary?

Well, staying in a crate is sometimes necessary for cats will behavioral and medical issues. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t be kept in there all day and night- maybe just when you’re not around. But a happy, well-adjusted cat does not need crating.

Still, for kittens that are not used to the litter box yet, crating can help accelerate the potty-training process. However, crating should only be temporary and not a forever thing for your furbabies because in that case, yes, it would be cruel.

If you’re still unsure of whether your cat needs crating, here’s a complete guide to when you should crate your cat, just for you!

#1 Secure Place To Retreat

While caging is often viewed as confinement, it is also a means of securing your cat. This is especially true for senior cats around 13 to 15 years of age since they are vulnerable to dementia.

These cats generally like to keep to themselves and since they can potentially harm themselves when left unsupervised, so crating is an excellent option to keep them in a safe space. Moreover, feral cats are also often calmed down using crates since they allow them to feel secure.

#2 Noisy Cats Need Help Not Cages

Some cats tend to be more vocal at night. And a lot of people think that crating these cats is going to somehow help the situation.

Quite the contrary, actually, since the cat will probably only be more adamant on making its displeasure known. The right thing to do at this point is not to crate your kitten but to investigate if there is an underlying medical issue that prompts this sort of behavior.

#3 Litter Box Accidents

If your cat or kitten is not yet litter-trained, then crating can actually work wonders in helping you potty train your furbabies.

However, if they are already potty trained and litter box accidents have only been a recent development, crating won’t do much good. Also, if the problem only occurs at night, you should look for potential triggers.

We’d suggest you get in touch with a vet to determine if your cat has a urinary tract infection or something that explains the reason for these little ‘accidents.’ Plus, even if it is just a behavioral problem, it might need to be addressed differently.

#4 Private Zone

Cats love their private space. After all, everything is already theirs, right? But if your cat loves to hide around the house, you can actually turn a crate into a comfy cat condo for your little kitties- trust us; they’ll love it!

#5 Quarantine Time

There are many pros and cons of keeping multiple pets , but one major con is that if one of your beloveds happens to catch a contagious disease, it can spread to your other cats as well.

Not only will this mean higher vet bills, but caring for two cats is obviously more work than caring for one. So, this is something you definitely want to avoid- the prime reason being your pets’ health.

After all, some of these infections can be pretty fatal, and thus, it’s best to quarantine your pets in a crate until they are symptom-free and safe to be around your other pets.

#6 New Training Mode

Crates can help with training, but once again, this should only be temporary. No cat should ever have to live permanently in a crate.

Hence, you can use these cages to discipline them but make sure they have adequate food and water at all times because the point is to train them, not torture them.

#7 Breeding Troubles

If you’re trying to mate your cats, you might want to give them a room- or a cage, in this case. Just leave them in for about an hour, and they should be done by then.

Also, the female will need a safe place to deliver the babies that is both clean and “safe,” as per her standards. So, getting a cage (even if it’s open) can relieve the mother since her kittens are now safe from potential predators.

#8 Post-Surgery Recovery

Cats also need cages for recovering after surgery. This will keep them from accidentally harming themselves until they are comfortable and fully themselves again.

How To Choose The Right Crate For Your Kitten?

When we say it’s okay to crate train a cat, we assume that said crate is well-equipped as per your cat’s requirements. A crate is not the same as a carrier. Carriers are generally more cramped, dark, and only for vet emergencies- which means your cat has already associated it with some not-so-good memories.

And although carriers come in a range of sizes, they are just not suited for housing your cat for long periods- just no! They’re also not comfortable, and they remind your cat of the big bad doctor that likes to poke needles into them- yeah, not a good thought. So, instead of trying to use a carrier as a crate, just get a crate!

Crates also have other advantages, such as allowing your cat to see the outside world though all the holes, which means they won’t feel trapped or locked up. What’s more, they ensure proper ventilation. And, of course, since they’re practically built for this purpose, crates work great as crates!

So, when it comes to choosing the right crate for your cat, you don’t need to be too picky. You see, cats are generally not too big on space, although there is a thing as too many cats – yes, we couldn’t believe it either! Overall, your crate needs to be able to sufficiently support your cat’s needs, even if it’s only for a small period of time.

If you are looking for the perfect cat crates for you kitty, these are one of our favorites for different situations:

Should My Kitten Sleep In A Crate FAQs

Should I Crate My Kitten When I’m At Work?

If there is a risk of your kittens somehow getting injured or in trouble otherwise, then yes, it is completely acceptable to contain them in a sufficiently sized crate with all their belongings, aka their food and water bowls, their litter box, and some of their favorite toys.

But bear in mind that your cat can’t stay too long inside the crate, and you should consider this aspect before choosing to adopt a cat in the first place. If you can’t handle it, you can’t have it– simple!

Nevertheless, instead of inquiring, ‘should I crate my kitten when I’m at work?’, consider cat-proofing your house rather than restricting your cat’s space.

Because cats are family too, and “family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” Thus, make sure to accommodate your cat in some part of the house. Maybe just cat-proof one room where they can spend the whole day unsupervised while you’re away at work.

Can I Leave My Kitten Downstairs At Night?

If you want to know the answer to ‘can I leave my kitten downstairs at night?’, the answer depends on how old your kitten is as well as how long they’ve been around.

If they are well-adjusted and acquainted with their surroundings, they should be just fine wandering around the house at night.

On the other hand, newborn kittens or kittens younger than eight weeks should not be left alone! In this case, we would suggest crating to avoid any unnecessary problems.

These kittens are not fully able to handle themselves, and the world is a very dangerous place for them- even if ‘the world’ is just your bedroom. They are especially vulnerable, and hence, require extra love and care.

Overall, yes, if your kitten is old enough, trained, and comfortable downstairs, then it probably shouldn’t be too much of a problem. But if your cat is in any way problematic and you think they might get in harm’s way, then you should make alternate arrangements.

How Long Should I Keep My Kitten In One Room?

It’s best to keep a new kitten restricted to just one room in the house as it allows time for it to settle and become used to this new place.

Cats inherently oppose change since they are creatures of habit, and thus, limiting access at least initially can really help calm them down.

So, “how long should I keep my kitten in one room?”
Just enough time for them to get used to everything.

Overall, it’s okay to let them out in the open (indoors only, though) when you think they have adjusted and also bonded with you well enough. You should ideally keep new kittens confined to one room for like a week to a few weeks, depending on how well they respond to their new surroundings.

Following this, make sure to open only another one or two rooms at a time to avoid overwhelming your kitten. Besides, since cats are natural explorers, they will have enough time to look around the place before you give them another space to inspect. Thus, they will keep busy and out of trouble, at least for the first few days.

When Should I Let My Kitten Roam The House?

Though there is no exact time duration, you can let your kitten roam free when it is litter trained and well-accustomed to its surroundings.

Because exposing it to the entire house all at once means stressing it out– though all cats are different and might react differently in different situations.

Also, of course, before you decide to open up your house to your kitten, make sure that the place is cat-proofed so that your cat won’t harm itself.

Household accidents are very real, and you must keep your pets safe, even if it means crating them until they become used to their new life- cruel? Maybe. But it’s for their own good.

Therefore, if you’re asking, ‘when should I let my kitten roam the house?’, you should know that as a kitty parent, you need to do what’s best for your furbabies no matter how ‘horrible’ it might seem on the outside. After all, better safe than sorry, right?

The Bottomline

If you want to know the answer to ‘should my kitten sleep in a crate?’, then the answer is yes and no. Yes, your cat can spend the night in a crate, but no, it is in no way compulsory, so there is no ‘should.’

It is only mandatory if the cat’s health demands it. Also, a well-adjusted cat doesn’t usually need to be confined to a crate, though it can help a new kitty adjust to its new place.

Nevertheless, the notion of crates being cruel is false, but still, they should not, in any case, be a permanent feature of your cat’s life.

Writers’s Bio:

This article was written by freelance writer Summaya Lucman

Summaya is a science major with a passion for reading and writing. Being a cat mom and ailurophile herself, she knows what it takes to raise a kitty kid, and wants to help other pet parents make the right choices when it comes to their beloved companion animals.

Should My Kitten Sleep In A Crate? Don’t Miss Out Reason # 3!

Key Takeaways