Caging cats at night: When you have bonded or you’re trying to bond with your cat, you may have questions like: is it okay to cage my cat at night?
Caging your cat at night may seem like a cruel thing to do, but in most cases, it’s the best thing you should do. Some behavioral changes or abnormal behaviors in cats can be curtailed by simply caging them at night, while in some other cases; medical issues will require you to cage your cat at night.
When we talk about caging a cat, we’re not talking about putting them in a jail cell! Caging a cat simply means having them confined to a specific space, like a room or a crate.
There are pros and cons to caging your cat at night. On the one hand, it can give you peace of mind knowing that your kitty is safe and sound in one spot. On the other hand, it can be stressful for your cat to be confined and can lead to problems like litter box avoidance or even worse, Chewing on furniture.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about confining a cat in the night, the pros and the cons.
Introduction: Why Caging Your Cat at night is an Important Part of the House Routine
If they require attention, cats bite, wake, meow, and jump on you at night. They don’t appreciate being caged.
Is it okay to cage my cat at night? Yes, especially when they are new since new cats love to hide or even escape from the house. Caging a cat at night will also prevent the cat from disturbing you while you sleep at night. Ensure you don’t cage an adult cat who has adapted to the proceedings of the house.
Here are reasons why it’s important to cage your cat at night:
To help your feline friend adjust
If you just got a new kitten to your home, it’s a bad idea to leave them loose around the house, you’ll spend the coming days looking for them around the house or even in your neighborhood.
Should kittens be crated? Since you won’t be around to watch your kitten at night, crate them to give them time to adjust to their new habitat and people.
Crating when the cat is sick
Except for dental disease caused by not brushing a cat’s teeth (which over 70% of cat owners don’t do), cats are healthy, but medical issues can arise if they don’t get regular checkups or are outdoor cats.
It can be difficult to get sick cats to take their medications, so it’s best to cage them at night so you don’t have to seek for them and can watch them for emergencies.
In a multi-cat home, crate a sick cat.
Caging after surgery
After surgery, the vets would advise against running, jumping, and other arduous activities that could place strain on the cat’s stitches and wound. Usually, most cats return home scared, and stressed kit from surgical procedures, this is why you have to cage them and ensure they don’t tear open their stitches, or hide where you won’t be able to monitor their recovery.
Ensure you provide water and food, and keep an eye on the cat, in as much as we need to ensure the safety of our cat, we still don’t want to keep them in the cage–longer than they should be, get in touch with your vet to decide the appropriate amount of time you could keep your cat in a cage.
Training the Cat to use its litter box
Kittens instinctively get used to using their litter box, and they keep using it except if you don’t clean it, or they fall ill. This isn’t so for some kittens, as they will still need extra lessons.
A kitten in a big enough cage that can house its litter box, speeds up the process of learning to use the litter box. Your feline friends are naturally very clean, they will never want to soil their wedding, except on a car ride.
If a kitten starts showing signs of abnormal bathroom habits, you may want to see a vet–the abnormal bathroom habit may be a result of an underlying health issue.
Taming wild cats
You may have adopted a feral cat in a bid to help with the overpopulation of cats in the US, but you also discovered you’ve got yourself an escape artist. Feral cats will escape from the house at every slightest opening they see.
The feral cat won’t take it so easy, but this is a necessary step to help and get the cat socialized.
To protect your kitten
Cats love to hide, sleep 15 hours a day, and never trade their alone time. If house traffic is heavy, they relax in their pods or caves.
Cats can be sneaky or have two personalities (escaping to better treatment outside). If you have overnight guests, cage your cat to prevent it from escaping or acting crazy.
Some cats adjust to home life, but caged cats may become anxious. Cage only new or unneutered cats.
Introducing new cats
Crating is very important when considering bringing a new cat to the home. Cats eventually get along with each other, but this could take weeks or months–introducing cats with vanilla extracts may speed up the process.
Crating lets cats see and sniff one other without fighting. Crating makes it easier to discourage cats from fighting over territory, food, and toys. Sleeping with the bullying cat crated prevents fights.
How to Set Up a Cat Cage for Your Feline Friend?
Setting up a cage for your cat requires you to think like a cat, caging a cat at night is a whole new experience for the cat, you don’t have to make it seem like a cage, and you can go the extra mile and make it comfortable.
Get into the cats mind
If you were to be a cat what would interest you in a cage? What will turn you off? You have to take into consideration sounds, smells, sights, and every other kitty factor.
If you were weak, would air screens, fans, other dogs, cats, and people scare you?
What will you like to be made available for you? Foods? Water? Litter trays?. In as much as you may be trying to correct a behavioral problem with the cage, it’s also good to make the game a very comfortable one, so the cat could be open to his correction lessons. You don’t want to contribute to noise pollution by crating the cat in an uncomfortable cage, where it’ll have to meow all night.
Create a safe relaxing spot
After you have decided on the needs of your cat, you will like to site the cage in a safe and relaxed spot where your cat will love it.
Cats mistake some of our regular everyday activities for aggression. Activities such as; tossing food bowls, shouting conversations, and slamming doors–these activities will naturally send them running for a safe spot.
This is why where ever you sit the cage has to be void of disturbances and noise. You should also ensure the doors of the cage are not clanging against each other, you can use tape on the side of the irons that hit each other, each time you close the cage.
Provision of basic needs and space
Give your cat everything it needs to survive. Food is wasted less with auto-feeders.
Cats sleep 8-9 hours, so play with them and do stimulating activities to avoid behavioral issues when crated at night.
Get the pet a big cage. A litter box cage upsets cats. Allow the cat to play, eat, and use the litter box freely.
To conclude, send toys to heaven with the cat. Fun and creative cages engage cats. Why not knot a brush? Cats like head rubs.
See this video on how to crate train a cat:
How Can I Make My Cat Comfortable in a Cage at Night?
Cats run away from cages at night, making it hard to get them in. Since the cat associates the crate with vet visits or unwanted places, it should be.
How do you make a caged cat more comfortable at night?
How to Comfort My Cat in a Cage at Night? Choose the right cage, make it cat-bliss, smell like the house, lure the cat with treats, and keep the doors open except when caged.
Choose the right cage
Get a cage with side and front doors. Sleep with the cushions or towel in the cage to make it smell like you and comfort the cat. Clean the litter box before bedtime.
Turn the cage into a cat bliss
The more reason why we asked you to make room in the cat’s cage, the more the space, the more creative you can get. You can tie a ball or a ring to a rope, this will give the cat something to use as a punching bag.
Ensure to leave your cat with treats, you can use healthy pumpkin treats or any treat of your choice to make the night-stay worth it.
What Are Some Signs That My Cat Is Stressed in a Cage at Night?
It may have seemed like you solved a problem by caging the cat at night, but what if you are stressing the cat mentally, how will you know?
Urinating outside the litter box
If your cat is stressed from being in the cage all night, it will urinate outside its litter box. This expresses dissatisfaction with overnight cage confinement.
They may have peed outside their litter box due to an underlying disease. If you notice any other symptoms like vomiting or difficulty passing feces, contact your vet.
Hiding away from you, when you let him free
Your cat is upset from being in the cage all night if he hides from you and others when you let him out. You may want to consider other methods of correcting the cat.
This act is also accompanied by inactivity, lack of interest in routine, and your cat becoming antisocial. If you notice any of these signs, you may consider cutting short the crating.
Change in appetite
If your cat is becoming a fussy eater or ignoring his food outrightly, this is a sign that the crate is stressing them out, consider reducing their time in the crate, spending more time with them, or cutting off the crating.
Refusal to be handled
When a box cat is stressed, it doesn’t like being touched or sleeping. Sometimes cats with double coats don’t want to be brushed, but they need to be in order to spread their natural oil, avoid hairballs, and keep allergens and hairs off of furniture.
What Are Some Alternatives to caging your cat at night?
As a pet owner, you want to do what’s best for your furry friend. And if you’re like many people, that means caging your cat at night.
But is caging your cat at night the best thing for them? Are there any alternatives?
In this post, we’ll explore some alternatives to caging your cat at night and help you decide what’s right for your feline friend.
Cat Trees
Many options exist to overnight cat caging. Cat trees are popular.
Cat trees are places for cats to scratch, climb, and play. They come in wood, carpet, or sisal and vary in size.
Because cats love climbing and playing on cat trees, they can keep your cat entertained and safe at night.
Exercise
There are a few alternatives to caging your cat at night. One is to exercise them. Playtime is important for cats, and it can also help wear them out so they’re less active at night.
Another option is to keep them in a room where they can’t get into trouble. This might mean setting up a cat playpen or simply closing off doors to other parts of the house.
Finally, you can try using a Feliway diffuser. These plug-in diffusers release calming pheromones that can help ease your cat’s anxiety and keep them from wreaking havoc at night.
Toys
Giving your cat lots of toys is a good alternative to nighttime caging. This can entertain them and distract them from escaping. Toys help your cat stay active and healthy, which is vital.
Your cat can play with balls, mice, rubber bands, and scratching posts. Change things up often to keep your cat from getting bored and give them lots of area to play.
Scratching Posts
A scratching post can keep your cat safe at night without caging. Scratching posts distract cats and decrease furniture damage by wearing down their nails.
Many scratching posts fit your cat’s personality and budget. While some cats prefer tall posts with climbing platforms, others prefer modest, fabric-covered posts. Try different scratching posts to find your cat’s favorite.
Diet
You dislike nighttime cat caging? It’s reasonable. Consider these options before panicking. You can limit your cat’s daytime diet. This restricts their food sources, preventing nighttime food seeking.
Try a special diet for a calmer cat. Many options are available to suit your cat.
If all else fails, change cat behavior. Training your cat to follow directions will help them stay home at night.
Can I put my cat in a kennel at night?
There’s no easy answer when it comes to caging your cat at night. On one hand, it can provide a sense of security for your cat, especially if it’s used to sleeping in a kennel. On the other, some cats may feel cramped or stressed in a kennel, which can lead to problems like litter box avoidance.
The best solution is to try caging your cat at night and see how it responds. If your cat seems agitated or uncomfortable, try letting it roam free at night instead.
Where should cats sleep at night?
A cat bed or basket is the best nighttime sleeping spot. This will let them rest and feel safe from humans and animals.
Build a special space for your cat if you don’t want it in your bedroom. Give them warm, comfortable bedding, a litter box, and toys to play with.
When You Should NOT Cage Your Cat at Night
Cat cages aren’t usually required or desired at night. Let your elderly or sick cat roam at night. If your cat roams the house during the day, caging them at night may be unwise. Stress and anxiety can harm them.
Your doctor or animal behaviorist can answer your questions concerning overnight cat cages.
Conclusion
We have wrapped up this topic, providing you with an extensive guide on if it is okay to cage your cat at night. If you have any questions, do let us know…
