I feel like a bad pet parent... Needing advice!

[Mantha Meow]

My two DSH kitties have always been shut in my room with me at night and never had any problems. I currently still live at home and my Dad isn't a fan of having pets but knows how much these little fur balls mean to me. Their food/litter is all in my room as well. We recently put our house up for sale as my dad is building a new one and my boyfriend and I are also. The kitties had torn up every.single.blind. in the house!! We have replaced them and the kitties have been banished to my room 24/7 I feel like an AWFUL pet parent.. These last few nights my Kinsler Bug has been really distressed and pawing at the door. He has never done this and I think it's because he is locked in my room all day while I am gone.. I have toys all over the floor and one hanging for him to bat around but I feel like it isn't enough. We have a play session every night before bed as well. Hopefully in less than 2 months we will be in the new house and they will have the run of the house but until then I don't want them getting depressed..

So all that story for this question..
What can I do/set up to keep my kitties entertained during the day while I am gone?? thank you!

 

[Patti]

First of all, don't let the cats guilt trip you - you are the adult, they can live with a little discipline for a couple of months. If it is allowed, perhaps you can let them out of the room for short periods of time while strictly supervised, which may take the edge off their neediness. If you have a TV in your room you might consider purchasing a couple of DVDs for cats and see if that will entertain them. Hopefully the next couple of months will go by quickly!!

 

[Mantha Meow]

They get out in the morning while I am getting ready and I have actually tried waking up a little earlier so they get more time out! They also get out for a short time at night. I hadn't thought about the DVDs but I will definitely look into that. thank you so much!!

 

[jungle boy]

Just the fact that you come onto this forum asking questions so that you can take better care of your babies and keep them happy shows that you are a GOOD pet parent! You're doing just fine! The DVD sounds like a great idea!

 

[SlugMaster]

So all that story for this question..
What can I do/set up to keep my kitties entertained during the day while I am gone?? thank you![/quote]

I had to do something similar when I moved into an older house with extensive asbestosis problems. Me and the cats camped out in the master suite as I worked my way through the house with remediation. It took a two months to complete. One thing that helped was to have climbing space for the cats, they used the closet shelving and the cat condo as vertical space. It worked out all in all and I think it helped us bond better.