Can Cats Stay in One Room All Day?

Should I leave my cat in my bedroom all day (seven hours)? It’s a master bedroom and is pretty big. Do you think my cat gets bored? She has a window and plenty of toys. – Pablo Orozco, Jr.

Seven hours a day in a large room that has a bed, a bathroom, a window and lots of cat toys sounds pretty good to me, and I’d bet your cat agrees. My cat is free to roam all over my average-size one-bedroom apartment and seems to spend about 15 hours a day in one specific spot in the living room, right by the front door. Of course your cat will also want a bowl of water and maybe some cat food, if she’s the snacking type.

That being said, my cat hates closed doors with all the passion she can store in her little fur body. Lots of door scratching and meowing ensues when we have house guests who appreciate privacy while using the bathroom. Does your cat object when it’s time for her to go to her room? If so, consider your reasons for the restriction.

• Does she not get along with another pet? Help improve their relationship with supervised together time. You can also do things like feeding them on opposite sides of a closed door; they’ll get used to each other’s scents and sounds while not being able to act out aggressively.
• Is she soiling the house or being destructive with her claws? Ensure she has her own cat litter box to use (one litter box per cat, plus an extra is recommended) and that it’s kept clean. A change in cat litter type could help, too.
• Invest in a cat scratching post or climbing structure. Discourage inappropriate scratching with double-sided sticky tape on impacted surfaces and a compressed air blast when you catch her being bad. Trim her claws regularly. Ask your vet about adorning her claws with plastic caps.
• Don’t worry. If the worst thing your cat can complain about is a door that’s closed for a third of the day she’s got it pretty good.