You have decided to adopt a cat, but it will not be able to go outside. There are several things to think about.

  • There are real advantages to keeping a cat indoors. First of all, there is little risk of accidents (traffic, falls or various injuries, abscesses from another cat’s bite, and so on).
  • There is also less risk of illness, since there is far less contact with infectious agents (parasites, bacteria, viruses and the like).
  • Vet bills tend to be lower — partly for the reasons above, partly because fewer vaccinations are needed (the feline leukaemia vaccine is only necessary if there is contact with other cats), and because antiparasitic products are less essential.

But keeping a cat indoors has its downsides too. The cat often lacks things to do: play, hunting, exploring… Its natural way of life calls for a degree of freedom, so life in a flat can feel sorely short of stimulation. From this come higher risks of conditions such as obesity (the cat eats to pass the time), urinary stones (encouraged by a sedentary life), constipation (from lack of movement) or diabetes, for example.
A lack of occupation, and the boredom that follows, can also lead to certain behavioural problems, such as urine-marking, scratching, aggression, and so on.

So how can you make indoor life go as smoothly as possible?

First and most important of all, never take on a cat that is used to going outside. Even a kitten that only went out for a few days before you adopted it has tasted the outdoors and soaked up other stimuli. There is a good chance it will feel frustrated at being kept indoors all the time.

If the cat is going to be left alone for a good part of the day, consider giving it a companion straight away (ideally from the same litter) to play with. The cat is a solitary animal and instinctively dislikes sharing its territory with another cat, but two kittens from the same litter will usually get along very well.
Some cat breeds also show a naturally stronger leaning towards home comforts.

Give it plenty to do: toys, a Pipolino (a food dispenser that makes the cat work a little for its meals), cat grass, a lookout spot by a window…

One last thing to bear in mind: even for an indoor cat, some dangers remain — for instance tilt-and-turn windows left ajar, where a cat can get stuck and unable to free itself, or plants that look so tempting yet are often toxic… along with household cleaning products and other poisons.