Should Hongkongers with their tiny flats own cats? Seven tips for keeping your indoor pet happy, according to experts
High-rise Hong Kong isn’t much of a cat paradise, and some question whether people should keep them locked up indoors. Here are some tips to make sure your housebound feline is feeling fine and avoid behavioural problems
When Pooja Ramchandani and her family moved from a 1,200 sq ft flat in Sheung Shui to a 700 sq ft flat closer to the city, one member of the family took it particularly badly: Gideon, their Siamese cat.
“My cat definitely suffers due to lack of space,” says Pooja, who runs the Hong Kong Pet Owners Group on Facebook. “It was fine when he was a kitten and had plenty of room in a larger flat, but now he’s an adult cat in a smaller space, he does struggle. We’ve definitely had to adapt our lifestyle for him.”
Gideon has a scratching post, lots of small toys and a series of raised beds for him to play in and hide under. Pooja even takes him out for “walks” in the corridor where he gets to run around, sniffing under every neighbour’s door. She says she would like to mount a cat playground on her living room wall, but her landlord won’t let them do any drilling.
“I think people in Hong Kong struggle to keep cats, as the lack of space usually manifests itself as behaviours that may affect our deposits, such as scratching furniture, or yowling from loneliness, which will annoy the neighbours. It’s a shame because I wouldn’t give him up for anything in the world. He’s family.”
In a city where most people live in high-rise flats, life can be tough for pets. This is especially true for cats which, according to veterinary behaviourist Dr Cynthia Smillie, have a behavioural need to go outside, patrol their territory and hunt for prey. For most Hongkongers, letting a cat out to roam and hunt is impossible – there are very few gardens. A problem in many cities, the situation is made worse by Hong Kong’s tiny flats.
