I suspect that many a cat and cat owner’ psychology would lend them toward a communal stewardship scheme.

Cut small, cat sized holes through the interior walls of apartments (flats).

Cats become free to wander between apartments. Frightened cats may flee to adjacent apartments. Lonely cats may seek out people who will pay them attention on demand. Cats may now stealthily stalk entire floors, not just one tiny apartment. Catopia.

The landlord may provide a spayed or neutered cat, per floor of an apartment building. The building maintenance staff feed the cat(s) and cleans the litter box that has been located at a common area such as the laundry room.

Shared veterinary and other such expenses will be included in the (increased) cost of rent. Many people owning a few cats will be cheaper than many people owning many cats.

Cat-holes could be retrofitted into existing buildings. Not all buildings may lend themselves to such conversion. Not all people may want to live in or visit a Cat-hole Flat. Slumlords may advertise Rat-hole Flats.
-- Laughs Last, Dec 20 2003

Cruel to be kind http://www.halfbake...el_20to_20be_20kind
reminded me of this entirely different idea by [webchat] [krelnik, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Two Cats Mad http://www.halfbake...ea/Two_20Cats_20Mad
I hadn't seen this. Thanks [po]. [Laughs Last, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

We have enough trouble with the neighbors' rat-sized dog tearing into our apartment at every opportunity it gets already. No thanks!
-- DrCurry, Dec 20 2003


You are truly blessed, humanbean.
-- thumbwax, Dec 21 2003


are you Πcats mad or something?
-- po, Dec 21 2003


//rat-sized dog tearing into our apartment// I imagine the communal cat would take care of it, don't chew know?
-- FarmerJohn, Dec 21 2003


I lived in a place sort of like this once.
A Super Bowl party that spread to the neighbors place got a little out of control and we ended up with two holes between our place and theirs through the living room wall. We hung a flag over the holes on our side and they put posters over theirs, none of which fooled the four cats that now had free range of both places.
It would really freak out people who didn't know when a cat would just appear out of thin air to drop on their lap or head.
Ah bachelor days, (+) for dredging up the memory.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 21 2003


And a (+) from me for conjuring up memories of visiting the Washington Museum and seeing millions of carpenter ants crawling through suspended plastic tubing.
-- motive power, Dec 21 2003


This is a terrific idea! Especially these days when most apt. buildings have No Pets policies and people have to choose between having a place to live or having a pet.
-- khorah, Dec 21 2003


Where I live, most flats have communal mice, who come and go as they please through the numerous holes in the door, floor, and walls. I guess making the holes big enough for a cat might be easier than blocking them off.
-- kropotkin, Dec 22 2003


So long as there's an option to close up the holes on days when you need to keep cats in or out, I'm all for it.
-- Tabbyclaw, May 19 2004


Naah the cats need their 'own domain'.

This would result in a 'turf war'. The result would be youre cute littel schniffums being booted off your hand stiched duvet .. to be replaced by 'George' the huge 6 stone street-moggy who is best at fighting!
-- britboy, May 19 2004


now add the magiic of rfid and multiple cats could roam the system of rooms as catflaps close and lock keeping them apart.
-- engineer1, May 19 2004


We don't need cat holes. We get in everywhere, one way or another
-- The Kat, May 19 2004



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