Kitty in Captivity

Our new apartment is on the third floor of a building.
It is about 600 square feet.
It needs an elevator (or a lift) to get to.
It has a balcony, and it is made of glass, so at least you can SEE what's outside, but you cannot join it (immediately) from the balcony.
There are very few hiding spots.
There is no closet that is warm, dark, undisturbed, and filled with Matt's underwear.
There is no maid's room and no maid's bathroom.

All of these details make for a huge change in Kitty's life.

In August 2007, Kitty was born in Casafina, in Bedok. At about two months old, she was being cared for by two adults, Mel and Matt. At five months, she moved in with them. She had only seen a car when Matt and Mel took her to the vet when she had a broken leg as a baby. She CHOSE to live with this family. She could run off any day, and she did not. When she went off to play, she always came back.

During work days, Kitty spent her time sleeping in an extra bedroom on a shelf in a closet with Matt's underwear. She especially loved to kick off all of the socks onto the ground. She loved her peace and quiet, and she even chose to sleep there sometimes when her family was home. During evenings, she had access to a whole condo, other cats, lots of fun things to smell, and even dirt and Mel and Matt's plants when nature called. Her life was good. Point was that she CHOSE to be captive. It was a good deal. She even had her own bathroom.

In Kitty's new home, the only dark, warm, quiet spot is between two suitcases in the middle of under Mel and Matt's bed. She can sit on the balcony, but only when the air con is off and the door is open (which isn't too often, thank goodness), and even when she can look, that's all. She can't go join the fun. She just watches cars go by and people walk by. She is very interested in smelling around the third floor of Mel and Matt's apartment building. She sometimes sits at the front door and meows, as if she is a dog and needs to be let out (she meows at the wrong side of the door, though, for some reason - it opens on the other side, Kitty!). When she is let out, she ultimately returns to Mel and Matt's apartment, but it is not clear that she would make this choice if an alternative were offered. She also has to share her bathroom with the couple!

All in all, Kitty is being kept captive, and it is not clear that she is choosing to stay in Mel and Matt's apartment. Though she is otherwise acting the same, this has caused some anxiety (or at least pondering) for Mel. We hope that she chooses to live with us forever. We think she feels part of the family. We hope so!