Is my home cat friendly?

“A cat-friendly home is one where your cat feels comfortable and secure. To make yours cat friendly, make sure it has spaces for rest, play, exploration, and somewhere to retreat when it wants to be alone. There should also be an abundance of resources (i.e. two cats should each have their own food bowls and litter trays to discourage fighting).”

  

 

You may have got yourself a new furry friend for Christmas. And it can be a bit like bringing a new baby home …. full of surprises and decisions you have to make, which we often are not prepared for.

Making your home cat friendly
A comfortable living space is a must. There should be enough room for all the basic resources of life, including enough food, water, toileting space, educational and discovery opportunities and social interaction. Interesting that the number of water and litter receptacles is supposed ot be one per cat, plus one. This means if you have two cats ideally there would be three litter trays and three water bowls dotted around the house. Whilst this sound like it’s a bit over the top, just consider for yourself how good it makes you feel to have the comfort of those amenities at your fingertips. Even though it’s possibly more than is needed it’s comforting to have it there. Cats are no different to us in that sense!

If you help new cats and long standing cats in the house to feel like there is an abundance of resources, then they have no need to fight, and they are more likely to get along unless of course, they just have a personality clash. If space is limited then a great way to increase space in your home is to put up some sturdy floating shelves, with carpet superglued on to them to create mounting perches for the cats. This can be really helpful in apartments or townhouses.

Another trick is hiding places. We all need our “own space”. If you have limited space try to partition off some sections with cat tunnels or boxes so the cats can have their own “time-out”.

This is also a good time to make sure nooks and spaces between cupboards are sealed off. You don’t want your cat crawling in to a space that they cant get out of. Unfortunately it happens all too often, with dire consequences.

Of course make sure you speak to your vet as well. Your vet will help you build a healthy relationship with your cat, and if you start at the beginning you can really understand what your cat needs, meaning happy cat, happy you!

Once you’ve brought a new cat into your home, learn about Petsecure’s insurance options here.