The Complete Guide That Makes Creating a More Cat-Friendly Home Simple

Sharing your life with a four-legged friend comes with a lot of upsides. You’ve got a constant companion. A fuzzy buddy to greet you after a hard day’s work. A bed warmer. A lower chance of having a heart attack.

But you’ve got prep work to do. There’s a lot you don’t think of when creating the ideal cat-friendly home.

First, you need to understand your cat. Read on to learn how to turn your home into a kitty paradise.

The Needs and Wants of Cats

You’re thinking of adopting a cat. That makes you the pet parent.

Before you can turn your house into a cat-friendly home, it’s your job to understand your cat. Understanding your feline companion is how you will win its trust, making the transition to life at home painless.

Cats Need Routine

Just like humans, cats are creatures of habit.

They need regular routines. They like to get up at certain times, sleep at others, and eat their meals at set times throughout the day. Many like to drink water in the evening.

If you live a busy life with a hectic schedule, you’ll need to plan around your cat. A happy cat is one that knows when it’s time to play and when it’s time to curl up on the couch.

Cats Like to Climb

High places spell safety to a cat.

They’ll leap onto anything they can: Windowsills, refrigerators, shelves, stacks of boxes, and wardrobes. From a height, they survey their surroundings and know they’re in a place where they won’t be disturbed.

Making extra high spots available to your cat will ensure it has a place to acclimatize and get used to your family.

Cats Need Their Space

As a cat parent, it’s vital to give your cat the space it needs.

A new or young cat will hide and observe its surroundings at first. This is normal behavior. Don’t force your cat to come out. Let it grow accustomed to your home and your scent.

Your furry pal will be socializing in no time.

Cats Are Hunters

Cats are nocturnal hunters with razor-sharp senses in darkness.

Don’t be surprised if your cat is active during the dead of night. They find joy in brief bursts of activity. But their predatory nature also means an intense desire to play.

They need up to an hour of playtime each day.

Cats will play alone, in pairs, in groups – and with you. It’s important for your cat’s health, and it’s a great time to bond with your cat.

Turning Your House Into a Cat-friendly Home

Chosen your favorite breed?

With a shorthair, you won’t have to worry about shedding. Bengal cats are curious, confident, and playful. And munchkin cats are known to steal shiny objects and stash them for later.

Whatever shape your furry friend comes in, once you sign the cat adoption papers, you’ve made the commitment. It’s time to get your house in order.

The Essentials

Plan out the essentials before anything else:

• Food
• Water
• Bed
• Litter tray

Cats sleep for far longer than humans – between 12 and 18 hours every day.

They love a warm and cozy place to rest their furry heads. If you have sunlit rooms, you can bet they’ll spend their days following the movement of the sun to bathe in the sunlight. Work with custom home builders from Sacramento to remodel your home and have more natural sunlight coming in for your cat and for yourself.

And whether you like it or not, they’ll find several places throughout the house to hit the hay. Cats are comfortable on anything soft, so consider sprucing up your windowsills and armchairs with bedding.

Otherwise, you’ll find them curled up in a clean pile of laundry.

Food and water should be accessible when your cat wants them. That doesn’t mean you have to indulge them – many cats will eat kibble in small amounts throughout the day when they’re hungry.

Their bowls should be appropriate for their height, cleaned regularly, and made of glass or ceramic. Water should be changed daily: Cats hate stale water. Investing in a PAWAii Smart Cat Water Fountain can be a good choice.

Cats Need a Clean Restroom

There’s no getting around a litter tray. They’ll use one instinctively – even as a kitten – but they like it clean.

And no, cleaning the kitty litter is not a once-a-week chore. It’s something you’ll have to do every day, else you’ll be in for a nasty (and smelly) shock before too long.

There’s little you can do about nature’s call. But there is something you can do about the odor: High-quality foods reduce the odor of cat poop to reasonable levels.

One litter tray is adequate, but for a happier cat, it’s worth following the plus one rule. That means one litter tray per feline and one extra for emergencies.

Give Your Cat a Safe Place

Patience is key when introducing a new cat. Your four-legged friend won’t get used to your home overnight.

You’ll foster a healthier relationship and establish trust from the get-go by providing safe spaces for your cat to retreat to. If you don’t, the cat will make its own hidey-hole under beds, couches – and in those places you’d never think to look.

Let your cat rest, and don’t violate the sanctity of the hidey-hole. It’s where your cat goes to unwind be alone.

Get a Scratching Post

Cats scratch to trim their claws down. This keeps them razor-sharp, but it’s also satisfying to your cat.

Just like with safe spaces, you have two options: Give your cats a scratching post or they’ll make their own (probably out of the expensive leather upholstery).

Don’t Forget to Play

Playtime with your furry friend is fun for the two of you.

Play games of (literal) cat-and-mouse the right way with a toy on a string:

• Move the toy erratically
• Hide behind corners
• Entice your cat with sound
• Play hide and seek

It’s important as a calorie-burning exercise for indoor cats, and it keeps your cat’s mind and senses active. There should be a healthy variety of toys in the toybox, too. Toys that mimic prey are best – small, fluffy, and on a string.

And while laser pointers might appear fun to you, they’re dissatisfying for your cat because it never achieves the satisfaction of catching its prey.

Give Your Furry Friend a Purrfect Home

Your cat-friendly home is right around the corner. All it takes is a pinch of love and a little elbow grease to get everything ready to be a pet parent.

Did our article help you out? Check out some other pet articles on our site.