|
The Basics in Bedding and Furniture
For a cat, the best bed in the house is YOUR bed, and therefore
belongs to THEM. They'll may attempt to curl up and sleep beside you
if you let them, or they may decide you move around too much in your
sleep and go skulk through the dark house until you get up in the
morning and leave the bed wide open for them. Either way, a cat does
have some basic bed and housing needs that should be met to keep him
happy and healthy.
First is a good scratching post!
Scratching Post or Cat Tree
Scratching is a normal
cat behavior, and one that cats are highly
motivated to display, so it’s unrealistic to try to prevent them
from scratching. The best thing you can do is offer your cat a place
specifically for scratching, and encourage her to use it. A good
cat scratching post that's tall enough for your cat to stretch out
full length against is a good buy, but make sure that it's sturdy
and doesn't wobble before making your purchase. If your cat is
anything like mine, that post will be well used, and should be
capable of supporting the full weight of your cat bouncing off it's
side in pursuit of invisible moths, or racing full tilt up it's
length to sky dive from the pinnacle at maximum speed.
Even better then a post however, is a
cat climbing tree. They'll cost you a
little bit more, but they offer your cat a greater range of play and
entertainment. A good cat tree will have more than one place to
perch or sleep, and maybe a hole or two that she can play hide and
seek in.
There are also cat houses, hammocks, window shelves and even cat sized
indoor gyms!
Kitty Sized Beds
The next important item is a cat sized bed. This can be as simple as
a folded blanket or a pillow in a strategic location, or as
extravagant as a complete carpet palace with built in ramps and
cubby holes. As I mentioned earlier, kitty will probably enjoy
sleeping with you as often as possible, but she still needs to have
her own place to call home.
A Place to Watch the World Go By
Cats like to have a higher location from which they can watch time
pass and where they feel safe. Some companies offer a shelf that
hooks right to a window sill, or you can opt to build something
yourself. Cat trees will work great, as do the larger climbing gyms
mentioned above.
A Clean Litter Box
People always want to place the litter box in an out-of-the-way spot
in order to minimize odor and loose particles of cat litter in the
house. So, the litter box ends up in the basement, maybe next to an
appliance and/or on a cold cement floor. For obvious reasons, this
can be undesirable from your cat's point of view. If you have a
kitten or an older cat, they may not be able to get down a long
flight of stairs in time If it's a new cat, she may not
remember where the litter box is if it’s in an area seldom
frequented. Not to mention the terror your cat may feel if while
using the litter box a nearby furnace, washer or dryer suddenly
comes on! That may understandably be the last time she’ll risk it
going near such a location.
The litter box should be kept in a location that gives your cat some
privacy, but is also convenient. If you place the litter box in a
closet or a bathroom, be sure the door is wedged open from both
sides, to prevent her from accidentally being trapped in or out. You
might even consider cutting a hole in a closet door and adding a
swinging door. If the litter box sits on a smooth, slick or cold
surface, you might put a small throw rug underneath the litter box.
Some cats appreciate being able to scratch around their box.
It's best to have at least one box per cat, especially in a larger
home where there's a greater distance between boxes. And of course,
keep the boxes clean!
More Cat Furniture
While the above are probably the most important items for keeping
happy cats. There are still more options for doting kitty parents.
There are cat houses, hammocks, window shelves and even cat sized
indoor gyms!
|
