How to Create a Cat-Friendly Home

Creating vertical spaces for cats helps them create their own space. This is especially important in multi-cat households, where cats must take turns sharing spaces. Cats love to survey their world from up high, and they will benefit from the exercise of jumping up to multiple vertical locations. Vertical spaces can be very simple to create with cat trees, cat shelves, and scratch perches.

1. Create access to vertical spaces
   
   Creating vertical spaces for cats helps them create their own space. This is especially important in multi-cat households, where cats must take turns sharing spaces. Cats love to survey their world from up high, and they will benefit from the exercise of jumping up to multiple vertical locations. Vertical spaces can be very simple to create with cat trees, cat shelves, and scratch perches.
2. Provide a more pleasant dining experience.
   
   A cat’s whiskers are extremely sensitive. Provide a wide, low profile dish for feeding and drinking to give your cat the most comfortable place to eat. Choose dishes that are ceramic or stainless steel to avoid irritation from common allergies to plastic.
3. Provide a private space.
   
   Cats love to retreat, and will do so under the bed if not given a hideaway or cocoon in a common room. A groom and hide scratch perch lets cats be part of the family fun while feeling secure in a private space.
4. Offer a window view.
   
   Cats love to look at nature. Provide your cat with the opportunity to view it from a safe spot indoors. Place a perch near the window, attach a support to the window sill for easy access, or purchase a seat that suctions to the window.
5. Provide enough potties.
   
   Cats do best with multiple litter box options. As a rule, you should provide one more litter box than you have cats. For example, a 3 cat household should have four litter boxes. Cats also prefer their litter boxes in areas they frequent most. If your cat loves to spend time by the living room window, place a litter box near the window. This helps promote proper elimination habits.
6. Place scratching posts in locations convenient to your cat.
   
   If your cat is still using the sofa and doorjamb to scratch despite the fact that you own scratching posts, it’s likely that the scratching posts are not located in places where you cat would like to scratch. Cats scratch to mark key territory, which are most often the places you spend the most time. Try placing scratching posts in common areas or your bedroom instead of in the hallway and laundry room.
   
   Remember that it doesn’t take much to make your cat happy. And a happy cat is a well mannered cat, which makes living with your cat more enjoyable for you too!