How to make sure your home is your cat’s home too!

25th January 2023

Turning your home into a cat-friendly environment can be a benefit to your cat’s health and well-being. If their home is not suited to their needs, they can become stressed and spray on your furniture or develop stress-related illnesses such as feline cystitis. It doesn’t take much to make your home a great place for you and your pets to relax together. Find out how to ensure your home is suited to your cat’s needs.

Install a cat flap

By giving your cat access to the outdoors through a cat flap, they can patrol their territory whenever they choose. Cats patrol their territory on a daily basis and free access to the outdoors will ensure they can come and go whether or not you are at home.

Keep the neighbour’s cat out

An intruder cat in the home can be a stressful situation for your cat so it’s important to prevent any neighbourhood cats or strays entering your home. A selective entry cat flap, such as the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap, will prevent other cats gaining access to your home.

Meal times – keeping your cat healthy

Cats often like to graze throughout the day. Make sure no other animals or small children have access to their food, so that they can enjoy it throughout the day without it being stolen. You can achieve this with a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder or a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, which will only open for your cat’s microchip or RFID collar tag.

Fresh water – staying hydrated

Make sure your cat has access to plenty of fresh water; a pet fountain will keep the water fresh throughout the day. Cats don’t like to drink close to their feeding stations, as due to their natural instinct to hunt, they can think their water is contaminated if it’s placed next to their food bowl. To encourage your cat to drink more, position their food and drink in separate locations.

The all-important bed

Cats sleep an average of 16 hours a day so it goes without saying that they’ll need a comfortable bed. Cats might not always sleep in the same place though, so it’s important to ensure they have a few comfortable spots throughout the house. These needn’t be expensive cat beds, as your cat might choose a sofa or a spot of carpet in the sun for their bed. Just make sure they have free access to their favourite sleeping spots so they can snooze when they choose.

Scratching posts – for healthy claws

Cats scratch to maintain their claws and mark their territory. If you don’t want them destroying your furniture or carpet, station scratching posts around the home or old squares of carpet in places they like to scratch.

High perches – the watch tower

Many cats feel secure when they are up high and can survey their territory from a height. Give your cat access to high cupboards or shelves so that they can enjoy their home on different levels.

Hiding places

Cats like to hide to feel safe. Give your cat access to hiding places such as cupboards, cardboard boxes or behind furniture. If they are frightened, they should be able to access these areas freely.

Keeping it calm - use synthetic pheromones for nervous cats

A pheromone diffuser or spray can help to relax a cat when they are nervous. You might need to use this if you have visitors round, if you are renovating your home, or if you are introducing a new pet or baby into your home.

These are just a few improvements that you can make to your home that can make a huge difference to the health and well-being of your cat.