Tips For Creating A Cat-Friendly Living Space
Ah, the joys of being a cat parent! From the sound of their gentle purrs to the hilarious antics they get up to, cats bring joy, laughter, and comfort to our homes. However, creating a space that’s both stylish for humans and functional for our feline friends can sometimes feel like a balancing act. But fret not! With a few design tweaks and creative solutions, you can transform your living space into a cat haven without compromising on aesthetics. Read on for The Refined Feline‘s tips on how to create a cat-friendly living space.
Elevate Their World
Cats, by nature, love to climb and perch up high—it gives them a vantage point to survey their kingdom. Why not integrate dedicated vertical spaces instead of letting them scale your bookshelves? Here are some ways to create a cat-friendly living space without sacrificing your home’s aesthetic.
Create A Stylish Cat Walk Along Your Wall
Sleek and stylish cat wall shelves can be seamlessly integrated into your home, offering cats their own catwalk while keeping your belongings damage-free. Brands like The Refined Feline offer designs that are both functional and chic, ensuring your walls look contemporary while being cat-approved. Plus, they’re easy to install, making it a hassle-free solution.
Place Modern Cat Trees Strategically
Tall cat trees offer numerous benefits for your feline companion, including opportunities for climbing, scratching, and perching at elevated heights, all while looking great in your home. These structures provide essential exercise and mental stimulation, promoting overall physical and emotional well-being. Modern cat towers from The Refined Feline come in multiple neutral colors to match your home decor and also feature replaceable parts to keep your cat’s furniture looking as good as your human furniture.
Placing tall cat trees near cat wall shelves enhances their appeal even more by creating a cohesive vertical playground for your cat. This strategic positioning encourages natural behaviors like jumping between levels, exploring new heights, and surveying their surroundings from different vantage points. By integrating tall cat trees with nearby cat wall shelves, you create an engaging and dynamic environment that satisfies your cat’s instincts while maximizing the use of vertical space in your home.
Find The Best Spot For The Litter Box
Finding the ideal place for the litter box can be the toughest part of creating a cat-friendly living space. Fortunately, there are clever solutions available to help.
Hide The Litter Box In Plain Sight
Today, litter boxes can be hidden in almost anything from wood litter box cabinets, to benches, or planters. They keep the litter out of sight while providing privacy for your cat and keeping stray litter contained. This can be especially helpful if you have large dogs that you want to keep out of the litter box.
The Location Of The Litter Box Is Key
It is ideal to place the litterbox in a low-traffic area but ensure that it’s easily accessible for your cat. If your home has multiple levels, placing a litter box on each level would surely make your cat’s life easier. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and having to walk to the other side of a mansion. Your cat will thank you!
Try An Automatic Litter Box
A self-cleaning litter box is a game-changer for cat parents but also for cats as well! Cats can be pretty particular about the place that they go but one thing that cats and humans both love is a litter box that’s always clean. The self-cleaning litter box from The Refined Feline is a great option because it recognizes which cat is using it, it has a low entry for cats of all ages and abilities, and you can use almost any litter with it.
Offer An Abundance Of Scratching Posts
Cats need to scratch—it helps them stretch, mark their territory, and shed old claw layers. The trick to keeping your furniture damage-free is to direct this behavior to the desired product.
Invest In Durable Scratching Posts
Gone are the days of unsightly carpeted scratching posts that leave strings hanging everywhere. A tall scratching post made from sisal or other durable materials like rattan will withstand a cat’s claws for years without fraying.
Save Space With Multipurpose Scratching Posts
Cats often scratch after a nap. Placing scratching posts or pads near their favorite resting spots can encourage the use of the post and not your furniture. Better yet, you can find multipurpose scratching posts that combine the cat bed with a scratching post to save space.
Related: How To Keep Cats From Scratching Furniture
Make Sure Your Home Is Cat-Proof
Cats are naturally curious creatures. While exploring and playing are part of their charm, ensuring their safety is essential. Please keep these things in mind when trying to create a cat-friendly living space.
Make Sure All Of Your Plants Are Safe For Cats
Believe it or not, many common houseplants can be toxic to cats. Always check all plants of flowers before bringing them in your home. Opting for artificial versions that are both stylish and cat-safe is also an option
Secure Window Screens
Cats love gazing out of windows, especially if they’re high up or offer a view of some birds. However, you must ensure that all screens are secure to prevent any adventurous felines from taking unintended leaps.
Texture Is Important To Cats
Cats are tactile creatures. They love different textures under their paws and against their fur, so introducing various textures and materials can keep them interested and engaged.
Incorporate Rugs & Carpets
Consider investing in rugs with different textures. While some cats love the feel of a shaggy rug, others might prefer the weave of a flat, woven design. These not only enrich your cat’s sensory experience but also become statement pieces in your room.
Add A Throw To Your Seating Area
If you have a cat who loves to lounge on your couch, consider a stylish throw in a luxurious fabric. It adds an element of design for you and a new texture for your cat to enjoy.
Let Cats Play On Their Terms
Keeping your cat mentally stimulated is crucial for indoor cats. You can incorporate toys into the mix that pique their curiosity whenever they’re in the mood!
Try Interactive Cat Toys
Modern technology has led to a plethora of interactive cat toys. Laser pointers that move in unpredictable patterns, or battery-operated toys that mimic the movement of small animals can be left out for your cat to decide when they’re ready to play. So, if your cat wants to play at 3 am, you can stay in bed while they expel some energy!
Give Your Cat The Purrfect View
Cats love a good vantage point to watch the world go by whether it’s leaves blowing in the wind or people walking by. It’s important to keep indoor cats’ lives enriched with different types of entertainment.
Offer Your Cat A Window Seat
If space permits, a cat window seat or perch is a beautiful addition to any cat lover’s home These can be stylish cushions that fit on your windowsill or more elaborate hanging beds that attach to the window with suction cups.
Feed The Birds
If you have the space, try placing a bird feeder outside where your cat can see it. This will provide endless entertainment for your cats while keeping the birds happy as well!
Find Out What Your Cat Prefers
Every cat is unique. What one cat loves, another might entirely ignore. So, it’s important to find out what your cat prefers before you invest in new items.
Custom Cat Furniture
Modular cat furniture that can be adjusted based on your cat’s preferences is a great way to ensure its use. For example, the Metropolitan Cat Condo can be customized to include soft faux fur on its cushions, a horizontal scratch pad, and even a hanging toy! Plus, you can customize it to your liking as well by choosing the frame color and platform style.
Comfortable Cat Beds
Just as humans prefer all different types of beds so do cats! Some cats prefer to sleep in an elevated cat bed while others prefer to sleep in a cozy cave at ground level. Take the time to observe your cat’s behavior to see what they prefer and give them an upgrade!
Creating A Cat-Friendly Living Space Is Easy With These Tips
Designing a cat-friendly living space doesn’t require sacrifices in style. With some thoughtful choices and modern designs tailored for the discerning cat parent, you can create a harmonious home where both you and your feline friend feel comfortable, stylish, and utterly at home.
