A Home For Cats
I can’t tell you how many times during a new kitten exam I have asked the question: “So what made you decide to get a kitten?” The answer I get the majority of the time is: “Cats are easy, you just put down a litterbox, food, water and that’s it”. While food, water and a litterbox are essential in setting up a home for a cat, there is much more that is needed to create a happy, calm, and enriching environment.
Without the presence of human care, cats can hunt and survive on their own, unlike most dogs, therefore cats are not considered fully domesticated .This needs to be taken into consideration when prepping a home for a feline companion. Cats need to be able to “act out” their predatory instinct. One way to do this is by providing feeder toys. Feeder toys are interactive toys with high value treats and kibble hidden inside (chicken, cheese, commercial cat treats) and the cat has to figure out how to get the food hidden inside. There are tons of feeder toys out on the market, but here are a few examples: Feline-Twist-N-Treat, Eggersizer, and Piplino. The key to feeder toys is finding a treat the cat loves, therefore the cat will be more willing to “hunt” for what’s inside.
Cats are territorial, and mark their territory by depositing scents aka Pheromones. Pheromones are chemical substances that we send to members our own species that can influence behavior . Marking is a way for cats to deposit scents and pheromones and can be done in the form of urinating (spraying) defecating, scratching, and rubbing. Sometimes indoor cats feel like they have to continue to mark their territory, because the territory is constantly being “invaded” by humans, visitors and other pets. This can cause anxiety and stress. Feliway is a synthetic version of the facial pheromone that cats deposit when they rub against things. This product helps to create a feeling of familiarity in the environment, and therefore decreases the need to mark . Cats also like to have lots of territory to explore and survey, just as they would do living on their own, in the wild. Jackson Galaxy’s book Catification is an excellent resource on creative ways to add territorial space to the home.
Making sure that there are plenty of resources is key to creating a happy home for a feline companion. A common litter box rule of thumb is to use however many cats there are plus one (N + 1) unfortunately some owners may then place them all in one spot, which would be considered one litterbox station. Cats can be very particular, and the “rule of thumb” may not be appropriate. Some cats prefer to defecate in one box and urinate in another; some don’t like to use a litterbox other cats have used; some won’t (or physically can’t) walk up or downstairs to use a box. Making sure there are multiple options for elimination is important. Also, it is important to place litterboxes in quiet locations. The position for elimination leaves a cat in a vulnerable state, and a sudden “buzz” of the dryer can scare cats leading to a fear of using the litterbox. Food and water bowls are another resource that need to be plentiful Provide multiple food and water sources all throughout the house and at different levels. Again, cats are particular and may enjoy drinking water from a cat fountain, or up high on a shelf away from housemates. Although they are particular, territorial and fastidious, cats can be a wonderful addition to the family as long as we provide for all of their needs.
