Cats

Cats are funny little animals, and quite often not much thought is given to their behaviour. It's time to change that and make it easier to access information to help ensure you give your cats the best possible life. 

Like all of our companion animals, cats have needs that at a very minimum need to be met. However, we can always go above and beyond to help our furry friends and this is what this post is all about.

Food is a very basic need and I won't talk about what to feed but I will talk about how we feed our cats. 

1. The more feeding stations you have the better

2. The shape of your bowl is really important - flatter and wider bowls are best.

3. Enrichment feeding isn't just for dogs; have a look at feeding towers, toys and lick mats you can use to feed you cat.

Water is another very basic need and again the more water stations your cat has the better. A lot of cats prefer running water so water fountains are a great investment but giving them the choice and placing a bowl of water down too allows them to control where they get their water from. 

Scratching posts are a must, especially if you want to save your furniture. You can get ones the stand up right, some that lay on the floor and both come in a variety of different textures. Again, having multiple scratching posts is always best and trailing different posts will allow your cat a choice about their environment and also gives you an inside into what your cat prefers. 

Resting areas are a pretty obvious and most cats will make themselves comfortable wherever they can. Note where your cat naturally likes to rest, and offer them a blanket where they go. Allow chances to be up high as this will give your cat a sense of security. My own cat loves to sleep in between my two duvets so I make sure he can get in between them whilst I'm not there to offer assistance.  

Playing with your cat is a great way to bond, have fun and get any indoor cats exercising. Again you can find so many different toys so it's worth buying a few different cheaper options than spending lots of money on one toy. Feathers on a stick are one of my cats favourite toys but he also loves one specific brand of catnip toys. 

As a rule of thumb you should offer a litter tray per cat in the household and then add an additional. Eg, 1 cat = 2 trays, 2 cats = 3 trays etc., Each tray should be in a different area and should always be in quiet places around the house. The larger the tray, the better and also consider how your cat accesses their tray and if any health conditions may hinder that. Older cats may prefer a more shallow tray without having to climb over anything to get into it. 

On that note, the litter you choose is also really important. Again, cats have a preference about what litter material they toilet on so giving them a choice and seeing what materials they tend to prefer gives you an idea into what they want. The litter you choose will also change how often you clean your trays but when doing so it's important to minimise the use of strong smelling cleaners or disinfectants. 

Now here comes the difficult part. Each food station, water station, scratching post, bed and litter tray should be in it's own area. When your cat is using one of the above then ideally they wouldn't be able to see any of the others. For example; placing a food station on a table and then a litter tray underneath the table. 

These little things will all help to create a safe space for your cat and minimise any stress that may be caused due to their environment.