Cat Trees

There are countless different cat trees on the market today, each supposedly better than the other, and many people will buy one because they think it’s cute or will fit into the space they have in mind or it’s the right price, without considering if the cat will use it. So many people will buy one and then grumble that kitty doesn’t like it. So here are some guidelines to keep in mind before making that purchase.

The first thing to figure out is what kind of surface does kitty like to pull his or her claws on - vertical or horizontal - some cats are very particular. And what covering turns them on - carpeting, the fabric of your sofa, a piece of wood, a shoe. These factors can also be very important to some cats.

The location of the cat tree is also important - there is no point putting it in one room when kitty spends most of it’s time in another. If kitty like to pull claws on your sofa, it would probably be best to locate the cat tree in that generaly vicinity, and if you need to move it to somewhere more convenient, do so slowly and gradually a few feet at a time.

Cats generally like to pull their claws on something sturdy, so bear that in mind when choosing your cat tree. Something that topples over will probably scare the poop out of the cat, and it will never go near the tree again.

Do not negate making your own tree. It’s not really that difficult or expensive, and that makes it easier to have something that blends with your decor. If you have more than one cat, you can incorporate the taste of each cat into the one tree - both a horizontal and a vertical surface, carpeting and heavy fabric and something solid like wood. A shelf for lolling, a box or cubby hole with a cut-out for viewing the kingdom. Get creative, it’s so worth it. And don’t forget that a bit of catnip to introduce kitty to the new tower goes a long way.

Indoor or Outdoor Cat

Whether to raise your new kitten or rescue cat as an indoor or outdoor cat is a big question. Sometimes there is no choice, you live in the city and indoors is the only option. My personal choice is indoors as it is much safer, and if you, the human, do your part in making your home cat friendly, an indoor cat can be a very happy, healthy and well adjusted cat.

If you live in a more rural location where there is less traffic, no predators running loose to attack your kitty, outdoors is fine too. Where I live, most cats are outdoor cats, but this is gradually changing. There is so much traffic nowadays, cats roam and come to grief with cars,  neighbouring dogs or other cats, people put out rat poison either to take care of a rat infestation or because they want to get rid of your cat, not to mention picking up ticks, fleas, cat mites, makes an indoor cat a very attractive option.

If you have an outdoor cat, spaying and neutering becomes even more important, you do not want your tom impregnating someone else’s cat, nor getting into fights with other toms in the neighbourhood. Similarly, you do not want to find yourself with a litter (or two) of unwanted kittens. Neutering and spaying is just part of being a responsible cat parent.

If you opt for having an indoor cat, try to make your home cat friendly with lots of things for kitty to do, places to sleep and hide. This does not need to be either expensive or ugly, get creative. Cats tends to like simple - look at their fascination with cardboard boxes. Shelves and ramps, tunnels and hideyholes are all things that appeal to cats generally. If you have a bit of outdoor space, you can even enclose a section of that for kitty using chicken wire (or something similar) to create kitty’s personal safe space outside, with access via a secure cat door. There are so many options, so many ideas, including for a tiny budget.