The cat is an animal strongly attached to its territory, the organization of this one is then very important: it must meet all the specific needs of the cat under penalty of seeing anxiety disorders appear.
It is the enrichment of the interior space of the cat, whether he has access to the outside or not, which will play a big role in his development.
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The different areas of the cat’s life
The territory of the cat is organized into different feeding, hunting, resting, playing, breeding, elimination, and toilet areas.
When the cat lives in an apartment, his area of life is then limited. Certain areas do not exist (like that of hunting) but can be confused. However, care must be taken that the disposal area (litter box) is far enough from the feeding area (bowls).
Indoor cats spend more time playing since they do not hunt. It is therefore important to give preference to all play accessories, as well as high access, window sills.
Cats really appreciate being able to observe the outside world . Contrary to popular belief, this activity does not frustrate them at all. Many cats can spend hours just bird watching. So let your cat look outside by installing a chair under a closed window, of course, if you don’t want him to go out! A cat tree in front of a window will also be perfectly suited.
Toys
Most of the toys intended for cats use the reproduction of predation, the hunting instinct being always very present.
The objects to be chased should be light and small so that the cat can send it and chase after itself. There are a large number of balls, mice, soft toys and various toys that the cat can pursue. Some toys can be filled with catnip to stimulate the animal even more.
Many toys are available in various forms (mouse, bag, ball) sometimes in fur. The cat then has fun capturing its prey by advancing slowly with its stomach on the ground and then jumping on the object with the forelegs. Some prefer larger toys that they can plow with their hind legs.
There are also toys that hang on a vertical support (wall) type fishing rod, attractive objects are then suspended: soft toys with bells, feathers, and they allow your cat to play even in your absence.
Many cats play on their own, but it is necessary to encourage your cat by playing with him . Be careful, however, never play with your hands, always use a toy to avoid getting scratched. Check out feather dusters and fishing rods.
Cats have a neotenic behavior, that is, even adults, they continue to play like kittens.
You will find a wide choice of cat toys, including toys specially designed to fight against cat boredom on wanimo.com.
Cat trees, scratching posts and hiding places
In the wild, cats can be potential prey. They use jumping a lot to reach high places and thus take shelter. But the cat is also a formidable predator that hides high up to observe its prey without being seen. It is therefore important to let your cat access high places . There are very sophisticated cat trees that provide cats with fairly high play areas, hiding places, resting areas and headlands.
If your home is not large enough to accommodate a large scratching post, you can still increase the space available for your cat by offering a smaller scratching post but placing it so that it serves to compensate your cat to access a shelf or the top of a piece of furniture for example.
Most of the scratching posts have scratching posts, but there are single scratching posts, vertical or horizontal, smaller, which you can therefore multiply in the apartment. Scratchers are essential for your cat for his well-being. They allow good muscle stretching, cleaning, sharpening the front claws and marking the territory.
Many cat owners do not understand that their cat prefers their furniture and sofas for scratching after they have bought a scratching post. Scratches are part of the territorial marking (in the same way as rubbing on furniture, people) but this marking is both pheromonal and visual . Therefore, your cat does not see the point of scratching in a corner of the living room since no one will see the marks of these scratches. The preferred places for placing the scratching post or the cat tree “effectively” are therefore close to the cat’s passage and resting places.
Choose the most suitable cat tree for your cat but also for you according to your budget, the space available and your interior decoration among all our cat trees. You will also find what you are looking for in our large selection of scratching posts .
A good hiding place? Is your cat’s transport crate only useful for vacations and annual visits to the vet? One idea is to always leave the crate without a door available for your cat. Place a comfortable cushion inside for him. This will make a good hiding place and a place where your cat can rest quietly. Another advantage: your cat will no longer have the phobia of this transport crate and will accept to enter it easily when traveling! A large selection of cat transport crates is available on wanimo.com.
Access to food and drink
The cat is an animal that likes to snack . He can make up to 15 to 20 small meals per 24 hours. Free access to food is the only way to respect this behavior. For this reason, veterinarians generally advise giving your cat dry food, which does not “spoil” during the day.
To respect your cat’s diet, provide him with a kibble dispenser . He will eat when he wants. However, it is important to make sure that your cat is not eating too much according to his recommended daily ration.
To make your cat happy, it is important to also respect their preferences when it comes to drinking. We advise giving only water: see our health sheet “your cat likes water” , but some cats prefer stagnant water like those in flower sub-pots, others water flowing directly from the tap or a water fountain .
This list of arrangements can be easily enriched according to the needs of the cat, the ideas of their owners… We hope that we could have helped you to make your cat happy!
