If your cat is scratching up furniture or digging through the trash, the problem might not be your cat, but their environment. Cats often display signs of mischief when there aren’t enough outlets for instincts in their environment. Below, we’ve suggested four ways to create a more engaging home environment for your energetic cat.
Climbing Walls
Climbing walls are a great way to challenge your cat physically and mentally, consisting of vertical structures mounted on the wall designed to encourage cats’ natural climbing behavior. These climbing walls also have varying levels of difficulty and height. As the owner, you have the option of either buying a premade climbing wall from popular pet stores like Chewy or DIYing it. By adding a cat climbing wall to your home, you are enriching their lives without cluttering your home.
Scent Exploration
Cats are natural born hunters and possess an amazing sense of smell. A cat’s nose can have up to 200 million smell receptors, a big jump from the 5-6 million receptors a human has, according to Rover.com. Scent exploration is a fun way to change up your environment for your cat. To add scent exploration to your home, all you need to do is place squares of fabric around the house with a variety of scents like lavender, catnip, vanilla, or chamomile.
Scent exploration can be fun for your feline friend but be sure to only buy natural scents and to pay attention to the ingredients listed. Natural vanilla is safe for cats, but vanilla extract contains alcohol which is toxic to cats and can cause gastrointestinal issues. Cats can also be sensitive or adverse to certain smells. When introducing a new scent, be sure to introduce it slowly and in small batches. Multiple new scents all at once may overwhelm your kitty.
Window Perches
While a window perch doesn’t engage your cat physically, it helps mimic your cat’s natural hunting instincts. Sitting on their window perch, your cat will love watching the birds and squirrels run around! If you have free time during the day, playtime with your cat afterwards will you’re your kitty burn some energy and be satisfied with their “catch”. Window perches come in all shapes and sizes, allowing variability depending on the size of your house or apartment. A window perch also fulfills a cat’s natural instincts to sit up high.
Multipurpose Furniture
Creating an interactive environment for your cat doesn’t mean you need to deviate from the theme of your home. Multipurpose furniture comes in a variety of colors and styles but has cat-friendly elements like scratching posts and hideaways. Hideaways allow your cat to be curious while also providing a new space to curl up and nap. The Refined Feline offers modern furniture with functional space for your cat and has ongoing sales.
You’re guaranteed to have happier cat and a more peaceful environment by fulfilling your cat’s natural instincts. These four solutions provide ways to keep your cat engaged physically and mentally. Scratched up furniture and tipped over trash cans will be a thing of the past!
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