How to make your house the perfect home for your cat.

Whether you’re new to cat ownership or have had a moggy in your life for several years, you’ll no doubt want to make your pampered puss feel happy in their home.

While cats usually have no problem slotting in to your house and making it their own, there are a few things they’ll need to make sure they’re truly comfortable and content.

The important thing to remember is that if you have more than one cat, each cat will need their own set of resources (eg bowls, litter trays, beds, scratch posts) plus one extra. Therefore, if you have two cats, you’ll need three of everything.

With all these cat accessories it can be difficult to know where to put them. If you’re bringing a new cat home it’s best to set them up with their very own room at first, placing all their resources inside so they know exactly where to find them. Then, when they’re settled and start to explore more of the house, you can move their things into more suitable locations.

Here are some tips for where to put all of your cat’s important resources…

Food and water bowls 

The key thing to remember with food and water bowls is to keep them apart from each other. Cats prefer to drink in a separate location to where they eat to avoid cross-contamination, so placing the bowls next to each other could cause them to eat or drink less than they need to.

Cats also like peace and privacy during meal times, so put the bowls in an area where they will not be disturbed or watched by other cats (eg avoid putting them next to windows or doors). They also like to be able to survey the room while they eat, so make sure there is space for them to sit behind the bowl with their back to the wall.

Litter tray 

Just like us, cats need privacy when they go to the toilet, so make sure their litter tray is in a quiet part of the house away from windows and doors. It also needs to be away from their food and water bowls to avoid cross-contamination.

Your cat will need to have access to their litter tray at all times, so avoid putting it in a room that will be closed off regularly. Even if your cat regularly goes outside to toilet, it’s still a good idea to have a litter tray indoors in case their outdoor loo is ever inaccessible (eg due to bad weather).

Scratch post 

If your cat likes to scratch a particular piece of furniture or carpet, then place their scratch post nearby as a convenient alternative. You can then cover up the damaged area to encourage them to use the scratch post instead.

Other places that are good for scratch posts are near to entrance/exit points (eg the cat flap) as scratching helps cats identify their territory, or next to their bed as they like to have a stretch and scratch after a snooze.

Bed

Whether it’s a fancy shop-bought bed or a simple cardboard box lined with a blanket, your cat will appreciate a quiet, private area for a snooze. Avoid placing their bed in a busy room (such as the kitchen) or near to noisy household appliances.

Cats also like to rotate their sleeping areas to avoid the spread of fleas, so make sure they have a couple of snoozing options around the house. Anywhere cosy and warm is sure to be a hit!

Hiding place 

Cats love to hide away when they’re feeling stressed, so make sure they have somewhere to escape to whenever they feel the need. A cardboard box in a quiet area of the house is ideal!

They also like to perch up high so they can get a good view of their surroundings, so will appreciate access to high shelves or the top of a wardrobe. Make sure they can get up and down safely on their own.

Now you know the best places to put all of your cat’s things, you can test your knowledge with our fun interactive house plan game. See if you can place all of Bob’s resources in the correct areas of the house so he can be a happy cat in his new kingdom!