Another Sunday, another Cat Protection Society Feline Health Seminar. I’ve been looking forward to these seminars – not only for the interesting topics, but to play with the kitties before and after the seminar as well. The topic was ‘Happy and safe inside: creating an enriched environment for the indoor cat’. Mr. J accompanied me to this one as he’s always looking for ways to keep Train entertained. Run by the lovely Nerida, we were taken through ten suggestions to keep your kitty happy.
Toys
Toys are a great way to keep cats entertained and there are so many to choose from – not to mention you can easily make your own. Having both toys that you can play with with your kitty (wand based) and something they can play with themselves is a good idea – it means they’re not always dependent on you for play time.
Hiding Spots
Just like humans, cats need a time out space. It might be under your bed, or in their own box, but make sure they have one. It was also pointed out that you should always know where their hiding spots are – for example, if your cat’s hiding spot is in your cupboard, you don’t want to accidentally lock them in there all day! If there are certain spots if your house you don’t want kitty to hide, make sure you block them off.
Greenery
If your cat doesn’t have access to grass outdoors, it’s a good idea to provide them with cat grass indoors. It can be grown in pots and is quite hardy. You can also grow your own cat mint/nip, depending on your kitties tastes.
An outside run
Space and money permitting, you can make or have someone install an outside cat enclosure for your kitty. This means they are able to go outside, but without the risks of being on the streets.
Train has a little ‘outside’ area about a metre squared. It’s actually the landing at the top of our steps. We’ve enclosed it with plastic mesh and a gate so she can see out, but not get out. She loves having this little spot and it keeps her quite content. (Well, except for when she sees stray kitties around).
Walk your cat
You can buy cat harnesses that enable you to walk your cat outside. Of course, not all cats are going to like the harness (or being walked) so be prepared with some patience. If you are going to try this, only go a short distance at a time as you never know how your cat is going to react to something like a car or another animal. Only walk them in areas you know are safe and never attach a lead directly to the collar as cats have very sensitive throats.
Scratching posts
Cats need to scratch things in order to shed the dead nail sheath from their claws so it is super important to have one (or more!) of these. If you don’t like the look of them, you can find some almost stylish ones out there – or you can make your own. Keep in mind if you don’t have one, your cat is likely to scratch other things available to them, i.e. your carpet or your couch!
Windows
Most cats love to sit at windows and watch the world go by… and do a little sunbaking at the same time. You can buy little seats that attach to window sill ledges, but you could also do something like push her cat scratching post up to the window. Train’s scratching post is against our bedroom window and she spends most of her day in it, just watching everything below.
Remember that if you have a light coloured cat they can be sunburnt through the glass. You can buy pet sunscreen from vets to prevent this. Never use human sunscreen as it is toxic to cats.
Litter trays
Of course. Make sure you have a litter tray (or two) and that you clean it regularly. Cats have a strong sense of smell, so making sure the littler tray is free of ‘presents’ daily is a must. It is also a good idea to have a second tray that your cat can use if needed.
Spend time with them
You need to provide at least 30 minutes of play time a day for your kitty. This may not mean running around the house with a toy, but could mean sitting with them and grooming or patting them as well.
Get another cat!
Having two cats means that they’ll always have a playmate for when you’re at work or busy. Now, if only I could get our landlord to agree to that ;)
There is more information on the above topic and many more over at the Cat Protection Society’s FAQ area.
There are two more seminars left to attend:
Sunday 16 August: Is your sofa a scratch pole? Is the kitchen floor a litter tray? What problem behaviours mean and what to do about them.
Sunday 30 August: Itchy & scratchy: keeping parasites away.
Seminars are held in the upstairs cattery at Cat Protection Society of NSW, 103 Enmore Road, Newtown (opposite the Enmore Theatre). All seminars start at 1.30pm and will run for approximately 45 minutes including time for questions.
Numbers are strictly limited, so reserve your place by phoning the Cat Protection Society on 02 9519 7201 between 9am-4pm Monday to Friday.
savvycat x
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I wish I could go to the one on 16 August. I think some of my cats think the whole house is a litter tray :(