Cats are part of the family. Just like us, they like company but also need their own relaxing spaces, and safe environments. Setting up a peaceful paradise for feline friends is not difficult, but takes some thought and planning. Ensure cats have little hideaway spots for when they want some peace and quiet.
In the garden, this includes shady areas. Although cats like the sun, they (like dogs) can still get heatstroke. Catios are outdoor enclosures that let in fresh air, but help them stay safe from traffic (and avoid attacking birds). Not for every cat, but good brands may be good for bored ‘indoor cats’.
Cat-Safe Spaces
- Many plants are harmful to cats including all bulbs (like lilies) and sago palm). Read more on creating pet-safe gardens.
- Essential oils are also harmful to cats, as they can’t break them down in their livers. So choose unscented dishwash and cleaning and laundry products, and avoid spraying or burning scents near feline friends. Also don’t use essential oils, if pets sleep on your bed.
- It’s UK law for cats over 20 weeks to be microchipped, so vets can find guardian if they are lost – offered at reduced rates by Cats Protection. If you use a collar (for kittens over 6 months), Kitty Collars embroider contact info on the collar, but break away if snagged on a fence.
- Cats are curious, so keep hazards away (from Christmas tree tinsel to balls of wool – despite the image of kittens and knitting yarn, they can entangle).
Keep Cats Away from Birds & Wildlife
Don’t attract birds to your garden, if you live with cats. Keep cats indoors at dawn and dusk (when birds are likely feeding) and avoid wooden bird feeders (cats can claw up them).
Instead, get involved in community efforts to provide natural food and habitats for birds and other creatures like hedgerows (full of berries) and tree-planting efforts in the wild (to provide natural roosts for bats).
Promoting Harmony with Other Pets
Some cats prefer not to have other animals. If you are introducing new cats, introduce them slowly to each other, keeping meetings short and positive, ensuring each cat has its own space like bowls and litter boxes.
Cats and dogs can live together harmoniously with the right introduction. Start by allowing them to sniff each other through a door and gradually move to supervised meetings. Monitor interactions, ensuring cats have an escape route, if wished.
Fostering Healthy Habits
- Consider your cat’s age, activity and health needs before selecting quality pet food. Cats are lactose-intolerance so only feed water (never cream).
- Cats sleep a lot, so provide soft beds and warm blankets for snoozing.
- Cats don’t ‘right themselves’ if they fall. So if your cat window-watches from above ground floor, ensure it’s closed or buy screens for ‘flat cats’ to allow them to enjoy the fresh air, without falling out of windows.
Adopting and Caring for Cats
- Blue Cross has details on cats and kittens waiting for waiting for adoption or visit local shelters.
- Cats Protection League can offer assistance if you have cats needing to be rehomed. It also runs a foster service for domestic abuse victims.
- Keep up with regular vet check-ups. Read up on finding affordable vet care.
- Cats Protection is info on how to find lost pets (a combination of looking yourself, getting the community involved and making use of inventions like phone apps with facial recognition technology). Finding indoor and outdoor cats is different advice.
Caring for Feral Cats
Feral cats live differently from our indoor companions. They might not be suited to domestic life, but they still need care. Providing shelter, food, and sometimes sterilisation can help manage feral populations humanely, improving their quality of life.
Cats Protection has a guide if you find feral cats living near you (some farmers like to adopt them as ‘ratters’). Feral cats don’t like being caught to neuter/spay, so if they have already been trapped, you’ll see a notch in their ear.
Good Books to Read on Cat Welfare
Kitty Language is a fun illustrated guide to read your cat’s body language, with sections devoted to their ears, whiskers and tails. Learn deeper knowledge on many feline behaviours including sniffing, scratching, play-hunting, chattering and tail-flipping. And learn answers to questions like why your sometimes needs space, and wanted to be petted.
Is your cat confident, frightened, relaxed or frustrated? What does your cat need to feel safe, secure, stimulated and happy? Backed by scientific research, and endorsed by animal behaviourists and vets, this book is packed with playful illustrations, and bursting with information for people who love cats.
- Scent
- Ears
- Eyes
- Whiskers
- Tail
- Postures
- Sounds
- Friendly Behaviours
- Play
While it’s true that, as a species, cats are solitary predators, the latest scientific evidence confirms what many of us already know from experience: cats are socially flexible creatures who get attached to their humans (like kittens to their mothers) and have their own ways of expressing affection and trust or their need for “alone time.”
At the time of writing this book, there isn’t as much scientific data on cat body language as there is for dogs, however, there is still plenty of proven research that shows us how cats communicate.
But you need to look at more than any single body part or pose to really know what a cat is saying. If a cat with an arched back and bristly tail is retreating and hissing, they’re probably terrified. On the other hand, if they’re bouncing and skipping sideways, they might be feeling playful.
Lili Chin is an artist whose art is used in vet clinics and rescue groups worldwide. She is the artist of choice for the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and lives in the USA with two rescue cats.
What Cats Want explains why cats climb into tiny spaces, why they sleep all day and how to interpret different meows, the direction of their whiskers and the way their tail is pointing. Written by Japan’s leading cat doctor, this book show where to put their water bowl, how warm/cool they like to be, what name to choose and how to groom them properly.
