How to make your home cat-friendly

If your cat could rate your home, would you get a five-star review? Whether you’ve recently welcomed a new kitten or cat, or you’d like to make things more comfortable for your senior cat, there’s plenty of simple steps you can take to create a more feline-friendly environment.

Before improving your home, it’s important to check you’re providing everything your cat needs to be happy and comfortable, including:

• A safe, comfortable environment: Cats need space to play, explore and interact with their families. They also need quiet areas where they can sleep or rest undisturbed.
• Mental and physical stimulation: Opportunities to exercise their bodies and minds are essential for cats.
• Nutritious food and water: Cats need consistent access to a high-quality diet plus constant access to clean, fresh water.
• The ability to express natural behaviours: Climbing, scratching, exploring and hunting are all instinctive behaviours your cat needs to express.
• Vet care: Routine checkups for vaccinations and parasite control, plus emergency vet care when required.

If you have any questions about your cat’s wellbeing – and have cat insurance with Petplan – you can access our Pet Expert Chat to speak with vet experts, 24/7. Just log in to your My Petplan account and head to the MySupport area to access

Some cats love hanging out with their families, while others may prefer to spend time on their own. By making sure your entire house is cat-friendly, your cat has the freedom to choose the places they like best.

When adapting your home, here are some things to keep in mind.

It’s important to provide a safe space for cats to rest, sleep or just to watch what’s going on. Aim to provide:

• A warm bed in a quiet corner
• Hiding spots, such as elevated perches or a covered cat bed
• Somewhere your cat can escape from guests, people and other pets

If possible, give your cat a few options in different areas, including the lounge, bedroom and kitchen. Once you’ve created your cat’s safe spaces, you can move on to the rest of the house.

Cats love to climb, so if you haven’t provided something suitable, they may shimmy their way up your curtains or jump up onto shelves.

To avoid this, make sure your cat has plenty of places to climb and sit up high – cat trees are great for this. Many cat trees also include a scratching post, which also gives your cat somewhere to stretch their muscles and clean their claws. Wall-mounted perches and hammocks can also offer a safe spot for your cat to relax.

If your cat has been scratching the furniture, place a scratching post or panel close by, and encourage them to use this instead. Try sprinkling it with catnip or using a fishing rod toy to guide them towards the scratch post.

If you spend a lot of time in the lounge, this is a great place to keep your cat’s toys and activities. Store them in a secure box, and vary what you leave out to prevent your cat from getting bored.

Avoid candles, which curious cats might knock over. Diffusers can also be dangerous, especially with essential oils such as peppermint, citrus or tea tree, which are harmful to cats. Cats also dislike air fresheners – especially those which make a ‘psst’ noise, as this can sound like hissing to them. Instead, stick to cat-friendly home scents such as a cat pheromone diffuser. You might not be able to smell it, but your cat will appreciate it.

Always keep cupboard and appliance doors closed, and check for a napping cat before switching on your washing machine, tumble dryer or oven. If you have a kitten or adventurous adult cat, blocking up gaps under cupboards and around appliances means they can’t squeeze in and get stuck.

Store cleaning products out of harm’s way, so your cat can never accidentally knock them over. After cleaning, wipe down surfaces with water to remove any residue.

Dispose of leftovers in a secure bin, and remember that many foods such as onions, grapes and chocolate can be harmful to cats. If your cat learns to open cupboard doors and drawers, use child locks to keep food and cleaning products off limits

The best place to feed your cat is a room with a tiled floor, in case of any spills. If that’s not possible, a feeding mat can keep any mess to a minimum.

It’s important to place your cat’s food, water bowls and litter trays as far apart from each other as possible. Ideally, these should be in separate rooms, but if that’s not possible, aim for at least two metres between each resource. Avoid placing litter trays in busy areas, such as hallways, or overlooked areas such as by the cat flap or in a conservatory.

If you have multiple cats, make sure they each have their own food bowl, water bowl and litter tray, plus one spare. So if you have two cats, you’ll need three of each resource, spread out throughout the house.

Remember you don’t always have to put your cat’s food in a bowl. Puzzle feeders are a great way to keep your cat entertained and stimulate their natural instincts – and it’s easy to make your own.