Many of us are spending more time at home than usual, and as a result, you may be wondering if and how this may be affecting your feline friends. Below we have put together some useful hints and tips to help you create the perfect home environment all year round, but especially during the summer months. We\u2019ve even thrown in some child-friendly activities too, to keep the \u2018little ones\u2019 occupied!<\/p>\n
While many cats are adaptable to changing environments, it\u2019s\u00a0important to keep your cat\u2019s routine as normal as possible. Take a look below at some of our advice and top tips for supporting you and your cat.<\/p>\n
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1) A SAFE PLACE<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n While\u00a0there may be a lot of movement in the house, with it being a little busier than normal, it\u2019s important that your cat has somewhere quiet and secluded to rest, sleep, escape, and most importantly, feel secure in. Our feline friends are most likely to be set in their own routine, and with us\u00a0humans spending more\u00a0time at home, your cat is subsequently forced to adapt its routine and share their core territory, which some may find a little stressful.<\/p>\n Top Tips Involve the Children It\u2019s also important for children to learn when to leave and not disturb the cat such as when it\u2019s hiding or sleeping. If the cat seeks attention\u00a0then\u00a0give it, but seeking and disturbing your cat, when it’s not on their terms,\u00a0could lead the cat to feel trapped, and as a result, it may become stressed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2) PLAYTIME AND PREDATORY BEHAVIOUR<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n While\u00a0you\u2019re at home, your cat may enjoy playing with you. Not only will both you and your cat enjoy this time, but you may also learn about your cat\u2019s personality, which could help build a strong bond between you and them. Both kittens and cats need to play and, although cats can entertain themselves during the times you are busy, it\u2019s important that they have interactive games or toys.<\/p>\n Playtime will develop their social and communication skills, and whilst improving their physical development and co-ordination, it also helps relieve boredom and provide an outlet for your cat\u2019s predatory instincts. This will prevent behavioural problems and ensure your cat is getting the exercise it needs. Indoor exercise is particularly important for those cats without outdoor access.\u00a0Below are some ideas to help keep your cat entertained:<\/p>\n Top Tips – Food Foraging<\/strong> Involve the Children Top Tips – Interactive\/object play<\/strong> Involve the Children Top Tips – Exploring<\/strong> Involve the Children <\/p>\n 3) MULTIPLE AND SEPARATE KEY RESOURCES<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n Key resources are essential necessities that cats need to be happy and healthy in the home, including food, water, toileting areas, scratching areas, play areas, and as mentioned above, safe resting and sleeping areas. If you have multiple cats,\u00a0it\u2019s important to ensure they have their own \u2018key resources\u2019 in separate areas of the house. Also, they should never be disturbed\u00a0while\u00a0making use of them \u2013 except for playtime of course!<\/p>\n Top Tips<\/strong> Water<\/strong> Litter Trays<\/strong> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4) RESPECT THE CAT\u2019S SENSE OF SMELL<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n A domestic cat\u2019s sense of smell is about twenty times stronger than ours! Cats rely heavily on their sense of smell as they use scents to gather information and communicate.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>op Tips You could consider using pheromone products, such as plug-ins, as they may help to give your cat a sense of security and calm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5) POSITIVE, CONSISTENT AND PREDICTABLE HUMAN-CAT SOCIAL INTERACTION<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n Consistent and positive handling of your cat from a young age promotes positive behaviours, such as reduced fear and stress, but also initiates a strong human bond. As companion animals, cats benefit from friendly, regular and predictable social interaction with humans.\u00a0Ways to recognise if your cat is receptive include:<\/p>\n And remember\u2026 cats like:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The measures above can be used\u00a0all year\u00a0round and\u00a0will help towards ensuring you have a happy and healthy cat.<\/p>\n Information source: Vicky Halls RVN\u00a0<\/em>DipCouns<\/em>\u00a0Reg. MBACP (<\/em>iCatCare<\/em>\/ISFM)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many of us are spending more time at home than usual, and as a result, you may be wondering if and how this may be affecting your feline friends. Below… <\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>We\u2019ve compiled a list of places where your cat may like to escape to \u2013 so you can ensure you have a few places prepared and ready for them, including:<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>If you have children in the house, why not make\u00a0a\u00a0hide-out activity for them to get involved in, such as:<\/p>\n\n
\nProblem-solving toys and puzzle feeders allow cats to use their senses to forage for food or play with\/ release\u00a0food. If your cat is new to puzzles, you may need to make them relatively easy to begin with, increasing the difficulty over time.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019ve got children at home, why not get them to make some puzzles using items such as toilet roll tubes, cereal boxes, egg boxes and yoghurt boxes – let their imaginations run wild! A couple of things to be aware of though:<\/p>\n\n
\nInteractive play and object play are short and intense predatory games that will also burn some of their energy off too.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Make your own fishing rod for interactive play, or a furry, feathery catnip toy. Be creative and give old or unused objects a new life. A few things to consider:<\/p>\n\n
\nCats are naturally curious, so why not look at your house through the eyes of a curious cat and make sure there are plenty of\u00a0different\u00a0things for them to explore.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Take a plain box to the next level – a Cardboard Box Castle! Just remember:<\/p>\n\n
\nFood<\/strong>
\nFood is an essential provision, however it\u2019s important that it\u2019s\u00a0provided in a cat-friendly way. There are a variety of different bowls available, including glass, ceramic, plastic and stainless steel. However, if your cat wears a collar, a constant clinking noise on the side of\u00a0a\u00a0stainless-steel bowl could be very off-putting.<\/p>\n
\nNaturally,\u00a0cats look for their food and water separately. Therefore, locating their water bowl away from their feed will promote hydration, and finding water can be extremely rewarding! It\u2019s\u00a0also important to have one water container per cat in the household and the bowl should be big enough so that your cat can drink from it without\u00a0their\u00a0whiskers touching the sides.\u00a0They are also known to\u00a0like their bowl full to the top so they can lap without putting their heads down.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s\u00a0essential to have a\u00a0litter\u00a0tray if your\u00a0cat is housebound, but also highly recommended if your cat is free to explore outside too. When considering the location of your cat\u2019s litter tray(s) they should be situated in a discreet corner away from their food, water and busy thoroughfares, as well as areas in the house that they might find stressful \u2013 i.e. Near a busy door.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>To support your cat\u2019s wellbeing around the house, you should avoid\u00a0strong-smelling cleaning products, scented candles or room sprays. By providing scratching and facial rubbing areas, and by taking off your outdoor footwear when you enter your home, it will alleviate any new challenging smells in the house. It\u2019s also important to provide places for appropriate scent marking (aka feline communication).<\/p>\n\n
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\nTop Tips
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re working from home, below are some top tips for how to support your cat:<\/li>\n