Your cat needs to get high! Don’t worry, it’s legal!

What I mean is your cat needs his vertical space. They love being at the very top of their domain. As the saying goes: “Dogs have owners, Cats have staff.”

Catification is about “creating feline-friendly environments that cater to a cat’s instincts to climb, perch, rest, play and own their own space.” Jackson Galaxy, renowned cat behaviorist, coined the term and uses it in the title of his books.

HELP! My Furniture is Getting Shredded

According to cat behaviorists, cats need vertical space. They need their own furniture and place to call their own. A cat tree is the best way of accomplishing that goal. Because scratching is a necessary behavior, cat trees can be instrumental in redirecting inappropriate scratching. Cat trees are made mostly of a wood material covered in varying types of carpet. Some trees also have a scratching post made with sisel rope, or a cardboard scratching pad. Cats NEED to scratch! That’s how they stretch their paws & file their nails. To save your furniture and carpet, a cat tree placed near a window in an area where the family hangs out is the solution.

Cat trees are made mostly of a wood material covered in varying types of carpet. Some trees also have a scratching post made with sisal rope or a cardboard scratching pad.

Location! Location! Location!

Everyone involved in home buying and selling knows location is the holy grail of home ownership. The location of your cat tree is just as important. It should be close to where the family spends time so they can watch their servants (you) from high above. They monitor your movements and track their prey. If you can place your tree by a window, it creates the ultimate kitty TV (no remote needed). I strategically place a bird feeder outside the window where my cats perch so they can bird watch all day.

A Sleeping Kitty is a Quiet House

Cats spend up to 60% of their day napping. Cat trees with hideaways or ledges offer the ideal spot to catch some Zzzzz’s. My cats are often caught on the tree daydreaming and watching the world around them. They don’t always have to be sleeping to be calm, just have a space to call their own.

Attract a Cat

If your kitty needs encouragement to start calling her tree her own, use her favorite toys to coax her to the tree. You can also try sprinkling a little catnip on the tree to attract her. If she still needs guidance, place her near the tree and gently place her paws on one of the posts. It shouldn’t take long for your cat to understand that this new piece of furniture is hers, and hers only.

Size Doesn’t Matter

Cat trees come in all sizes and configurations and are available in most pet stores and online; they are the ultimate space-saving playgrounds for your indoor kitty. Do yourself and your feline friends a favor and offer them their own cat tree (or two). You will be rewarded!