Baston animal behaviour expert Karen Wild shares her tips for keeping your cat happy
Is your cat a permanent outdoorsy type, or have they started to hibernate now the weather is cooler? asks animal behaviour expert Karen Wild.
Our cat spends the summer roaming outdoors and then builds up his ‘winter weight’ by sleeping in the warm until spring.
Some of us don’t let our cats outside, some live in places where it would be unsafe. Others are able to spend time choosing how to roam, or not. However, no matter what, there is always more we can do to enrich their lives with us. How can we make their home really happy and welfare-friendly, the kind of place any cat would choose to live?
Easy first step: make sure your cat is healthy and on a good quality food. Doesn’t need to be expensive, but nutrition is of course a foundation for good health! Provide fresh water regularly, and perhaps consider investing in a flowing water fountain. The general rule is one food/water station per cat plus an extra one, so you might need to add to your current setup.
If your cat uses a litter tray, double check that your cat tray is plenty big enough for your own cat, especially if he seems to toilet elsewhere.you can use an ‘under bed’ box storage style box for a bigger tray. I’m not suggesting putting it under the bed of course! A quiet place away from feeding and water stations is crucial. Keep the litter your cat prefers scrupulously clean and avoid using scented cleaning products.
If you haven’t checked your beloved feline over for fleas, had them wormed recently or even lapsed their vaccinations, it’s probably time for a Vet visit to make sure he is in top condition. Ensure your cat is not overweight, particularly if he is kept indoors.
Cats need to feel safe and secure, so providing choices for places to rest will mean a lot to them, since they do spend a lot of time sleeping. You may be familiar with spending a lot of money on a cat bed only to find the cat lying on your clean laundry instead! Nevertheless, the idea of choosing where they feel safest, warm and cosy, means that you can observe their usual behaviour and provide similar options.
Some owners notice that their cats like to rest in high-up locations such as on wardrobes, so providing easy to reach but safe similar locations such as non-slip shelving or cat trees can really suit them. Often they will feel happier upstairs, peering down at us lowly humans underneath.
Never pull a cat out from a place they have chosen to rest, such as on or under the bed. After all, this smells of you and is your safe resting place, too. If you’d rather them go elsewhere, provide alternatives that are similar such as soft duvets, covered beds and cardboard boxes with eyeholes cut into them, cartoon-style!
And of course at all times, let the cat rest undisturbed. Nobody wants their naps interrupted!
