Is your cat living the life of kitty luxury? If so, she isn’t alone. Our feline friends are really good at getting us to pamper them. One of the best ways to spoil your kitty is to make her a catio. A Carmel Valley, CA veterinarian offers some advice on this below.
Choosing The Spot
The most popular spot for a catio is, of course, a screened patio. However, there really are no hard and fast rules. You can use a spare room, a sunny enclosed porch, or even just a bright corner. If you want to go all-out, you can put little mini catios throughout your house.
Plants
Plants are an important part of any catio. Cats love being able to sniff at and nibble on greenery! This will also allow your kitty to enjoy a little taste of nature. Just be sure to stick with pet-safe options. For larger trees, you can opt for Money tree plants, Jade trees, Rubber trees, and Cast Iron plants. You can also include certain herbs, such as parsley, thyme, basil, and dill. Certain palms, such as the Ponytail palm and Parlor palm, are also fine. However, this is not an across the board recommendation. Some palms, such as the sago palm, are toxic to pets. You can find more information on safe and unsafe plants from the ASPCA website here.
Kitty Furniture
Next, you’ll need to add some kitty furniture. A cat tower is, of course, a purrfect option. Your furball may also enjoy things like catwalks, pet tents and tunnels, and, of course, cardboard boxes.
Beds
One thing that will make any place cat friendly is setting out lots of comfy beds. Store-bought pieces are fine. However, Fluffy will also curl up on soft blankets or pillows placed in boxes or baskets. You may also want to set out a few comfy pieces for yourself. Have some fun with the space! Consider a chair swing or an oversized bean bag chair.
Views
Another way to make your catio a great place for Fluffy? Set up a great view! Put a birdfeeder in your pet’s line of sight. Or, give her a bed before a window that looks onto a sidewalk, so she can observe the neighborhood happenings. Instant purr!
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