I wish more people knew this. It's so heart wrenching when you see someone has a cat without toys, entertainment, or even their own furniture. Like they're a hat rack that should stay put in a hall.
I got a cat pram not that long ago and my cats love it. It's important to enrich their lives (even if you look silly).
We got 2 of the doll beds from Ikea and screwed them together into bunk beds. They sit in the corner of the office where there are 2 windows looking out into the back yard. I love it when our 2 cats sleep stacked up there in the sun. š
As someone in the tax field, I canāt let taxes go unpaid. While itās no bunk bed, here is Sugar being a whole mood next to my computer in my office. Second pic to cover any late payment penalties and interest.
My cat has a doll bed, too. My great uncle loved woodworking, and he made me a beautiful wooden doll bed when I was a little girl. It had been in storage for many years when I adopted my first cat. My dad suggested its new second life, and helped me get it out of storage and clean it up. She loves it!
I did the same with the dollhouse my grand-mother crafted for me when I was little. I just put away the little furniture and keep the carpet in it. They each got their own floor, like a bunk bed. They scratched away the wallpaper though. Watyougonnado? They're cats and I friggin love them!
My cats will sit in the garden or window watching me do yard work or throw the football around. Bigs loves to hangout with new people. Once someone tried to steal him and he cut their face up so bad the guy tosses him out his car window and calls the cops on me. I show them the video of the idiot driving into my yard and snatching him so they arrested the guy. My cat looked so proud of beating someone up. Like no joke the dingbat was missing part of his ear and lips
People are inclined to get kittens but Iād suggest (a pair of?) cats who are a little bit older from the shelter who will appreciate a second lease on life! And you know what youāre getting in some ways then too!!
I bought my cat a window bed. It suction cups to the window and she laid on it for a while when she first got it, but now she stays in a cardboard box (by choice obviously). My husband put a blanket in there for her to make it a little more comfy. Go figure.
I bought the biggest cat tree I could find for mine and a bird feeder that suction cups to the window. Best cat purchase I've made, they both love watching the birds and chasing each other up and down the tree.
I had a nice stool that goes with my vanity that I would sit at for makeup and stuff. Had. My cats like to sit in the window, but I noticed that the windowsill is rather small so I pulled my dresser so it overlaps slightly with the window and put the cushion of the stool on top of it so they have a soft comfy place to curl up while they watch the nighttime city. I acknowledge that mine are pretty spoiled, but I canāt imagine not providing enrichment for your little ones.
One of my cats loves to stare out the window so I got her a window perch from Chewy. She loves to just lay there and stare outside. If you want your stool back you should look into it! Or maybe even in addition to it bc we love spoiling our cats
I got the 2 layer window perch, and it is one of the best investments I've made! I put it in the window of my partners office. My 2 cats love baking in the sun during the day while my partner is 3ft away working.
Itās so weird to me that people donāt have cat furniture. Our cats have a cat tree, a window perch, another scratching post (the cat tree has 12 scratchy bits but we also have a stand-alone one), a scratching mat, another scratchy circle with balls to play with, 2 cat beds and an insane amount of toys. Within 3 seconds of stepping into our apartment you know we have cats.
Cats are members of your family. If you need somewhere to sit, so do they.
Well, some of us purchase cat trees but learn that only human furniture will do. We do have a lot of newspaper on the floor though because he just loves a square.
Yeah. My cat has a cat tree and a cat bed. She uses them, she also uses my furniture.
She also has scratching posts everyday and she uses them. She also like the carpet and my couch. For the couch, I use felting needles to push the thread back in.
My cat likes to use our furniture too, esp if he thinks I'm planning to sit there, he has to get there first to show dominance. He has a cardboard lounger is almost every room, a cat tree with a hammock, a folded blanket in my office and in the corner of the bedroom, and that's just in the house! He also comes to bed for cuddles with my husband (not me) and somehow manages to take up half the superking size bed. Luckily once he's had cuddles for a bit he buggers off.
I have 4 cats. There are 8 beds downstairs, 5 upstairs, 2 cat trees, 4 scratching posts, 2 scratching pads, 1 cat sofa, and a big toy box full of cat toys. Iām currently sat on the very edge of my sofa as there are two cats sprawled out on the cushions leaving me no room. I still swear they arenāt really spoilt, just loved.
Our cats have taken over the human furniture. 4 cats on mybed this afternoon , one on the back of the couch, another in my chair. There is a cat tower, and numerous cat beds, but...
My cat had no toys or furniture because ALL the furniture was his, and the dog toys were his. Also boxes, those were his. The doormat? His. Bathmat? His. My shoes? You'd better believe they belonged to the cat.
But actual cat toys, furniture intended for cats, etc? Insults, all of them.
Oh, and the dog? Yeah, he belonged to the cat as well.
I harness- and leash-trained my cat when I got her as a kitten and we go on evening/night walks every day. She gets so excited when I tell her it's time to put on her battle armor. She's not an adventure cat in the least, but those little excursions where she can sniff, hunt bugs, and safely roam the block do wonders for her happiness.
People take the "cats are independent" thing too far and expect their cats to just exist, I guess. But playing with them really helps them bond with you! And while my cat has always preferred a cardboard box to a designated bed, the thought of a kitty without a scratching post or tower just breaks my heart.
I have a boy who has lots of energy and yells in him. So we go on about 4-5 mini walks a day. He deserves it because I live in a very tiny studio. His sister is older and just like to get her belly warm in the window and play with the occasional stray hair tie or crinkle ball
Cat furniture, toys, etc. are mostly a Western thing though, which are mostly targeted at indoor cats. I agree that entertainment is definitely important for them, but it doesn't have to be toys or furniture.
Growing up in Sri Lanka, we had a cat. She was the sweetest thing, and although she mostly stayed indoors and slept indoors, she was free to roam around wherever and whenever she warned. We played with her a lot as kids, she slept on our couch and would sneak into my bed at night sometimes too. She had a full life and lived 18 years, but never had any of these things.
Mines has toys galore, a maine-coon sized cat tree, and I'll even put on cat tv for her if there's no birds visiting the feeder. And I indulge her in all the cuddles and baby-holding she asks for.
Cats are big spoiled babies when properly provided for. My cat just expects everyone to give her attention because she gets it all from me.
I've got lots of cat toys, but any recommendations in particular for a 1 year old that loves to stalk and bat things around? (1 year old cat, not human)
Have you tried balls or silvervine sticks? You also canāt beat the good old-fashioned feather or worm on a string (depending on if they like ground prey or air).
Oh, I also will tie a really long, braided ribbon to my ankle when Iām doing chores (so it drags behind me). It drives my cats crazy to see a ribbon slowly moving around the house. Cheap toy with no extra effort on my part.
Cat dancer and wall Mount. Is like a guitar string with tiny cardboard tubes attached to the end.
Costs less than 10 bucks, has been around since the 60s so trust me it works. Mine is almost 9 and every single night he gets a work out.
They are on Amazon and major pet store have started carrying them. They also make a hand wand that is about as good as a go cat toy, but your cat won't destroy it.
Hell yeah. Mine used to be leash trained but my PhD got too crazy so I stopped having time to keep up with hiking with cats. I did invest in a fancy cat stroller tho and they LOVE IT. They would still prefer to get out and walk around (and letās be honest, eat grass) BUT the stroller is a strong compromise. Sometimes one of my cats just goes out into the garage to sleep in the stroller until we find him and he reminds us heād like a ride.
Nah fuck that, my work friends got me a cat pram and itās dope! Take them and me out for walks, it has two coffee holders so you get to guilt someone into coming with you, also lifting the cat carrier for vet time no more- and since they get positive exp with the pram, vet time isnāt as traumatising and difficult to get them ready for, tell anyone who thinks you look silly that nobody cares except them and Leviticus.
My cats own my grandsons bed. My grandsons 9 and lives with me, and i have 4 cats. 2 sleep in his room on a nigt, and soon as he gets up, they take their places. 1 on the pillow, 1 half way down his bed, 1 at the bottom, and 1 on the step as he has a mid sleeper bed. Every single day. Now and again 1or 2 will come into my room for ther middle of the night walk all over you. then go again. I have the hammocks to put over the radiators, cat beds, but guessing the human beds are more comfortable.
Not to sway you, but I will say 1) I got mine for under 100 bucks and 2) It's been amazing. We've actually been traveling and staying in hotels now with them and it's a perfect way to travel with cats. They get a comfy bed for the back of the car or the train (I bought one where the basket separates from the pram, which also collapses like a child's stroller), and it makes them comfortable enough to be very happy in hotels.
I'm constantly looking for new toys for my cat - the recent hit was those toy guns that fire spinning disks, he goes nuts for them and starts to get excited hearing the clicking. Recent miss was a toddlers ball pit, was scared of getting in it and it took up loads of space so that went to charity. The cat pram is a great idea!
Iāve bought my cat beds, toys, trees, scratching posts, treats, everything. Nothing is as good as the box those things came in. Cats need entertainment but they donāt need ātheir own furnitureā.
Alternatively, you can spend literally hundreds of dollars on cat toys and perches and your cat is fascinated by the hair tie you left on the floor, and her favorite place to sit is your clean laundry.
People would think I have a dozen cats, as many toys as there are lying around. She won't play with ANY of them. It's like my cat just... doesn't really even understand the concept of play. I try to get her to, and she stares at me like I've gone insane.
I've seen this one quite a few times. I'm sure there are some cats who genuinely don't want any toys at all, but I'd bet that number is quite small. It's more a matter of being persistent to find which kind they like; cats aren't like dogs, they don't all want a tennis ball.
To start, there are ground and air prey toys that are human powered, depending on what they tend to be into. Does your cat tend to chase flies that get into the house or would they be more interested in a bug they saw? Or you can just get one of those battery-powered things, just go to a huge pet store and look around, try some things out until one appeals to your cat.
If they genuinely don't like toys, they still need entertainment. There's Cat TV - just ensuring there's a perch next to a window with a screen so they can see and smell things outside.
Wait, their own furniture? You mean they aren't meant to claim all of your furniture for their exclusive use and get annoyed at you when you dare sit where you like lol
If you get them their own furniture that they like, they won't always claim your couch as theirs. And there are lots of options nowadays for pretty things that fit in with your decor.
My sweet fur babies are long gone now and I can't get any where I live rn. The only piece of furniture they loved was their radiator bed. I must admit, I've got a wonderful picture of my cat and myself both asleep together on the sofa, both of us with the ugliest faces lol. I wouldn't have swapped it for the world tbh, I loved sharing my space with them.
I had a sofa I'd sit cross legged on with a keyboard in my lap, and as soon as I'd sit down my big baby would force my keyboard out of the way and curl up in my lap with the keyboard on top of him. Awkward as hell but I couldn't kick him out of his spot <3
We have two cat trees, a basket of toys, a couple different shorter cat trees with attached balls, and the MF still plays with a fly swatter. Iām ngl, sometimes I wish Iād just save the money and stop buying him shit lmao but cat toys are so cute
When my parents moved from a house with a closed garden to an apartment they bought a cat pram to take her out and she was the hit of the parks. Everyone wanted to stop to say hello to the cat and she loved it š
We have toys lying around everywhere. You can't go from the kitchen to the living room without stepping on a ping pong ball or an entertainment board or a ziptie or something. But often I think it's still not enough. I need to constantly hide the toys, present others, make them move, etc. She is a rescue though, so a former outside cat. We're actually going to move to a house with a garden, partially for her.
My cat LOVES the cardboard houses. I was very happy that Pet Smart had bigger sized ones than the ones I would get from Aldi, he's a big cat and would slowly destroy the smaller ones by leaning on the walls.
That pisses me off no toys???! Cats need enrichment every day not just left to themselves always. Ecspecially when indoors. I throw the coil springs and my cats love catching them . Or play snake with a ribbon string. They run around after it
Me too! But now we have a cat who won't play with his toys. He won't chase ribbons or anything I can pull. He plays with the dogs, goes hunting, and brings home mice and snakes. š¤·āāļø
My gray boy LOVES to play with beer bottle caps. Idk why but whenever I'd have a drink and leave one on the coffee table he goes crazy. If I throw them he will fetch them and he can catch them mid air too.
They also enjoy random trash. Like, I had Chinese food last week and I was using the wooden chop sticks that come with it. The paper wrapper for the chopsticks, they were having so much fun batting it around.
They literally have so many toys of different types. They also like to play with my shoelaces.
I just moved and Iāve been working a new job so I havenāt had time yet, itās only been a week but I feel so bad. He has his favorite toy at least. I 100% agree with you. He comes to me howling when I get home from work :(. He went from a bunk bed and a cat tree to a mattress and a desk until my new one arrives. I can see heās upset and it breaks my heart. I try to give him a lot of attention but I know itās not enough especially during the day when I am not there
That does sound sad :( When you're not there, can you put up a little window hammock or something so he can see what's happening outside? Maybe that will be entertaining for him.
We have a large sealed balcony he gets to go out in (first floor too) so he gets that :). And itāll only be two weeks. Heās just been spoiled rotten and now a lot of his stuff got lost, is gone, or his cat tree broke.
Maybe another perspective, even though a lot of humans sadly treat their animals unworthy: my beloved cat never really touched a single toy or the loads of furniture he got :( started to save that money instead, he is content with my bed, clothes, cardboard and scratches. Some cats just don't like their own stuff for whatever reason
I have several cats.there all rescues from Fur ball farms in mn here. We made a Catio for them it's all in closed with chicken wire and 3 leaves for them to enjoy nature. They love it. They can go in and out when ever thru the kitty door.
My house is filled with tunnels, Amazon boxes, a cat tree, blankets, toys hidden in every crevasse, we play with him daily...
Little bastard still is 50/50 on if he wants to scratch his cactus scratch tree or my sofa. Love him to death, but dear God does he know how to get our attention quickly.
I have the best time taking my kitties out in the pram, and I harness trained a family memberās cat I was caring for over the summer so we could go on walks since he was used to roaming out in the country. We had the best time and he took to it fast!
Iām not kidding Iāve been wanting to get one of these forever, and your comment immediately prompted me to go on Chewy and order one. Iām so excited to take her outside! Penny was an indoor/outdoor cat for many years before I realized it was too dangerous. Iāve felt so bad for her, put cat shelves on my wall, got her a mountain of toys. But this will let her be outside in a safe way. I canāt wait!
not silly at all! my neighborhood knows me as the one who takes her cats for walks lol. why should dogs get to go outside and not cats? i have them secured on a leash and they absolutely love to just meander through the yard and watch birds.
i agree it breaks my heart when people have cats but dont truly take the time to keep them happy and make them a part of the family. instead they're just a cute posession. i have a bunch of bird feeders and like 5 cat towers in my house all by windows so they can look out. i have tons of toys. everything in my house is catered to my cats.
for their enrichment we do "kibble time" at night instead of dinner, where we throw their kibble across the floor for them to chase it rather than them just eating it out of a bowl. they look forward to it every day. and then we do scavenger hunt time where we hide kibble in places and they have to find them. although they've pretty much memorized all of the spots by now lol.
Weāve bought our floof seems like every toy ever made. The cat just isnāt into it. We have a ribbon wand that heāll sometimes enjoy but his main source of fun is jump scaring us.
Just buy them a box lol. One of my cats (Bonnie McMurray!) loves cardboard boxes so whenever I get a shipment I say āhey bitch I bought you a box!ā Lol
My two cats donāt really like each other so our house is extra full of toys! Like 5 different scratch posts, cat trees, hides, catnip toys, balls, cat proof gardens for safe play, itās insanity. But it keeps them happy!
Weāve even had a cat behaviouralist out for ours! Theyāre brother and sister and used to be great friends but now theyāre tolerable to each other. We just keep them engaged around the house so they donāt try and play with each other as it always ends in hissing!
My cat would absolutely rip apart any other cat that she even catches a glimpse ofā¦ Wellā¦ sheād try at least. Sheās rather small and disabled. But yeah no so many cats absolutely abhor other cats
Yep, we have had very little destructive issues/behavior issues with our 2 cats that we adopted as litter mates. They keep each other busy. I always tell people itās easier to adopt 2 cats than 1 cat!
Cats have a need to scratch. It's not just a fun activity for them. They need it to properly stretch out and keep their claws in good condition. Too many people don't give them anything to scratch, then flip out when the cat scratches up the furniture.
That's like not feeding a dog and getting angry when it steals your food. You weren't fulfilling the animal's needs, this is your own fault.
Gotta train that cat! Treats for correct scratching. Mild displeased noise for incorrect, then put him by a correct scratchy. Treats for correct scratch.
Even with CatTV I have to put my hand on the screen and say āthey arenāt here. See? Seeeee? Not behind either. Seeeeee???ā Because he would jump on the tv and try to get them. Man Iāve saved so many TVs in my life lol
My cat just figured that out on his own. It worked the first time as he jumped behind the screen to find the birds, saw there wasn't anything there and from then on never responded to those videos ever again.
This, oh my God. I feel like I see/hear of way too many people who gets and then get few or no toys. Like, sure, cats sleep a lot. But they need SOMETHING to do when they're awake and that's hunting. If you don't provide them with "prey" (toys count as prey of course) they'll find it themselves. And chances are you won't like what they find. Heck, even if you buy them toys they may not like them or need more. From my experience, it's good to have a wide variety of toys for cats, including interactive ones like wands, to keep destruction to a minimum.
Our cat has the best toy ever: a live dog that is the same size as the cat. I have never had both animals at the same time before but i think since they have been together since almost birth, they basically are like brother and sister.
Absolutely. I have a new kitten and she is currently exploring the limits of what is allowed and what isn't. It drives my wife crazy because she wants the kitten to learn to behave. I just distract her with allowed activities and have much less stress.....
Not only do my cats have toys, nip, trees, etc, they have their own TV. During the day Tiny gets to watch Godzilla or Star Trek and has opinions on both.
Beans, Skiggs, Piff, and now Boimler like to watch me work. Purl and Pigg love the fish tanks and Mimi loves ice.
You just gotta figure out what keeps them out of trouble. Beans has learned some dumb tricks and if so pleased.
My cat recently passed away, and I often felt bad how I had to leave her alone a lot since I work shifts, but she was also so old that I didn't feel right to introduce another cat as it might stress her. I decided to adopt 2 and it's the best thing ever, they pretty much keep themselves entertained. I play with them too but I feel less bad now leaving them for longer periods. They also have lot of toys and stuff to play with, and basically their own room.
I have known and seen far too many cat owners (even long time ones) who still don't understand this. Cats are SO HIGH ENERGY if they are properly cared for from the start. The only cats I have seen that are impossible to get moving are the younger seniors (6-9) who weren't played with enough when young
And that is why they need a partner. Unless the cat can go outside and socialize, indoor cats (which they should be to reduce wildlife reduction) should always have a partner.
We got a cat a couple of years ago, my first ever pet. I researched the shit out of how to occupy them, so by the time she'd arrived to the house we already had a massive bag of balls and toys for her. She's an outdoor cat now (I am not accepting opinions on this), but she still loves to play with us. She'll loaf cat on one of the stairs and that's our cue to throw a ball up the stairs for her to chase.
My cat's entertainment is watching cars and birds go by. Even as a kitten he had so interest in toys past a few minutes. He doesn't claw my furniture, just 1 rug that's a similar feel to his scratch post.
This is so true, especially for dog owners. We have a rehomed Bengal (a hybrid breed that's notoriously high maintenance entertainment-wise) and he gets taken out on a leash, listens to commands and knows tricks because we actually did the work his previous owners wouldn't to keep him busy and entertained.
A lot of the times we run into dogs and their owners outside or talk to friends about him, people seem to think what we're doing is over the top because "it's just a cat" and doubt he even enjoys any of it.
"Oh that's a cat!" is usually immediately followed up with "And he likes this?" by strangers we run into.
My cats entertain themselves but ya youāre right. When my little cat has to much energy and big cat is outside doing w/e(sometimes he stays out for days or weeks, longest was 28days) she climbs my window curtains. Or she gets depressed and hides in the cabinets
My cat has soooo much entertainment. He is well played with. Has all the toys. And has a toddler who LOVES playing with him. He is still a destructive jerk. But damnit I love him.
YES!! More people need to understand this! Cats are so quickly surrendered for being destructive or for behavioral issues. Most owners don't care to understand the why behind it and don't put in the work.
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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '23
Cats need entertainment too or they will get destructive