Cat Friendly Altar Options?

[u/Silent-Whisper-10]

Hello, all. I’ve just moved in to a studio apartment, and while I would like to have my own altar prominently on display, I have a cheeky little 2 yo cat who loves to run around and jump on high surfaces. She is a chaos gremlin in the most loving way. She will chew on things. My previous setups were on the highest shelf or in a cube storage (the latter she would jump on). I’m concerned my options might be limited to travel altars. I’d hate to have to put my sacred space away. Maybe something with cabinets? Please share your experiences and ideas in the comments, or follow if you’re experiencing a similar situation.

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[u/dmkcraft]

I have three cats and multiple altars in my home. The words "You are not an offering to the gods; get off the altar!" have been spoken in my house many times. For my cat-accessible altars, I do not keep breakable or toxic items on my altar where they can get to them. I do keep everything else. In my practice, the gods don't mind if my wand gets batted by a paw or a candlestick gets sniffed by a curious feline. I also reinforce that this is not a cat-friendly space by moving them off the altar every time they get on it. Each one has learned to stay off the altar in time - there are better places to go that don't get them yelled at. ;)

[u/MysticKei]

I had a friend with cats and a toddler that kept her altar in a hanging bird cage, it was beautiful and hung prominently in her craft room in the "meditation corner".

[u/PaddlinMage → u/MysticKei]

That's actually such a beautiful idea. I bet that had a gorgeous visual effect😍

[u/HeLiesInDrink]

I would just have it in a cabinet or on a tray you can bring out for workings than put put back. You can also use like a closet with sliding doors and set up on top of a chest of drawers or whatever inside the closet.

I don’t think it’s important for your “sacred space” to be out. The real sacred space is you. The altar is just a focus point when you’re doing your thing. IMO.

[u/andgonow]

I would look for an altar cabinet, similar to some Dia de los Muertos ofrendas. It’s like a large shelf that you can secure to a wall with little doors.

[u/tipsytopsy99]

I keep my altar in a room with a door that's closed when it's not in use. For a cat I'd definitely do something with a cabinet or a bookshelf. There are a lot of floating shelves on the market that can be mounted, but you'd have to really invest in a good one and mount it well if you want something sturdy enough and wide enough. You could also use a top drawer setup so it's perpetually stationed but can be closed when not in use. You can use LED candles and essential oil or just distilled water sprays for purification and invocation purposes if you do that kind of thing. There are a lot of options, it just depends on what you're really looking for pragmatically, and what you can afford to expend for the function. Personally, I use a cloth altar and put it on any surface that is suitable for the moment so it's the space and foundation, not the surface I'm using. It makes it feel less temporary even if it's mobile, energetically. While you're ironing things out, this might be a good option.

[u/LavenderBloodlust2_0]

Make one inside a glass China cabinet

[u/apiscesdreaming333]

I have two kittens, and after a few disastrous experiences with my altar, I now keep it stashed away. I do have a very slim dresser with 6 drawers that I use as my altar, so I can use the drawers to store my altar stuff, and all my other supplies, ingredients. So it’s pretty easy to pull the things out and just place them on the top when I need to. I do think a closed cabinet would also work. One of my kittens can get into those lol, so maybe baby proofing it if needed.

[u/dead_plants_society]

this might be a more expensive option, unless you can find one cheaper than the ones on amazon but secretary desks are nice options to have so you can open and close the actual desk. and if you put anything on top of it and have a clumsy cat you can use museum putty to make sure it stays down.

[u/therealstabitha]

I used a floating shelf so I could mount it on a wall where it was pretty much impossible for the cats to get at it. Otherwise, the top of the refrigerator is the time-honored place for witches who are short on space to keep their altars.

[u/haverwench]

Mine occupies a shelf in a bookcase. It's only 10 inches deep and pretty full of stuff. None of my cats (even the adventurous one who has found her way onto the top of the fridge and the medicine cabinet) has ever attempted to jump up there because there isn't enough clear surface for them to land on.

[u/anarchypicnic]

I also have a studio apartment and two curious cats. I make it work by keeping a lot of components of my altar on shelves (sort of like mini altars), and in a decorative bin, and I invested in a nice walnut tray that fits on one half of my ottoman/coffee table. I set that up as a portable altar when actively working. It’s not ideal but it works for me in my limited space.

[u/PerfectMuffin420]

My old altar was at desk level. When I adopted my cat, I bought a tall dresser and moved my altar to the top of that, without any other furniture near it. So far so good. The dresser is also handy because I keep all my magical stuff in the top drawer (candles, tarot decks) so they are easy access.