Cat-Friendly Dream House

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s check out how a friendly dream house that meets the welfare needs of cats would look like!

Keeping key environmental resources away from one another is really important!

Food bowl

Materials

Easy to clean, non-reflective, e.g. ceramic

Reflective/ glossy materials

Easy to stain e.g. plastic

Size

Wide | Shallow (friendly to whiskers)

Narrow | Deep

Diet

Meat | Fresh | Small amount but multiple times a day | Solitary feeder

Vegetables only | Eat together with other cats

Keep a distance from other key resources

Water bowl / water fountain

Materials

Easy to clean, non-reflective, e.g. ceramic

Reflective/ glossy materials

Easy to stain e.g. plastic

Size

Wide | Shallow (friendly to whiskers)

Narrow | Deep

General maintenance

Prepare fresh drinking water every day

Clean every single corner of the water container, esp. for water fountain

Location

Keep a distance from food

Close to food source (contamination)

Keep a distance from other key resources

Cat net

Caution!

Cat nets are very important to prevent potential accidents, e.g. flying cats. Good cat nets are strong, securely installed, and cover all the gaps at the edges of the windows. Don’t forget that the space between netting holes need to be small so that cats cannot squeeze behind the partition.

Hiding places

Provide a sense of security

Quiet, high, fixed location

Multiple hiding spots

Keep a distance from other key resources

Cat pole

High resting place | Next to windows | Securely installed

Loosely installed

Cat toys

Security and Fun

Be aware of the materials and shape

Rotate toys to keep them "fresh"

Keep a distance from other key resources

Tiny | Sharp | Easy to break or come apart | Contain a lot of small parts | Artificial colouring

Scratching posts

Both vertical and horizontal surfaces

Materials that your cats like, e.g. sisal and cardboard

Cat litter box

Size

1.5 times of your cat’s length

Cat is able to turn around inside easily

Too small

Location

Quiet place

No machine around

Away from the main entrance

Away from food and water

Tips

Keep clean and tidy | Deep clean frequently and regularly

Litter sand with fragrance | Cleaners with strong smell

Keep a distance from other key resources

Synthetic pheromones

Provide signals of familiarity & security

Calming effect

Use it occasionally and regularly, if necessary

There are a lot of situations that may cause stress for your cats, e.g. seeing vets, having friends visiting, moving house, loud noise created during renovation from your neighbours… Synthetic feline facial pheromones, e.g. Feliway can help provide signals of familiarity and security to your cats and help to calm them down. And of course, it would be much better if you could help remove the source of stress!

Cat carrier

Another resting area

Cosy, comfortable and pleasant

Associate it with happy memories

May sprinkle cat nip

ONLY take it out when seeing vet / Going out

Carpet

Good for joints

Senior cat-friendly

Pet Stairs

Good for joints

Senior cat-friendly

Certificate of vaccination

Get your cat vaccinated

Good for record keeping

Plants

Caution!

Non-toxic plants to cats

Toxic house plants to cats, such as all lilies, aloe vera, etc.

Wall cabinet / Hanging units

Caution!

Securely installed

Check regularly and replace if necessary

Human perfumes / Diffusers / Disinfectants

Caution!

Put out of reach of your cats

Strong smells – these can make your cats sick

Massage chair

Caution!

Massage chair could cause danger to cats if they accidentally get into the gaps.