4 Cat-Friendly Home Ideas That Work in Any Space

Your home is your cat's entire world. Dogs have the dog park, hiking trails, beaches, and road trips with their tongue out the window. Dogs will even make celebrity-style appearances at the Detroit Auto Show, where they garner as much attention as any flashy sports car or rugged off-road truck.

Cats get your apartment.

That's not a complaint per se; it's just the reality of feline life indoors. This is the case with Hawk and me, the cat for whom Super Caturday is named (all of our Instagram content is created from a small place in Detroit).

If you have a smaller space, don’t sweat it. With a few adjustments, you can turn any home into a place where your cat can enjoy everything from meals to naps. Here are four simple ways to create a more cat-friendly home, no matter where you live and no matter how big or small it is.  

Add Vertical Space

Cats feel safest when they can get up high. It's an instinct rooted in their nature as both predators and prey, and elevation gives them a sense of control over their environment. A cat tree, wall-mounted shelves, or even a cleared-off bookshelf gives our cats a place to observe the room on their own terms.

Hawk has a high-top chair near the patio window that he has claimed as his personal command center. From there, he monitors the birds, the squirrels, and anything else happening outside with great authority. If you don't have a cat tree, even a sturdy shelf at eye level is a good place to start. Height equals confidence for most cats, something I have seen in my Hawk Man.

Give Them a Window View

This is similar to the vertical space and patio idea, but a sunny windowsill is what our cats would consider the ultimate YouTube channel. Bird feeders placed outside, a view of the yard, or even just the steady activity of a busy street, give our cats something to watch and process throughout the day.

This kind of ongoing stimulation is a meaningful form of indoor cat enrichment, especially for cats who spend long hours alone while their parents are at work. Add a cushion or a comfortable blanket to the windowsill, and you have created one of the most used spots in your home.

Keep the Litter Box in the Right Place

The ideal litter box location is private, quiet, and easy for your cat to access at any time of day. Avoid placing it next to their food or water bowls, and keep it away from busy hallways or loud appliances if possible, like a washer and dryer or water heater.

Most veterinarians and animal behaviorists recommend one litter box per cat, plus one extra. If your cat has been avoiding the litter box, the location is often the first thing to reconsider before anything else.

Reduce Harsh Smells and Sounds

Cats experience the world through their senses in ways that are hard for us to fully appreciate. With up to 200 million scent receptors compared to our five million, a strongly scented candle, a heavy cleaning product, or even a plug-in air freshener can be overwhelming for a cat. Wherever possible, opt for unscented or pet-safe cleaning products and avoid fragranced items in rooms where your cat spends the most time.

The same principle applies to sound, as we discussed above with the litter box. Loud music, a television at high volume, or a room with frequent, sudden noises can keep a cat in a low-level state of alertness, which wears on them as time goes on. If you do have friends and family over to hang out, giving your cat a quiet corner to retreat to if things get loud costs nothing and means everything to them.

Likewise, if you live in an apartment complex, you are bound to hear other noises. With Hawk, if a door opens and shuts down the hallway, or a vehicle drives through the parking lot, I quickly reassure him it’s nothing to worry about.

Small Changes, Big Impact

The good news is that the tips above don’t require a large budget or a complex home renovation. Most of them I implemented by just trying to see the world from a cat’s perspective. Once you start thinking like a cat, the changes become obvious. And if Hawk's daily routine is any indication, even little changes make a big difference.