Humans play a very important role in a pet cat’s life. I
(Pixie) should know because my human family means the world to me. Although
they do supply tangible things like food and shelter, they provide wonderful
stuff like love and support that makes us become the very best furry beings to
roam on four delicate paws. But of course, our humans can’t stay with us all
the time as much as we would love that. So, as a busy human-person thing (Fur
me, I’d like to think of you all as big hairless cats on two hind paws still
trying to figure out how to be a good cat. Now before your Sphinx-like skin
gets into a bizarre dander, I know that you all are not. It’s my pur-sonal
thought process so I can better assist you all in the right direction. Think of
you any other way and I would go hide under the nearest couch!), what can
you do to keep us happy while you are away? Glad you asked! Here are five
(p)awesome ideas:
|
FIVE TIPS & TRICKS FOR BUSY PEOPLE WITH CATS |
|
Visits from trusted
family and friends |
|
Pet sitter (Vacation & Business) |
|
A cat companion |
|
Cat furniture & interactive toys |
|
TV & Access to
a window (window perch) |
Visits from Trusted Family and Friends
Do you know someone that loves animals but can’t own one at
the moment? If you do, then invite them to visit your fur-babies once a while
or as often as they like to keep them company. Just make sure provide plenty of
communication and guidance to the person on how to take care of the fur-babies.
Things to communicate would be the cat’s schedules such as, mealtimes,
playtime, rests, etc. The types of foods they eat and special considerations
like personality issues, special instructions for grooming, and medications for
specific health issues. Make certain that the person has access to the cat’s or
cats’ favorite toys to help with bonding and keeping the cats happy and feeling
safe. Introduce this human to them first while you are there to ensure proper
bonding takes place while you are available and can address any issues or
problems that might arise ahead of time. Remember, cats don’t speak human and
you know them better than the person that is a stranger to them.
Pet Sitter (Vacation & Business)
In case you don’t have anyone around to visit on a regular
basis, consider the services of an experienced and reputable pet sitter! It
would the professional’s paid job to stop by for a visit, feed, play, and clean
up after us. The same benefits that a trusted family member and/or friend would
do and provide would apply to a pet sitter, but the major benefit would be that
they are providing a professional service. As a skilled pro they have
experience with a variety of cats, cat temperaments and issues and situations.
And if your cat has certain special needs and considerations that need tending
to with special care then a professional will probably have the experience needed
from dealing with previous clients and their pets. The advantage is less
guidance and prepping of the hired help and more general discussions and communications
for advanced level care. For professional pet sitting services, you can look at
the following well known organizations and companies:
|
PROFESSIONAL PET SITTER SERVICES |
|
|
COMPANY/ORGANIZATION |
WEBSITE |
|
Rover |
|
|
Meowtel |
|
|
Wag! |
|
A Cat Companion
Another sibling can help with alleviating boredom and
increasing play and exercise time. And I am sorry human-person catlike thing!
You can’t be everything to us. A cat will always understand another cat best.
Leah, Star, and I have a great understanding with each other as we share our
space at our fur-ever home when our humans are not around. We miss them but it
means a lot that we have each other. Just the other day, we were playing the
cat game of hide and pounce and gosh! Leah is just the best at it! Star who
tends to not want to take part in cat games has been learning more and more
from me and Leah on how to interact better and better as a cat. As briefly
mentioned in other blog articles, she was very distrusting of other cats and is
learning from us that it is okay to be a cat and to also be around other cats. I
can’t imagine a human being able to assist her with that or to play with us in
the same way!
Cat Furniture & Interactive Toys
When coming home to my fur-ever home, it meant the world to
me as a small kitten to have a bed, blanket, and cat toys that were either
pur-sonally for me or I could share with my sister Leah. But as we grew older,
we grew smarter, and our needs began to evolve and change other time. As we
changed, thank goodness, so have our cat furniture and our toys. Our furniture
began to expand beyond just a bed and a blanket. And our toys also began to
expand beyond chew toys and stuffed animals. Now, if you think that getting
different kinds of cat furniture and cat toys might be the way help your
situation with your fur-babies while you are away, then go for it because I
definitely think it could help. I do have some suggestions for you! First thing
that you have to ask yourself is: Is your home decked out for a furry feline to
enjoy? If you are unsure, then consider getting the following:
|
CAT FURNITURE |
|
|
ITEM |
REASON/RATIONALE TO PURCHASE |
|
Scratching Post |
We are territorial and will use our
claws on everything. If you care about your furniture, then this a necessity
to have not just one but a few. |
|
Cat Tower |
Climbing and perching is a part of our world for
exercise and how we establish our community with our fellow cats and interact
with our environment. Also, sometimes cats like being a part of things
without actually being a part of things through quiet observation. |
|
Cat Shelving |
Like the reasoning behind the cat tower
but just on the wall. Great for those with limited space in their home. And
it helps with exploration, climbing, and keeping us cats from being bored. |
Regarding interactive toys, they have a bunch of (p)awesome
toys available at any supermarket that sells pet food and pet supplies that you
can provide to your cats so that we won’t feel bored and/or destructive. There
are ones that we can play with that are inexpensive like cat tunnels and toys
with rolling balls cats like to bat around to electronic/automated ones that
are pricey. It is all up to you! But here are some affordable ideas to explore:
|
INTERACTIVE CAT TOYS |
|
|
ITEM |
REASON/RATIONALE TO PURCHASE |
|
Cat Puzzle Feeders |
Paired with food this kind of puzzle
will bring out the cat’s natural inclination to hunt. |
|
Cardboard House or Bed |
Can be puurr-chased to be specifically built as a house,
bed, climbing castle, or fortress. Or you can recycle cardboard boxes and
create a DIY project. |
|
Retractable Cat Wand Toy |
Just dangle it in front of us and we’ll
play with it for a while without break! |
|
Cat Tunnel/Tube |
Cats love to hunt, hide and explore. Cat tunnel
brings out all three instincts at the same time. |
|
Tiered Cat Track Toy |
One was purchased as a winter holiday
gift for us and us cats spend hours taking turns playing with it by pawing it
around in circles! |
TV & Access to a Window (Window Perch)
Star loves watching TV at home with our humans. And there
has been times when they have left the TV on, and she has continued to
comfortably watch TV. If you must know she loves watching the Hallmark Movie
Channel and the Food Network behind the shoulder of her favorite human. Pur-sonally
I don’t get the TV thing. It is weird to me, but she seems to love it. Leah
agrees too that it is a weird habit too, but Star does have human tendencies…
This just illustrates that some of us cats love television and love when it is
on. It keeps us company. But some of us, like Leah and me, prefer viewing life
from the window and watching the neighborhood as random birds, dogs, animals,
and humans casually stroll by. So, consider setting up at least one window in
your home where your cat can comfortably and safely perch to watch life roll by
like their own personal real-life TV. Here are some ideas to structure the
perch:
|
WINDOW CAT PERCH |
|
|
TYPE OF PERCH |
REASON/RATIONALE TO PURCHASE |
|
Cat Hammock w/Suction Cup |
Yes! There
are ones that can be attached directly to the glass of the window so that the
cat can perch as close as possible to the window and gaze outside. Just make
certain that the suction cups are on tight and that it is safe for your cat. |
|
Cat Hammock |
You can attach a
cat hammock next to the window by attaching it to the ceiling and letting it
hang down and sway lightly. |
|
Simple Cat Bed |
If you
measure your windowsill, you can place a simple cat mat or bed on the sill so
that they can cat loaf comfortable. As for me, Leah, and Star, we just get
cozy on the bare sill itself. As long as we have safe and easy access, we are
good to go! |
And those are my ideas for now. If I come up with more, I’ll
let you know. Also, remember that a cat is the purrfecct pet for a human-person
thing because we are low maintainable (even if our attitudes are high
maintenance like Star’s) and have a very independent nature. Well, I do tend to
have separation anxiety when my human-person thing known as my Mama leaves. It
has been getting better lately but that is something to discuss for next time!
In the meantime, feel free to check out the resources used for this article
indicated below:
|
Blog Article
Resources: |
|
https://www.petsecure.com.au/pet-care/10-ways-keep-cat-entertained-youre-house/
|
|
https://www.diamondpet.com/blog/culture/lifestyle/best-pet-busy-lifestyles/
|
Got a question, comment, or a
cat-astrophe on your furless paws?
You can always
reach me at pixiespetcorner@gmail.com.
And remember that no problem is ever too big or too small for this little black
kitten!
Hugs & cat
kisses from the luckiest black cat you know!
Until next time…
Make Every day the Best Cat-urday!
Pixie
Pixie’s Pet
Corner™
The Luckiest Black
Cat… Truly Beloved!™
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