cattify, noun.
1. to make more catlike, or to add cat-friendly features.
Cattifying your space does not necessarily require spending money and buying new furniture. Cattification could simply be rearranging your shared living space to make it more welcoming for your cat. I know it might seem like your space couldn’t possibly be any more welcoming when they’ve flopped onto your face when you’re asleep at 4 AM, or when they’re trying to steal your pizza, or when their rear end is in your face when you’re trying to read a book, or… Right. You get the idea. But trust me. There’s always room for improvement.
Remember that most cats want to be where their humans are. You might leave the house to go to work every day, or hang out with friends, but for most cats, their whole world is your shared living space. When they get “cabin fever,” they’ve got nowhere to go. So give them places to go that don’t require leaving the house!
Consider moving furniture so that a chair or bookshelf is in front of a window. If they’re always trying to sit on one specific shelf, can you move that shelf’s contents so your cat can have premium seating?
Try to find the one place in the house with the best vantage point: that allows them to see as much of the house as possible. They probably spend a lot of time there. This might be the end of a hallway, or where the dining room meets the kitchen and living room, or it might be on your dresser because they can see down the hall and keep a creepy eye on you while you sleep. Can you put a cat bed, cat condo, or a cozy chair in that spot?
Always give them the box if you shop online and get deliveries! When a new package arrives, throw out the old box and let them break in the new one. Boxes that always smell new are always a source of excitement around here.
Make a (temporary) “cat fort.” Making forts with pillows and blankets is great fun for kids– and it’s fun for cats too. Hang a blanket at an angle from a closed drawer to the floor, or over the back of a chair. Turn a large box on its side and drape a blanket over the opening. Use this as the start of your playtime, and let them chase toys on sticks from behind the blankets and inside their caves.