The cat world is a special space – cats are both predator and prey, and as such, they need to feel secure in their home territory.  This is even more so for indoor only cats. In addition, cats can be very sensitive to changes in their environment such as moving house, introducing a new pet or preparing for a baby. We can help with:

• Anxiety
• Aggression
• Scratching furniture
• Inappropriate toileting
• Overgrooming
• Change in appetite

There are five pillars needed to ensure your cat’s home environment is set up for success and minimise the chance of the above behaviours in your home.

What Your Cat Needs – the 5 Pillars

The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) has outlined the 5 Pillars your cat needs for a happy and healthy life. Illustrator Lili Chin (@lilita_yaya) has brought this to life with her drawings.

Pillar 1: Safe Spaces in Every Room:  A place to retreat or rest is very important.  The cat needs to have two options to enter/exit the space to avoid being cornered (especially true for multi-cat households!).   Small spots that are raised off the ground are best, the humble cardboard box, cat carrier or shelf can do the trick!

Pillar 2: Multiple and Separated Resources: What is a resource? This includes water, food, litter trays, scratching posts, play and resting areas.  Cats need one for each of the cats in a household plus one spare, all to be located in different areas to avoid challenge by other cats and to reduce the risk of competition or resource guarding. This significantly reduces stress-induced disease in multi-cat homes!

Pillar 3: Play and Predatory Behaviour:  cats need to HUNT! Often we place food in a bowl, and that is that! A bored cat can be a stressed or anxious cat.  Using interactive toys such as wand toys to simulate prey or the utilisation of food puzzles or licky mats can be very rewarding for your pet cat.

Pillar 4: Positive and Predictable Human Interaction: Cats are not fans of surprise!  This all depends on what the cat likes, and what they have been exposed to, especially in the ‘sensitive period’ before 9 weeks of age.  This can be sitting on your lap (with or without pats – let your cat tell you what it wants!), playing for a few minutes with a toy (best at dawn or dusk times – peak hunting times) or having a brush.  Always gain their consent to be touched, this can be done by dropping to their level and extending a hand out to see if they rub against it or walk away (not thanks human!).

Pillar 5: Respecting the Cat’s Sense of Smell: cats have a very sensitive olfactory system, and even have an additional organ to help them interpret smells (the vomeronasal organ).  Ensuring that they can mark their scent by rubbing their face and body (depositing natural pheromones) on their territory helps them feel secure. Synthetic pheromones such as Feliway ® can calm cats in stressful or unfamiliar environments/situations.

Book an in-home behaviour consult with Dr Chantal today and she can help you set your home up for success!