Why cats need furniture for a long and healthy life.

No one can deny that every cat has its own personality. Some are super independent or stuck up. Some want to snuggle all the time. No matter how different they are, one thing almost all of them have in common is that they love cat furniture. My wife and I have taken this to the extreme and built an elaborate, multi-level runway around several rooms of our home. We incorporated several hidey holes for sleeping nooks, hammocks, and perches, looking out the windows to the yard. They love it and you can find several of our cats on this runway at any time. It is very understandable that not everyone can commit to our level of cat crazy but you cat will defiantly appreciate any furniture you can provide them. Here are some reasons your cat will love you for adding some special furniture just for them.

The TOP Floor….

Cats have a natural instinct of pursuing high places for many reasons. Cats are carnivores, so they must spend a lot of time hunting for their food. In the forests cats use their sharp claws to defy gravity, to skillfully maneuver up a tree. This gives them a good, high vantage point to lie in wait while watching for prey.  Cats have this instinct imbedded in them.  Even though your domesticated house cat doesn’t have to hunt for its food, cats will still often find a way to get the highest vantage point possible. We have all experience the situation where Mrs. Kitty is on top of the refrigerator, but we won’t consider that cat furniture. Picking out a tall, multi-level cat tree will allow your cat to get that vantage point they prefer. Just a warning for you…. if you are a paranoid person and feel like someone is always watching you…..you may no longer be imagining. Your kitty WILL be watching you from the top floor.

Not just another cat nap!!!

Cat furniture can make your cat feel spoiled and pampered like they were chilling at a 5 start resort.  There is something about a cardboard box that no cat can resist. Well you guessed it, cats also love the hidey holes that cat furniture often offer, just like they love jumping into those boxes. Some cat trees will also have several varieties of enclosed spaces, even with multiple openings. Cats will craw in there, curl up into a ball, and know they hit the jackpot for the best napping space.  These sleeping spaces also offer another advantage to a multi cat household. Because the cats love these little napping spaces your cats may not be able to resist sharing these spots. As the cats feel secure and start curling up together they begin to build bonds with each other. It can actually help ease the stress amongst multi cat households. 

Get some EXERSIZE……

Romping and climbing is part of our cat’s natural instinct.  Although indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats, in order to be healthy and happy an indoor cat requires a good amount of exercise and daily challenge. Cats love to scratch, jump, play hide and seek with pretend friends, and between playtimes take extended naps on high perches. One minute they are all cool, and chill, and then it’s like a firecracker when off…. jump, climb, hide, and chase. Then as quick as the explosion is over, they are back to sitting quiet, licking a paw. Cat furniture adds a supped up environment for these playtime explosions.

Cat SCRATCH fever………

You come home from work and your precious kitty has shredded the side arm of your new sofa.  AUGH!!!!  Well it is an important part of a cat’s life even if we think they are just being jerks. Most people think that when a cat scratches, it is trying to sharpen or trim its claws. What it is actually doing is shedding its claws. When they scratch, the natural movements help remove the outer nail sheaths. Furniture helps mimic those movements that would normally occur naturally.  All the cats in our house have been declawed but they still mimic the exact same scratching actions as a cat with claws. So why?? Cats also scratch to leave visual and olfactory (scent) markers. They have scent glands between the pads of their paws, leave odors behind so that other cats know that the cat has been in the area. They are telling other cats that, “Hey, I was here.” When cats scratch objects, they also leave small gashes, which are visual signals to other cats that there is a cat in the area.  Providing your cat some furniture that incorporate scratching posts you are offering you cat a perfect alternative, to your sofa, for it to leave its mark. Most cat furniture is covered in carpet and some have specific scratching posts wrapped in a thick jute rope. These are perfect for your kitty, claws or no claws.