Practical Ways To Enrich Your Cat's Environment: Opinion By Imgur User And Cat Behaviorist

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kalila courban
Aug 3, 2021 3:00 PM EDT

Imgur User and feline behaviorist "adrianaontherocks" is using Imgur as a platform to educate and answer questions about all things feline behavior. "Hi Imgur, I'm your friendly neighborhood feline behaviorist. If you're having a cat behavior issue, or are just curious about something cat-related, feel free to ask me about it and I'll see if I can help you out."

Today she helps us normal cat ladies and gents think about how we can best enrich our cats' surrounding environments. What does this mean in a practical sense? It means what kind of toys we give our cats, what their/our homes look like and feel like to them, how comfortable they are and much much more. We want our cats to have everything in the world and more, and it's our responsibility to make sure they live in an enriching and happy environment!

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    Hair
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    Hello there orange cutie! We want to make sure you live in a happy and enriching environment! Where should we start? What kind of toys and tools should we buy? Hmm! So much to consider! Let's get down to business. 

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    Font - I want to help cats by making sure that humans have a better understanding of them, and thus don't have unrealistic expectations for their behavior. I figured why not share some info on Imgur :) even if you don't want to read it, you can at least enjoy a few pictures of some past shelter kitties! Everyone pictured in this post has been adopted. I've recently written a couple posts about how to play with your cat, suggesting everything from wand toys to bubbles. This time, l'll be talking
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    We are happy to accept this advice especially from a feline behaviorist and someone very knowledgeable in the area of all things cat!

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    Font - -Cat trees and other cat furniture At least in my house, all the furniture is cat furniture- or at least my cats think it is! What you want to go for when picking out cat furniture is 1. Vertical space and 2. Hidey holes with multiple exits.
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    Furniture is so important. It should be cat friendly (whatever that means to you and your feline friends) as well as spatially cohesive. As our friendly neighborhood feline behaviorist explains, vertical space and hidey holes with multiple exists are optimal for feline approval. Let's learn more.

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    Font - Number 1 is important for every single cat. I cannot stress enough how important vertical space is to help cats feel safe, relieve stress, and improve their overall quality of life. It also links back to cat TV because putting up a cat tree or shelf right in front of a window is perfect for your cat. However, there are plenty of other places to position cat furniture. In a perfect world (according to cats), there would be enough shelves and furniture throughout every room that a cat could
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    Font - Number 2 is something to focus on for cats who are more of the 'wallflower' types, when you are trying to boost their confidence and comfort level. While vertical space will definitely help these cats as well, giving them ways to move across a room 'unseen' will encourage them to come out more. When choosing these items, remember that your cat doesn't want to be cornered- many cat cubbies only have one entrance/exit, meaning that if your cat goes inside and then something scary comes towa
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    Organism - -Cat TV The best cat TV is simply a window your cat can sit in that has a view of the outside world, ideally with trees, birds, etc. for maximum entertainment. One of my cats spends hours every single day in the windows in my house, going back and forth between them depending on which currently has the most entertaining things going on outside of it. If you aren't fortunate enough to have a view that is entertaining enough to your cat, you can go with literal cat TV- YouTube has lots
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    Organism - -Scratchers Many cat furniture items can double as scratchers, but since cats have different preferences for what they scratch, you might want to branch out a bit. Disposable cardboard scratchers are often a favorite, and you can simply lie them flat on the ground, buy the 'slanted' ones, or attach them to a chair leg with zip ties or pipe cleaners for a vertical scratching opportunity. Sisal rope, carpeted posts with different styles of carpet, or even just plain wood are all good ki
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wholesome cat imgur behaviorist users environment enrichment felines feline practical Cats
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