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You’ve done your best to create a warm and
comfortable environment for your cats, but
there may be one element that could use some
tweaking.
We live in a horizontal world – but our cats
live in a vertical one. They use high, mid,
and low levels of the environment for many
purposes. In a multicat environment, being
the cat who can claim the highest perch may
show other felines just who has the higher
status. This can help keep peace.
A cat can jump approximately five times her
height, so she was born to take advantage of
vertical opportunities. Your cat loves to
climb and has incredible balance, so why not
create cat-friendly vertical areas to keep
her away from those off-limits locations
such as your kitchen counter or living room
bookcase?
Elevated areas are also important in the
cat’s environment because it provides her
with a visual advantage. She has more
warning time to see if an opponent is
approaching.
Mid and low levels are important as well for
cats who don’t feel as confident taking the
highest elevations. The more cats you have,
the more levels you need.
By increasing the vertical space in your
home, you actually double or triple the size
of your cat’s territory without literally
increasing the size of your home.
Here are some ways to increase vertical
space:
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Cat trees
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Window perches
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Cat beds or pads on furniture
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Tunnels placed behind furniture (either
bought or homemade)
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Elevated walkways
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Hiding places (on various levels) |
