just adopted two cats and need recs IMMEDIATELY

Question

Heather · Answer

Lounge scratcher: My cat likes horizontal scratching and cardboard, so I've bought several of these things (the actual one I bought is apparently no longer available). He can get a good scratch in, it's big enough for him to sleep on in the warmer months, and it makes a good environment for play

jennifer · Answer

red light sauna mat, not just for humans!: edie does her uploads, downloads, and heads straight to the mat after every snack, before bed, and whenever she needs a refresher. sometimes she still shares it with me, too

Dylan · Answer

Politely asking your cat to do chores around the house: my cats chores include:

alarm clock (screaming until I wake up)

washing the dishes (with tongue)

mopping (with tongue)

acupuncture (stabbing claws into my stomach/shoulders/crotch)

making the bed (hiding in the sheets)

kneading dough (clocking in for daily shifts at the biscuit factory)

exfoliating (licking my flesh until it becomes a rough scabby patch)

shredding sensitive documents (destroying cardboard and paper bags)

alerting me that their litter needs replacing (by pooping in the shower)

Dylan · Answer

Handcrafted Olive Velvet Pet Bed: if the delivery to aus wasn't the same as the cost of this bed i would seriously consider getting this for my cats... someone in the states pls get this so i can live vicariously through you

Dylan · Answer

Saying "loser behaviour" whenever your cat does something naughty: It's satisfying to say & it's not scolding them (cats don't learn from being punished).

P.S. this is one of my naughty demons Poppy after projectiling herself up onto the window fly screen like some sort of sky spider.

A perfect example of when this expression can be inserted into the vocab.

Dylan · Answer

Teaching your cat to touch type: helpful for replying to emails, drafting substack newsletters, checking for new posts in the THIS CAT IS CHONKY fb group

Dylan · Answer

Embarrassing your cat: you steal a donut? i photograph you with tiny human hands

Clara · Answer

The best cat toy: this otter puppet stuffed with catnip: Objectively ridiculous to buy a cat a puppet, but I couldn’t resist — and to both her delight and my own, this thing is far and away her absolute favorite toy to hunt/murder/play doll with.

Clara · Answer

This cat hammock that suctions to the window: My cat — like most, a creature of habit — religiously spends her mornings on this, which is in a north-facing window, then transitions to sunnier climes later in the day.

It also happens to be the chicest cat furniture I’ve ever seen.

Dylan · Answer

Giving your cat 500 forehead kisses: i don't make the rules, this is just a legal requirement in my house.

Dylan · Answer

Slow blinking at a cat: feels like having magical mind powers...

Dylan · Answer

Yeowww! Catnip Cat Toy: poppy & dolly went nuts for this like in a kind of unhinged horny way i felt like i needed to leave the room to give them privacy

no other cat nip toy or plant has interested them until this little vessel of cat crack

10/10

Dylan · Answer

Paper shopping bag: put this on the floor and your cat is entertained for hours. sitting in it, diving in it, punching it, or if you are my cat Poppy, shredding it to pieces to form a deconstructed bag work of art, presumably a commentary on convenience culture within late-stage capitalism

Dylan · Answer

Feliway Spray: a pheromone spray designed to reduce stress & anxiety-related behaviours in your lil kitty cats. the slow blinks that happen after this are truly one of life's simplest joys.

HVT · Answer

Churu: Cats are pretty bonkers for Churu. Dr. Elsey's is a great litter. We've stuck with either Hill' Science Diet or Royal Canin for food per our vet's recommendation. Congrats on the new kitties!

Mary · Answer

Cat Dancer Original Cat Toy: This is my 1 year old cat’s favorite toy! The metal wire makes the cardboard ends bounce like an insect flying around.

Mary · Answer

Hill's Science Diet Adult Indoor Cat Food: This is the only food we will feed our indoor cats because it makes their 💩 less smelly and easier to scoop!

Katie · Answer

Litter-Robot 5: I’m so sorry but it is beyond worth it. My biggest concern about getting a cat was the idea of just…having poo sitting out inside my (quite small) house. This rotates to filter waste into a sealed container below that you then empty once a week-ish, probably more often with two cats but still. No scooping, very minimal to no odor. I’ve also seen people recommend a stainless steel covered box and a diaper genie to scoop waste into.

jmd · Answer

Give them your cardboard boxes: Congratulations, every cardboard box you get is now a new fun house for your cats!

Karin Connor · Answer

foodpuzzlesforcats.com: Skip the bowls and only feed out of puzzle toys. Buy them (sometimes they advertise as being for treats) or make them (can use water bottles as a DIY) Help keep kitties mentally physically stimulated, happy and healthy. Rotate them and make them harder as they gain confidence. Have fun!

molly · Answer

slow blinking at a cat: tell them u love them! i accidentally do this at people sometimes.

molly · Answer

spring toys!: the cat goes crazy for the springs. the cat does not want to play with anything else. the cat carries them like her babies and also tries to kill them.

D · Answer

Create Safe Spaces for your Cat or Dog: The Dog I'm working with this week didn't have any space or objects to call his own in a household with three kids, two adults, and a rotating cast of strangers moving in and out every day. Of course, he's insecure, hides, resource guards his people + house, and sometimes bites strangers if they enter through the front of the house. He doesn't have a place that is just his, or toys that are just his.

So I made him a safe space: covered a crate with a blanket with the door left open, washed his bed, and filled it with high-value treats. We spent some time yesterday reconditioning the crate. And wonderful news: this morning I woke up to give him his meds and, to my surprise, he was sleeping in his safe space! Made my day. I'm so glad he has somewhere to go that is just his.

When an being doesn't have a space to call their own, their nervous system stays in a low-grade state of alert. A dedicated safe space gives them somewhere to regulate, decompress, and just be. It sounds simple, but it changes everything.

If your Cat or Dog doesn't have a place to decompress, sleep, introvert, or just chill, please make one.

For Cats, elevation is often the answer. Wall shelves, a Cat tree, or even a cleared-off high surface provide a place to survey their environment from safety. A Cat who can see the whole room from above is a Cat who feels in control. For Dogs, especially touch-sensitive Dogs or those accustomed to having their boundaries violated (many small Dogs fall into this category), their bed or crate is a sanctuary only if it remains one. Don't reach in or pull them out. If you need them to come out, use a game like touch, find it, or another positive training exercise to invite them on their own terms. The moment you violate that space, you've taken it from them. Respect their safe space.

Lida Richardson · Answer

Covered Litter Box: Covered litter box was huge for me, because they love to track litter everywhere and be menaces about it. I’m linking the modkat one, which is incredible but so expensive, but I’m using a crappier one now and it’s fine (though she does get litter everywhere so maybe I need to invest again). Congratulations cats are the best guys in the world.

Hannah Harvey · Answer

Churu treats: the only treat my cats ever want. freeze them in summer and make kitty popsicles :)

Spines, Flicks, and Wax · Answer

Jackson Galaxy Springles!: We've bought dozens of toys for our two cats and all they seem to want are damn springs 😂

Cheap entertainment for days!