Pillar 1. A safe place. Your cat needs a private and secure area, often in a raised location. This gives the cat a sense of enclosure, seclusion and a sense of protection. Cat’s love their safe spaces and are likely to have more than one throughout your home. Remember, they would prefer to avoid perceived threats instead of confronting them.
Pillar 2. Multiple and separated resources. Setup more than one spot for feeding, drinking, litter box, play, etc…The multi locations will decrease the cats stress and help satisfy his needs for exploration and even exercise.
Pillar 3. Opportunity for play and predatory behavior. You can’t just leave a few toys out, it’s important to play with your cat. And there should be opportunities to demonstrate hunting behavior with either food or some toy that he is interested in chasing. This relieves boredom and frustration.
Pillar 4. Positive, consistent and predictable human-cat interaction. Even if it’s not a lot, your cat wants interaction with you on a regular basis. Each cat has his own individual preferences for being petted, played with, picked up, etc. Learn your cat and you will develop a stronger bond.
Pillar 5. An environment that respects the importance of your cats sense of smell. Cats use their sense of smell and chemical information to evaluate their surroundings and maximize their security and comfort. Be sensitive to it and even wash the cat’s toys and bedding on a rotating basis so they retain a familiar scent.
