Animal Talk – July 2019

q&a

A content cat ... CATSLIFE

... eats nutritionally balanced food.

Outdoor cat

space

What is a catio and why is it

ideal for cats?

A

very popular way to allow your cat to

breathe in fresh air and soak up the sun

without typical outside dangers is a catio, aka

cat patio. It is essentially a huge cage that can

be any size, shape or fixed structure attached

in some way to the house. Cats can have easy

access in and out of the catio through a cat flap,

open window or even a tunnel.

You can decorate your catio and make

it interesting for your cat with different

‘obstacles’, such as fixed platforms, scratch

posts and even stairs. She will also love

cat-friendly plants where she can hide, and

a substrate that she can claw into. The more

interesting the catio is, the more your cat will

enjoy her little kingdom.

Make sure the catio is sturdy and made of

good, safe material, such as chicken wire, that

won’t allow your cat to escape and offers her

protection from dangerous elements. It is very

important that she has an area that she can use

for shelter from the rain and sun, and a perch to

observe the world from a height.

There are so many ideas on the internet on what

a catio can look like and what it should contain,

and it doesn’t have to be expensive either.

Small animal veterinarian

Sweaty paws

C

ats sweat through the glands in their paws to keep them cool

on a hot day. But when your cat stresses, she might also sweat

through her paws and you might be able to see her little paw prints

on surfaces where she walks.

Small animal veterinarian

Do cats sweat like humans?

Safe room

Y

our kitten should have a safe room prepared

for her when she arrives at your home. The

room should contain a comfortable bed, food

and water bowls (not too close together – cats

prefer their drinking water separated from their

food), and a litter tray with fine litter (for delicate

little paws!). The litter tray should be completely

isolated from food, drinking, sleeping and

playing areas. It’s a good idea to get your kitten

a scratching post and a cat gym for climbing, as

Why is a safe room important for a kitten on arrival at her new home?
well as some catnip to encourage the use thereof
(a much better option than your curtains).
If your kitten is your only companion animal,
she can start exploring the rest of your home
after about a day. If you have other animals,
introductions will have to proceed gradually and
positively, with your kitten remaining in the room
when supervision is not possible and until safety
is ensured.
Katherine Brown, behaviourist