182 Chapter 12The cat should have access to soft, warm and comfortable bedding and be given
options for different places to rest. Bedding should be provided on elevated shelves
(Fig. 12.2), as well as in hiding boxes. Unwashed bedding supplied by the owners that
has been used previously by the cat can help it settle into a new environment as this
will contain familiar and comforting scents.
Provision must also be made for mental and physical stimulation and to allow
the cat to engage in natural behaviours by including the following:
● Scratch posts, pads, tree branches or similar, to allow scratching and climbing.
● A view, direct or via a window, of an area containing trees, bushes, etc., where
birds or other wildlife may be seen.
● Puzzle feeders to increase enrichment and stimulation (e.g. http://www.foodpuzzles
forcats.com). Cats should be monitored, however, to ensure that using food puz-
zles is not increasing or causing frustration, or resulting in the cats being unable
to access all their food requirements.
Design considerations
● A popular design for shelter or cattery pens can be to have two separate areas
with access between the two via a cat flap. Although this can be a good idea for
cats that are accustomed to and comfortable using a cat flap, others may not have
used a cat flap previously or they may be wary of using one in an unfamiliar envi-
ronment.
● Glass-fronted ‘pod’ designs are currently popular for sleeping areas. Although
glass is good for disease control and allows visitors and prospective owners to
view the cats, it denies the cat much-needed privacy. Plus, it prevents the cat from
gaining essential olfactory (scent) information about people and anything else on
the other side of the glass. Because a cat’s sense of smell is one of its foremost ways
of gaining information, this can be potentially stressful.
Fig. 12.2. Bedding should be provided in hiding places and on elevated shelves. Being in
an elevated position can help a cat to feel more in control and more at ease.