Catification

What is catification? 

Catification is what Mau is all about! In short, it’s improving your home to make it more functional and enriching for cats’ mental and physical health, but savvy catification also incorporates mature design. Think of it like babyproofing but with style. And for cats. It goes beyond babyproofing, though, which is a preventative measure to keep babies from injuring themselves. Catification additionally aims to promote a healthier, more active lifestyle for cats that mimics natural life in the great outdoors.

My house is super comfy. Why would I want to mimic the great outdoors?

Catification doesn’t ask you to make your home any less comfortable or to turn your living room into a campground. Please leave the leaves and bugs outside. It does help you to give your cat the exercise, stimulation, and security of the outdoors without having to leave the home, though, and this is critical for kitties to stay both healthy and happy. As a bonus, if you properly catify your space, you also greatly improve the chances that multiple cats will live harmoniously by creating confident, secure kitties who are less territorial and aggressive with each other. Here’s where to focus. 

Climbing

Cats are natural athletes; climbing is the best way to maintain their muscles. You remember those yesteryear stories of cats stuck in trees, requiring fire department rescues, right? These escapades didn’t come from cartoons. Cats love climbing trees for myriad reasons, some of which we’ll get into further below, but suffice it to say, for now, that it’s the best physical workout they can get, and they naturally prefer to remain fit (sorry, Garfield). If your kitty is an unhealthy weight or generally lazy, it’s almost certainly because you haven’t provided an environment that promotes, or sometimes even allows healthy activity. It’s not your cat’s true preference. The good news is that it’s very simple to remedy this problem without sending your cat outdoors to climb: Invest in a quality cat tree! Trees like Ivy from Mau Pets are made from durable materials that allow cats to leap to higher perches and climb all the way there when so inspired. And, unlike early incarnations of cat trees, the luxury trees at Mau are designed to improve your home’s aesthetic, not detract from it (they’re also available in multiple colors, with further customizable features like cushion and toy color).

Scratching

Tired of torn corners on your sofa and chairs? The solution to scratched furniture is never to declaw your cats, but simply to provide more designated scratching areas. No, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a chair to the cats; it just means you need cat furniture and toys intentionally designed to attract scratches. Some scratching is part of an essential stretching technique, and other scratching assists with grooming (nail filing), so it’s not fair to tell Whiskers not to scratch. Champion cat trees like Uni provide height while also providing sturdy scratching zones, but you can also pick up chic cat scratchers to offer additional (smaller) spaces for claw activities around the home, or if you simply don’t have space for a large tree at the moment.

Perching

Remember when we said cats love to climb for more than just exercise? Here’s the rest. As The Spruce Pets reports, cats are naturally drawn to heights because they’re both predators and prey. From higher up, they are better able to avoid being reached by larger prey animals and can see them coming more easily but, perhaps more importantly, these natural hunters use higher vantage points to spot, stalk, and attack their next meals. Hopefully, your kitties are not hunting for dinner inside your home, but they’re still innately drawn to heights and generally feel more secure when they can access them. This can be especially important for new kitties adapting to new environments, giving them a safe space to retreat while also being able to observe and survey the home and family. Cat trees are a stellar tool for offering height, of course, but wall perches for cats provide the same benefit without occupying floorspace and can add an extra splash of style to an unstyled wall. Even one is of great benefit, but multiple perches staggered at varying heights offer even greater exercise, stimulation, and escape. And speaking of escape . . .  

Escaping 

In the wild, cats are exceptional at remaining undetected when necessary, like when they’re hunting, hiding, or sleeping. In the home, cats continue to seek safe places to withdraw from too much activity or environmental stressors (or even to take those famous cat naps, which can occupy most of the day). More mature indoor cats typically realize they’re in no threat of being hunted, so wall perches can be enough, but younger cats and even some older ones may still prefer true hideouts like comfy cat caves or cat trees designed with private clubhouses, like Alba. Don’t be afraid to offer your cat plenty of hiding spaces; rather than encouraging them to disappear all day, these can inspire kitties to be more social with the knowledge that they can take a minute when needed. Fearful, insecure kitties hide all day. Supported kitties prefer to spend more time with their family members between breaks, and that includes both the humans and other pets in the home.