Cats may not be the most expressive and sweetest furbaby out there. Nonetheless, we love them just as much, and we want to give them the life they deserve. We are always looking for ways to make our fur babies happy and comfortable. One of the ways to do this is by getting handy and cute cat products for your kitties. These would not only improve your cat’s life, but it would also make things much easier for you.
Before buying tools and accessories for your cat, you must first get a general understanding of their behavior, likes, and dislikes. In the larger picture, cats like to have personal space, lots of naps, and clean areas. Cats like to keep it subtle, but it does not mean they do not want your attention and care. Throughout this article, we will explore various basic cat behaviors in detail and what cute cat products you can get for their needs.
Table of Contents
Basic But Fancy
First on our list are smart and cute tools for your cat’s necessities. We want to look for cute cat food and water bowls for our kitties just like how we look for lovely platter and mug designs for ourselves.
1. Automatic Pet Feeder
If you are a fur parent who works for long hours and you tend to leave your cat alone in your house, you might want to consider getting an automatic pet feeder. It is a dispenser-like type of cat bowl. It releases a certain amount of food from the container whenever the bowl/feeding platform empties.
However, veterinarians are a bit iffy about relying too much on automatic feeders. One downside of using automatic feeders is that you only get to feed your cat with dry food, which is relatively higher in calories than canned or wet food. If not properly regulated, your cat may eat excessively and later lead to obesity.
Luckily, automatic pet feeders come in different sizes and styles depending on your purpose for buying one. Any automatic feeder will do if your only concern is to feed your cat freely. But if you want to regulate your cat’s diet, you might want to get an automatic feeder with adjustable size and speed of dispensing.
There are also some stories of fur parents who experienced malfunctions with their automatic feeder. Sometimes, they come home after a few days only to find out that their feeder broke, and it was not dispensing adequately to keep the cat well-fed. Before resorting to automatic feeders, it might be best to consider the period you’re going away and your specific cat’s behaviors and attitudes. Also, check this article for the essential things you need to know before getting an automatic feeder.
However, if you think feeders will not suit your cat, you can opt for getting a pet-sitter instead.
2. Water Fountain
Do you find your cats drinking from places like the faucet sink or the bathroom – anywhere other than their water bowl? If you do, there are a few explanations around this cat’s behavior.
As carnivorous creatures, their high-meat diet is their primary source of water, and there is a little need for them to drink often. But for domestic cats, this may not be the case. Cats can be a picky eater. It is relatively harder to get them to eat or drink something, especially if they have a particular odor or color they do not like, such as with some tap water sources.
According to Deb Greco, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, a cat’s drinking behavior roots from their instinctual history. As hunting animals, cats are ‘suspicious’ of still or stagnant water. She says, “It’s hard for cats to get water, because they can’t really see still water well, and they may feel vulnerable sitting at a bowl, especially if it’s in a corner, so they have their back to other cats who might jump on them.”
If you find your cat generally preferring running water more, you can check out these cute cat water fountains. Water fountains usually come with a replaceable charcoal filter that purifies and clears out any odors and color that would prevent your cat from drinking. You can try using one of these instead of the usual water bowl if you want to get your cat to drink more.
Additional Tips to Get Your Cute Cat to Eat and Drink More
Before we leave the topic on food and water accessories, let’s look at what some veterinarians say to fur parents who want to get their kitties to eat and drink more.
First off, you might want to think about the bowl’s size you’re getting for your cat. Dr. Julia Fritz, DVM, a specialist on animal nutrition and dietetics, wrote: “Small-diameter water bowls are generally preferred by cats, and wherever possible an owner should provide a variety of bowls of differing materials and in different sizes.”
Another tip, according to Dr. Stefanie Handl, you might want to try putting your cat’s water bowl at a distance from their food bowl. She says, “Many owners will only provide one watering point for their cat, and this is very often next to the food bowl – but cats generally prefer water points sited away from where they eat.”
3. Litter Box
Being a pet owner means being happy and taking full responsibility for your pets. Of course, beyond the cute cat, Instagram-worthy moments, there is the “dirty work” of fur parenting – it is the potty training and cleaning after your cat.
There are several cute cat litter box varieties you can find over the internet. You can choose from cute but straightforward cat litter boxes to automatic and high-tech ones.
Hidden Litter Box
If you do not have much space around the house and cannot bear to have your kitty’s litter boxes exposed, there is such a thing called hidden litter boxes. These are cute cat litter boxes that mask as either a drawer stand or a pot of a plant that can easily blend in as a furniture display. Check out this innovative and cute cat litter box; I bet you didn’t guess what it was at first glance.
Litter-Robot
Let’s move on to more high-tech but still cute cat litter boxes. Did you know that there is now a kind of litter box that notifies on your phone whenever the waste disposal is full?
Cat litter boxes now come in the form of automated technologies. The trending Litter-Robot is another must-have for fur parents who leave the house for long hours.
It has a cute cat hole for your cat to enter and have their toilet time. Your kitty will have to sit there, and the machine will filter your cat waste from the litter sand. It empties into a temporary waste collector, which sends a notification to your phone when it’s full.
Because of its very promising features, the down-side to this type of cute cat product is its cost, which is around $500. If you have a budget for this, by all means, go ahead. But if not, there are numerous other automated cute cat litter available.
Litter Maid
Similar to the Litter-Robot, this Litter Maid cleans up after your cat. Every 10 minutes, a raking clump cleans the litter to a waste collecting area. It also has a raking cleanser for your kitty’s paws. Litter Maid is much cheaper than most automated litter boxes, costing just around $80. However, a notable disadvantage is that its raking system is noisy, and scooping and replacing are more frequent.
4. Cute Cat Furniture That Suits Your Home
One of the struggles of being a fur parent is almost not having the luxury to buy nice furniture. Most of the time, our pets can be invasive and possessive and take over our things. Our sofas end up getting covered with fur or getting turned into a scratch post for cats. The next set of products will give you ideas on cute cat products that match your furniture with simple and minimalistic designs.
Cat Scratch Posts
First on our list is the cat scratch posts. Cat scratching can be annoying for people, but for cats, this is their nature, and they do this for a variety of beneficial reasons.
Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DMV explains that, “It relieves anxiety; it’s a form of exercise; it hones their nails; it strengthens and stretches their muscles; it marks territory.” The pads in the cat’s paws contain scent glands that leave a mark of smell on the things they scratch. So, when cats scratch your furniture, they could be marking these as their territories.
You cannot stop a cat from scratching, but you can redirect them, and one of the ways you can do this is by getting a cat scratch post. Before buying one, figure out where your cat usually scratches. Please note the object’s material and texture and try to look for scratch posts similar to them.
Other important things you should look for when getting scratch posts are:
- Cats prefer taller scratch posts, so they can stretch as they scratch. Tall scratch posts can enhance your cat’s flexibility, too.
- Make sure the post is sturdy. Your cat will not likely use the bar if it wobbles because they know that it might fall on them.
- Try to get a scratch post that is different from your furniture. Having a distinction between the texture of your cat’s scratch posts and your furniture prevents your cat from generalizing the things inside your home as scratch posts.
- Hollow scratch posts are better because they are sturdier, and they make more noise, which is satisfying to our kitties.
- If you can, provide various scratch posts and make sure that your cat can use it both horizontally and vertically.
However, if you still cannot manage to deter your cat from scratching your sofas, you could opt for something like a Sofa Scratcher. It serves as a covering for your sofa to protect them from your kitties’ nails.
Cat Sleeping Beds
Cats sleep most of the time. On average, they need about 16 hours of sleep every day. As you might have noticed, cats sleep wherever and whenever they want. They like warm, isolated, and elevated areas for sleeping. It might be cute and all, but it can be a problem sometimes. Kitties tend to topple things over just to fit themselves in between your items.
To avoid this, you could buy or make different kinds of sleeping areas for your cats. In this way, your cat will be cozy sleeping in his bed, and you do not have to worry about your vase breaking.
The Fabric Cat Maze
If you have space, you could install a fabric cat maze. It is a cool resting place for your kitty made out of fabric mounted on your wall. It has a minimalistic design, too, and so it would go well with your furniture.
Nap Cocoon
The nap cocoon hits all of the three things cats love the most when sleeping: elevated, isolated, and warm. Just like the Fabric Cat Maze, it adds thrill on the cat’s way to their sleeping beds as the cat will have to climb up first. However, it is a bit more spacious compared to the first one.
If you do not have the money and space to install these, you can still make a simple but cute cat bed. It can be just a small bed with four stands on your house’s little corner for your cute cat.
Overall, all we want for our fur babies is to give them a comfortable life. We want to repay them the joy they are giving us. Here at The Furry Companion, you can find people with the same interests in improving our pets’ lives. Feel free to check out other posts and tips on being an excellent furry friend/parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I buy my cat?
There are tons of cute cat product suggestions over the internet -from sleeping accessories to cute cat toys. As mentioned in this article, accessories that would cater to the cat’s necessities should be the first things you will buy for your cat. Essentials include separate water and food bowls, litter boxes, cat scratching posts, and collar and cat ID tag.
Generally, cats love sleeping in elevated and warm beds. Getting a sleeping area beside the window or mounted on your wall is always an excellent idea.
What are things that cats love?
Cats like having a stimulating environment where they can play. But at the same time, they also love a place to sleep where they could be comfortable and isolated. So make sure your furry friend has a cute cat bed or sleeping area for the long naps. Aside from that, cats like to groom a lot. They may be one of the most meticulous creatures we know.
How do I tell my cat I love him?
Slow eyes blink. As you may have noticed, cats often do slow eye blinks as their gestures. This is their use to communicate with their humans, as well as with the other cats. Besides that, you can try meowing or imitating the sounds they make; they will know you are showing them, love.
What do cats hate most?
A few of the things cats hate are strong citrus smell, spoiled food, loud noises, overly aggressive petting, and yucky medicine. Also, do take note that cats hate feeling lonely. So always ensure to make your furry friend feel loved.
Why do cats hate belly rubs?
The cat’s belly and tail contain a lot of hair follicles. Touching them in these areas can be overstimulating, which is uncomfortable for your kitty. To avoid getting scratched by your cat, learn to read their mood when they show you their bellies. It’s either a play mode or a trust test – it means she trusts that you won’t take advantage of their vulnerability.
Do cats know they’re cute?
Cats know they are cute. They make further effort to show their cuteness if they want to lure you for some cat treats or a sumptuous meal. I mean, who could deny that cute cat looks, right?
Do cats think we’re cats?
So far, no evidence has shown if cats perceive us differently than cats. Cats see us as a hairless and more giant cat and treat us like their kind according to cat experts.
Do cats know we love them?
Although there is no scientific evidence that shows if cats feel love or intimate emotions, they do know that you are important to them. They can sometimes be subtle as they view you as a means of survival. However, do not feel sad about it! It’s the closest thing they can manifest to show love.
What are some cute kitty names?
The top five cute cat names are:
- Lily
- Kitty
- Luna
- Oliver
- Simba
What is the cutest cat?