Life with a cat can be a delight, but it can also cause stress. Some of the evidence on whether companion animals improve our mental health is mixed (which I realize may be sacrilegious for me to say) so anything you can do to make your life easier will tip the scale toward your cat improving your life rather than stressing you out. Here are five things you can implement today (or today-ish) to make your life easier with your cats.
Establish A Routine
Many annoying cat behaviors such as begging for food or waking you up early in the morning can be easily mitigated by keeping your schedule as consistent as possible. If your cat knows when food is coming, they’ll be less likely to solicit food outside of that time.
This doesn’t just apply to feeding, either. Play, snuggles, or anything else your cat may look forward to can become a routine so your cat knows what their day will be like. These routines can also reduce your cat’s stress during less pleasant times like taking medication or getting their nails trimmed. Speaking of which…
Work With Your Cat On Basic Care
It may seem like pinning your cat down to trim their nails is the only way to get an important basic care task done. If you put in some time working with your cat to get them used to basic care tasks in a calmer, feline friendly way, you’ll ultimately spend less time each time you do them. Over time, it will result in less effort. Plus, you’ll be less likely to be bitten or scratched.
If you still don’t believe me, let’s do some quick math using easy, made up numbers: Currently, you spend 30 minutes clipping your cat’s nails. In order to get them trained to clip their nails willingly, you need to spend a total of 240 minutes (about 4 hours) over multiple sessions working with them.
After they are used to their nails being trimmed, it will take only 10 minutes each time. You save 20 minutes per clipping so after 12 clippings, you’ve broken even. After that, you save yourself time each time. This doesn’t even take into account the reduction in stress for all involved!
Prepare For When They Are Older
While it may not be an immediate priority, preparing your cat for things you will need to do with them when they get older or when they are sick is best done while they are healthy. Your top priority should be helping them take medications with ease and in a low stress way is going to be super helpful even if your cat currently doesn’t need medications. You can begin the training using empty gelatin capsules and a pill launcher right away.
Make Cleaning Easy
Keeping your home tidy with cats can be a challenge, especially when it comes to the litter box. While self cleaning and top entry litter boxes aren’t a great idea, there are a few things you can get that will make cleaning easier:
- A Litter Genie: I recommend Litter Genies to anyone who will listen. You scoop your cat’s litter into the pail and close it after you’re done. The odor is contained until you cut off the bag and empty it when it gets full in a few days. Easy!
- A machine washable rug: In case your cat does use your rug as a litter box, getting a rug you can just toss into the washer and will protect your floor will save you the stress of cleaning cat pee out of your carpet. My Magic Carpet or Ruggable are two reliable brands.
- A litter trapping mat: Litter trapping mats keep litter trapped and reduce how much gets all over. If you make your own litter box out of a storage tote, the lid can serve this function.
- A robot vacuum: I have a Eufy robot vacuum and find it very helpful for cleaning fur out of my rugs and keeping litter controlled between deeper cleans. Just don’t have it start running when your cat is nearby.
Take Your Cat To The Vet Yearly
Your cat needs regular veterinary care even if they are perfectly healthy. Once a year is recommended for most cats. Even if it doesn’t seem needed, your vet can check to make sure your cats aren’t displaying early signs of illness and make sure your cat isn’t becoming overweight. This prevents problems long term and will ultimately save you money on veterinary costs as your cat ages.
Or Have The Vet Come To You
If your cat struggles with going to the vet, you can work with them to go into their carrier easier or you can eliminate the need for carriers entirely. In home veterinary services can either examine your cat in your home or in a mobile van. Usually, the veterinarian or the veterinarian and a veterinary technician come with. If there’s anything they need to do that requires specialized equipment, they can work to get you connected to a facility to help your cat.
Play With Your Cat Regularly
Play has a ton of benefits to your cat including:
- Less boredom
- Less likely to fight with other cats
- Fewer destructive behaviors
- Lower risk of aggressive behaviors
- Improved physical fitness
Play doesn’t need to be complicated or extensive. Cats prefer shorter play sessions more frequently so a play session using a favorite toy for 5-15 minutes 2-3 times a day satisfies most cats. While not a replacement for active play with you, food puzzles can be used to supplement play if you’re really busy.
Feed Your Cat How Cats Like To Be Fed
How often are you feeding your cat? If you’re feeding one or two meals per day, you’re risking behavior problems related to food. It may even be part of the reason your cats aren’t getting along.
Cats prefer eating multiple small meals during the day rather than two larger ones. Feeding your cats 4 to 6 smaller meals will keep them feeling full during the day. If you keep them at the same time daily, it can help add predictability to your cats’ routines to further keep them (and you) happy.
Working Around Your Schedule
Feeding multiple smaller meals may not be easy to do with everyone’s schedule. Even if you can do 3 meals, that will help tremendously at reducing food related behavior concerns. If it’s still tough, an automatic feeder is a great solution. I have automatic feeders from PetLibro for both dry food and wet food and they help me get in five meals per day with my cats.
Ultimately, do your best. You might not be able able to perfectly space out the meals, but even splitting them up so there’s some time between them will keep your cats feeling full and happy.
