Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or Singles Awareness Day on February 14th, don’t forget the most important being in your life when it comes to showing some love. Your cat may not know what day it is, but they’ll appreciate any extra love you give to them. Whether you want to buy them something as a Valentine or improve your relationship, there are so many different ways to show your cat you love them.
Change Your Interactions
Do you do something that’s totally free and really easy to do? Show your cat you love them by changing how you interact with them. Namely, respect that they are a sentient being with autonomy. Rather than force them into being petted or interacting with you, do a quick consent test in your cat: offer a finger and only pet them if they initiate contact. If they back off, don’t touch them.
This also goes for how you focus on your cat’s behavior. If you use a squirt bottle, toss it in the trash or use it to water some cat grass. They’re not only not as effective as people think they are, but they can damage your relationship with your cat. If you need help figuring out how to address your cat’s behavior without a squirt bottle, I’m happy to chat.
Spend More Time With Them
Be honest: How much time do you play with your cat each day? Do you remember the last time you did play with them? Tossing toys out on the floor doesn’t count, either: when was the last time you actively tried to play with your cat?
Many cats don’t get enough mental stimulation or have a chance to act out their natural hunting instincts via play. For many cats, play is their love language so your cat would likely appreciate if you spent more time actively engaging them in a play session. And yes, that includes your cat that doesn’t seem to like playing. They may just want you to play with them differently or use a different toy.
Train Them
Want to bond with your cat and communicate better? Consider training them! Training is fun and will help you teach your cat directly how to behave rather than just stopping a behavior. You don’t need much more than their favorite treats, a clicker like the Clicino Clicker Ring, and a knowledge of what to do.
You can train almost any behavior the cat is physically capable of doing. To get started, you can get a kit with instructions or book a private session with me.
Keep Their Litter Box Clean
It may seem like a silly way of showing your cat you love them, but cleaning a litter box is pretty unpleasant. By committing to doing it regularly, you’re showing your cat you love them by keeping one of their most important resources in top shape. In fact, anything you struggle with doing for your cat that you really need to be doing can be an act of love. If you don’t clip your cat’s nails or skip out on a yearly vet visit, recommitting to doing that show them you care and want them to be healthy.
Get Your Cat A Valentine
In addition to enriching your cat’s life, you can get them a little something something. While they may not be able to read an actual Valentine, it’s never wrong to spoil your kitty with some new goodies!
Go Big With Cat Furniture
If your cat just has one cat tower, you probably need at least one more. If you have multiple cats, you need way more than just one. Consider getting a customizable tower like the PetLibro Inifity Cat Tree or an over the door cat tree that will only take up space you’re not using anyway. Adding in more cat stuff is a great way to reduce your cat’s stress and make sure they feel secure in their home.
Other great items to consider? More scratching posts and a water fountain. Scratching posts can help your cat mark their territory whereas water fountains will encourage your cat to drink more. You can never have too many things in your home for your cat.
Get A Fun New Toy
Every cat has their preferences for what toys they like, but a few toys seem to be universally popular. If you haven’t tried the Cat Dancer with your cat, they’re missing out. It’s a wire with pieces of cardboard paper rolled up and cats go crazy for it. You can try the similar Fukumaru wand toy that is basically a Cat Dancer with feathers.
Drugs
You’ve probably heard of catnip, but has your cat experienced the euphoria of silver vine? Silver vine is a catnip alternative that more cats respond to than they do catnip, including many cats who don’t have a response to catnip. Show your cat you love them with drugs! Thankfully, these types of drugs are perfectly safe and won’t cause any long term issues with your cat. I personally love Meowy Janes’ silvervine powder and suggest you start there.
Show Your Cat You Love Them Every Day
Valentine’s Day is just one day of the year, but your cat can be your valentine every day. Don’t just change your interactions with your cat to show your cat you love them one day. Instead, make a real change their life every day. Being kinder to your cat year round is the best gift they can get!
Want to learn more about feline love? Check out my blog on gay cats and if they’re a thing or a myth like black cats being bad luck.
