Give your cat a meow-nificent International Cat Day!
Who doesn’t love cats – really? And if you don’t, well then don’t tell me. I prefer to think of everyone as cat-lovers! Whether you have a cat yourself, sport cat paraphernalia, LOL at the occasional cat video or appreciate a good ol’ fashioned cat meme – I hope we all have a little love for cats. Personally, when I’m having a bad day, I just Google “funny cats” and it turns my day right around. Cat cafés have become an international phenomenon and I just keep hoping one will open here – with cities like Paris, Berlin and Montreal pouncing on the bandwagon. Stop by for coffee and enjoy the company of new furry friends!
In fact, we love cats so much that internet-famous cats have become celebrities in their own right. Their faces, expressions and actions brighten our day, and often leave us laughing. And while your cat may not yet have international recognition, it doesn’t mean s/he shouldn’t be treated like the prince or princess that they really are. I even know quite a few cats who are on Facebook or Instagram! Fun Fact: Today, some cats are viewed as celebrities, but in Ancient Egypt, they were considered divine.
With International Cat Day on August 8th, here are a few ideas on how to give your cats the royal treatment and have them livin’ in the lap of luxury. After all, we want all our special feline friends to celebrate this pawsitively fantastic occasion!
Love and Happiness. Regular playtime with your cat provides him/her with a stimulating environment and experience – this translates into a healthy, happy and loved cat. Fancy toys aren’t needed. In fact, you may find that your cat prefers household items you never intended as toys. Some great toys include: ping pong balls, paper bags and cardboard boxes. Hocus Pocus’ favourite toys are my EOS lip balms and drinking straws so I have to keep those tucked up where she can’t get to them. With all toys or favoured items, you want to be sure they’d perfectly safe for your cats. As your cats get older (Sugarplum is 15 years old), you may find they aren’t as interested in playtime. Rotating the toys and introducing something different every few weeks can really help encourage continued (gentle) play that will keep their brains sharp.
Go crazy for catnip! You might have noticed that your cat adores catnip and they aren’t the only one. Cats can react strongly to catnip because it heightens their senses – smell, touch, sight, sound and taste, causing them to run and jump around, roll on the floor and perhaps act a little… insane. While they may appear drugged, this is a natural reaction, and something that cats truly enjoy. You can purchase toys with catnip inside or sprinkle some on toys and scratch posts. Remember to ensure that your cats are in a safe space before using catnip so they don’t get hurt in all their silly running around!
Provide a vantage point. You might have noticed that your cat prefers to be on top of your closet, climbing the kitchen cupboard or finding a warm sunny patch on the window sill. Cats naturally like finding the highest spots in your house so they can feel safe from predators (although there may not be any, this is a natural instinct), and keep an eye on their territory. Midnight and Patches used to just love hanging out on the top of the refrigerator and Sugarplum loved to get inside the kitchen cabinets over the fridge (so much so that we nicknamed it the Sugar Shack). If you don’t have great perching areas available, you can create these by bringing in tall scratching posts and cat tree furniture.
Keep it clean. Cats are clean animals and take grooming very seriously – full stop. So it only makes sense that they’d want a clean litter box area too. Make sure the box always has enough litter in it, is cleaned often and placed in a quiet area with little foot traffic so it feels private and safe. You should always have at least one litter box per cat plus one extra. So if you have 2 cats like we do, you really need to have 3 litter boxes. Try Arm & Hammer ™ Clump & Seal™ Lightweight litter – it’s half the weight of our regular clumping litter and provides 7-day odor control, guaranteed. That’s a boon for both the cats and humans! Seriously, I tell all my cat-loving friends about this product. We use it exclusively because it provides the absolute best results and we have tried ALL the brands!
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