New Cat? Here Are 8 Ways to Absolutely Spoil Them

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month! If you've just taken a new cat into your home, first of all, congratulations on your new family member! You might be wondering, what now? If you have some new pet anxiety (it's a thing!), you can read our guide on how to make both you and your new pet feel right at home!

One great way to make your new fluffy BFF at home is to, well, spoil them rotten. Okay, okay, that might seem like a given. What cat doesn't deserve to be treated like royalty? But by spoiling your cat (moderation is key, folks) you can actually help develop and strengthen your bond with your new cat.

Read on for 8 ways to spoil your new kitty that will have them feline fine! 

 

1. Yummy Treats!

Okay, so this one is kind of a given. It might take some trial and error to find what kind of treats your cat likes, whether crunchy or a yummy pâté. Treats are a wonderful way to kickstart bonding with your new kitty. Hand-fed treats can even help encourage your cat to recognize not to be afraid of hands near their face. You can even deposit their favorite treats in a food puzzle or hide them around the home and send them on a treasure hunt of sorts to provide mental and physical stimulation 

 

2. Indoor Cat Garden

If you notice your new feline friend has a penchant for munching your houseplants, plant them their own cat-safe kitty garden! If your cat doesn’t enjoy fresh catnip, you can plan t cat greens instead, which provide kitties with healthy greens for roughage and vitamins. Most cat greens are quick-growing grasses like wheat, barely, oat, and rye. Instagram user jonesisacat used our Tom Cat Mug as a planter for their kitty greens! 

 

3. Catnip

We've all seen videos of cats totally blissed out on catnip. But did you know that catnip is actually a good source of stress relief in cats? It creates a harmless euphoric state in cats, getting them excited to run and play and be active. Wondering why cats go crazy about catnip! You can read more about it in this article. 

4. Offer them "vertical space."

Featuring the Perch Tree Cat Tower

Cats are natural climbers - and offering them some "vertical space" in the form of a cat tree or other climbable surface, like shelves, is a great way to give your cat a safe place to call their own. Especially if you have other animals (like a dog) or small children, offering your cat a tree which they can retreat to when they want some alone time will help them grow at ease in their new home.

Cat trees aren't the only form of vertical space - cat shelves, or even just clearing out a spot on a windowsill for your cat to sit and watch the outside world from someplace bit higher up are all wonderful ways to give your kitty some vertical space.  

5. Scratchers!

Giving your cat a fun place to scratch is essential - not just for your kitty, but for your furniture, too! Cats scratch not only to relieve stress and pent-up energy, but they also do it to "mark" their territory. A new cat will be looking for visible areas in the house to scratch to make their mark. Provide them with a scratcher in these prime locations for a fun, relaxing place to scratch - without sacrificing your furniture. 

 

6. Interactive Videos

If you're away at work, you can set up your TV or Ipad to play videos designed to entertain cats! These videos often feature clips of birds or squirrels darting across the screen and keeping your cat enraptured for hours. There are also interactive apps for cats to keep them busy throughout the day! 

 

7. Plenty of Toys

Provide your favorite feline with toys that they can bat around and play with at their own leisure. Catnip-filled toys are a great choice as the catnip also stimulates and encourages your cat to play - instead of nap all day. 

Try a few toys to see what type they like best. Do they prefer a wand or teaser toy? Or are they more of a laser pointer fanatic?

Ideally, you'll want to find a toy that is fun for both you and your cat. The Mouse Hunt Toy is an interactive toy you can control from your phone while your cat does all the work. It's a fun, enriching way to play with your cat after a long day at work.

8. New Bed

VIA LUSTFORWORDS, INSTAGRAM

Nothing says "welcome home" like a new bed! Observe the areas your new cat tends to curl up in for a catnap before buying a bed. Do they seek out more sheltered areas? Try a hooded or den-like bed. Or they might prefer a bed with raised edges, like the cute fruit tart cat bed shown in the photo above! If your cat turns out not to be a fan of cat beds, there are a few tips and tricks to get your cat to actually USE their bed! 

 

How do you spoil your cats at home? Let us know in the comments!