The Cats Needs to Move

September 22, 2015 6:49 AM

We are thrilled with our new apartment, but concerned about how to create fun times for our cats. In the old place, where they both "grew up", the cats would race up and down the stairs and play all kinds of games on the banister. Now that we're in a place without stairs, what can we do (or build) that will allow them to enjoy life and expend their frisky energy?

So, me, my girlfriend and our cats (Morris and Martha) moved to a new, wonderful apartment. However, this new place doesn't have any staircases. While this is great for us, it's not so great for the cats. At the old place, the cats got a lot of exercise and play on the stairs. They would race up and down to play fetch with toy mice. They'd practice Cirque du Soleil-esque balancing acts on the banister. Now all they have are flat surfaces and a cat condo with three floors. How can they still get exercise and find happiness in our new place?

posted by Gray Skies to Pets & Animals (10 answers total)

Carpeted shelves on the wall, in a stair-step type of layout, so they can hop from spot to spot and maybe occasionally nap?
posted by tigerjade at 6:56 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Making cat stairs can be as easy as buying some stringers at a local lumberyard and adding treads and carpet. Cats love to be high up on things, so stairs to give them access everywhere high would probably make them happy.
posted by xingcat at 7:03 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Get a tall cat tree or two. A favorite pastime of my two boy cats is to chase each other up and down their three trees at breakneck speeds. Got my Armakat trees from Amazon and they've held up very well.
posted by longdaysjourney at 7:09 AM on September 22, 2015 [5 favorites]

We made cat stairs out of our tallest bookcases by using sturdy books we don't care about as steps (college yearbooks, encyclopedias or textbooks are good). We put the step-books flat so they stuck out a few inches from the shelf, then overlaid them with a sturdy row of regular books so they couldn't fall. Alternate steps right and left, and voila! Good access to the ceiling mice (or whatever it was the cats were always pawing at late at night). For bonus points the tall cat tower was located within leaping range of the bookcase, so there were multiple means of access. Much kitty joy.

A similar combination of joy and exercise (though this involves human interaction) is to play treat ball by flinging them cat treats one by one across the hard wood floor and watching them scamper after them, though this works better with some cats than others. Our orange kitty is good at catching them in mid-air. (Once she caught one in her mouth.)
posted by puffyn at 7:49 AM on September 22, 2015 [3 favorites]

We have an Ikea Trofast storage unit that is like stairs. Having this near enough to a place to jump up high would be fun.
posted by advicepig at 8:13 AM on September 22, 2015

2nding Cat shelves, and then have them lead to a cat walk around the room(s). Don't forget to put a small tunnel on at least one of them, perhaps with a smallish window, so the kitty can "hide" and look out over his domain. A carpeted kitty pole leading to the cat walk would make a fun addition to the step-shelves. (Not only would the kitties like the carpeted kitty pole, but it would be a fun thing to say to your friends when they ask: Yeah, that's our Carpeted Kitty Pole.)
posted by mule98J at 8:23 AM on September 22, 2015

Best answer: Yes I did the stairs leading to a platform, and they love it. I also rearranged things so they have a wider and comfy place to both lay around in the sunshine and look out the window. They watch for the sun to hit it and spend every moment they can there when it is warm and sunny. I know that is not an energy thing- but the improved space has changed their anxious relationship and constant squabbling into a very relaxed partnership in a small apartment.
I use a laser toy to get them to run through the railroad apt too. Playtime always before feeding works best. Cats generally are less apt to play after feedings.
There's a lot of good advice about modifying your space on the TV show (and Facebook feed, and Website) My Cat from Hell, in fact he is working on a book about it. Good stuff for those who love cats.
posted by TenaciousB at 10:04 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

We've got an over the door cat shelf system that ours enjoy using. That in addition to a tall Armakat cat tree keeps our three boys happy in an apartment without stairs.

We also looked at getting some of these window perches, but decided against it solely because it gets really hot here and we keep a lot of the blinds closed during the day. Might work for you though!
posted by erratic meatsack at 10:25 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Catification is the Jackson Galaxy project to make your home cat-friendly, and his second book comes out soon.
posted by vickyverky at 12:05 PM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Wow! thank you for these wonderful ideas :-)
posted by Gray Skies at 7:51 PM on September 23, 2015