Catification ~ anyone else done it at home?

[maddercow]

Jackson Galaxy is great, alot of his advice is common cat sense,  it amazes me how clueless some of his patient's slaves are! But they do care lots which is half the battle.

He is a big fan of da bird and having cat playtime for indoor cats and for making spcaes where they can hide and climb and it works wonders for them.

I am jealous Cat-Mad, I'd would LOVE to build cat shelves and walkways for mine, sadly I can't as it is my mum's house but ... when she goes into a home.... ( )

Don't feel guilty about having indoor cats either, a) you are protecting them and other cats and b) as long as you give them lots to do and it sounds as though you do, they can be happy healthy active cats.... mine certainly are.  There are just too many hazards out there now, especially in urban areas.

Alnwick and Morpeth are lovely parts of the country by the way., I studied up in Newcastle and often had escape weekends thereabouts.

Keep us posted on what you do with your stairs.

X

[cat~mad]

I'm lucky in that Neil is fantastic at making stuff        When I first moved in with him he'd made his own bed like this one http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/19039/     This one in IKEA is £220 but Neil made a much stronger version in pine which the computer desk underneath for just £120     
  I used to always say that he'd make a fortune making 'posh' cat scratching posts if he had a workshop (or garage) but we're restricted for space being in a one-bedroomed flat       

[CatGirl]

Wow,isn't that just fantastic?would be better if you had a handy man,so that's not going to happen in my house(and i live alone with no such male)roll on winning the Lottery too.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Lupin would love that 

[cat~mad]

Oh wow!  That would be amazing to do to a house       I've saved that link in my favourites to show Neil tomorrow. 

[Purdy Bear]

There are lots on You Tube about cat shelving, condos etc.   One guy has made the place look amazing (I hope it's OK to put the link in):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9U5oDsfogc&list=PLvgviF5YwTE1YyZQJJlP-lMmvbjfAMOSc

[emmmy_lou]

Its amazing what Da bird does to cats, my Dexter thought it was real and ran off down the garden with it in his mouth! 

I used to travel to Alnwick every day when my OH worked there and the first bus didn't get him there early enough for work, thankfully the 30 odd mile round trip is no more 

[maryas]

Would be fantastic to have a big home with all those on the walls and staircase and loads of cats - oh the dream 

Mary

[cat~mad]

Yes Gill, we'll be measuring the stairs before going ahead with anything.  I was looking at them today actually and they MAY be a touch too narrow so it'll probably be the living room and bedroom that will be adapted for them both       I realy need to win the lottery as we'd love to build our own place and have it surrounded by acres and acres so even  FIV & FeLV cats could wander at will     
  We currently live in a first-floor flat but I'd much prefer a ground floor as I'm a clumsy moo at the best of times and forever slipping on the stairs and sliding down on my bum!       Our perfect home WOULD Be a bungalow! 

 Emmmy-Lou - we live in Alnwick        If you're ever up this way send me a PM and I'll give you my address and you can come and meet my two angels     

  Their Da-Bird arrived today and they LOVED it from the second I started playing with them      George especially has surprised me with his hunting prowess      I've always thought of him as a rather shy and retiring cat and Suzi being the hunter going by the way she batters her squeaky mice around      I've had to put it away in the airig cupboard out of sight!    Both cats are now fast asleep - Suzi next to me here on my desk and George on our bed 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Good point about the stairs, Gill.  But I love the idea of catification    so many modern homes have minimalist interiors which is exactly the opposite of what cats want.

I came late to Jackson Galaxy but I love "the cat from hell"!  He seems to know his stuff (or know his cats I should perhaps say)

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Just a few unhelpful thoughts about the stairs!

I love that picture but also know nothing about him as dont have sky.

However I am older and have probs getting up and down stairs and just thought I would mention about the width of stairs and what is needed for you to get things up and down and also yourself, also maybe when you are carrying things.

I have to think this guy is ameican and their properties are a lot larger than ours.

[emmmy_lou]

Hi cat~mad! Good for you, and your cats. Da bird is an amazing toy, check out the purrs shop for lots more toys. My two are partly outdoor cats, but love the cubes if there are any in stock.

Where in Northumberland are you? You don't have to say if you don't want to, but I am in Morpeth.

Sad to say I have never seen Jackson Galaxy as we don't have sky, but have heard lots about him! x

[cat~mad]

Taken from Jackson Galaxy's fantastic website 

Catification is about creating feline-friendly environments that cater to a cat’s natural instincts to climb, perch, rest, play, and own their space. Our “Catification” column brings you helpful tips for enhancing your cat’s environment. We’re here to tell you that you can accommodate your indoor cat’s need to climb, perch, play and relax — in a way that makes you both happy. Look at these great examples from cat guardians around the world who have created wonderful feline-friendly environments

  http://jacksongalaxy.com/category/catification/

  Over the coming months we plan to turn this flat into a cat palace with shelves and runways up high and completely 'catify' the place      We LOVE Jackson Galaxy and his tv series My Cat From Hell and we've said for months that we want to improve the flat to make it a fun place for George & Suzi     They are both FeLV+ so cannot go outside and I feel SO guilty about it....never mind fearful that they might be hit by a car on the road outside our courtyard    .....but I think turning our flat into Kitty Heaven may be the way to go     

  I bought them a few toys today - a Cat Dancer & a Da Bird _ as I like to alternate their toys to keep them interesting and stimulating 

  We've found a LOAD of fantastic ideas from Jackson's website above    

  But THIS pic of a stairway idea I just LOVE!  Neil was only just yesterday talking about building a walkway and shelves along and up over the stairs