How to Design a Cat Room

Every cat deserves a special retreat---a room to call her own. Here are some tips for designing the "purrfect" cat room. Use it for your favorite feline friend, a cat who's new to your family or a foster cat.

Things You'll Need

• Floor-to-Ceiling Cat Tree
• Cat Bed
• Large and Small Baskets
• Baby Blankets
• Turbo Scratcher
• Window Perch
• Empty Carton
• Tissue Paper
• Catnip
• Kitty DVD
• Bird Feeder
• Pet Fountain
• Bowls for Wet and Dry Food
• Litter box
• Mat
• Screen Door (optional)

Instructions

Creating the 'Purrfect' Cat Room

1. Choose the room. The perfect cat room will have at least one sunny window for soaking up rays and watching the world go by.

2. Arrange the furniture. Your kitty will want a soft place to sleep, so her room should have a bed or a comfy chair. A dresser or bookcase will give her a high place to perch and will make a great location for a cat bed. As you're arranging the furniture, be sure to leave enough floor space for her to run and play.

3. Hang the bird feeder outside a window so your cat will have a great view of his feathered friends. Cats love watching squirrels, so you can put some food out for them, too.

4. Assemble the cat tree. Put it next to a window so your cat will have a front row seat for all the action outside. Attach the window perch to the sill of another window.

5. Set up the scratching post. Cats scratch to mark their territory visually and with their scent. If you put the scratching post near the door, your cat will use it to let the world know the room is hers.

6. Arrange the accessories. Put a baby blanket in the large basket and place it on the dresser or bookcase. Cats love to curl up in baskets and like to sleep up high. Put another baby blanket in the cat bed and place it on the bed or chair. Then, put some tissue paper in the carton and sprinkle catnip inside. Cats love to jump in and out of cartons and crunch around in tissue paper. Put the Turbo Scratcher in a spot where kitty will have lots of room to scratch the cardboard center and chase the ball around the outside turbo track. Use a small basket for toys.

7. Assemble the fountain. Put it and your cat's wet and dry food bowls on the opposite side of the room from the litter box and mat.

8. If your cat room is for a new arrival or foster cat, put up the screen door. The screen door will let the occupant of the room and your other cats get acquainted without having any physical contact.

Tips & Warnings

• A cat tree should have a wide, stable base, and the perches or shelves should be large enough for an adult cat to stretch out full length for a nap. Your cat will drink more if her fountain is several feet away from her food bowls. Always leave the blinds or curtains at least partway open so your cat can see outside. If you play DVDs for your cat or leave the television on, keep the volume very low. Remember, cats' hearing is much more acute than ours, and a blaring television is annoying or even painful.