Cat Perch Power
Cats need place to perch and climb but you don’t need to buy expensive kitty condos. With some a little ingenuity you can create perches any cat will love. Believe it or not we don’t have any cat condos at our house but we have multiple places to perch in all 11 rooms on three floors. Providing places to perch on different levels expands a cat’s world spatially. It gives a spot to nap, hide, stretch, exercise, look out a window or play king of the castle for a bird’s-eye view. Cats with a penchant for climbing need high places or they may damage drapes, cupboards or furniture to satisfy their lofty needs. You can help create healthy ways to stave off kitty boredom.
- Before making any changes, determine your cat’s ability to jump. Some cats may struggle to jump up on a chair while others like our Odin can leap to the top of a six-foot-high armoire or refrigerator.
- Next, take a tour of your home room by room making note of what furniture and accessories could be moved, rearranged or re-purposed.
- Windows are favorite spots for bird TV but don’t underestimate a closet shelf.
- Domino prefers staying low to the ground and loves guarding the “stairway” to the #1 perch in our house.
For elderly and blind Merlin, these gradual stairs are a godsend. You could substitute a step stool or decorative boxes.
If you’re handy with a hammer, simple shelves with wall brackets positioned at different heights make an easy kitty highway.
Skinny Gris Gris loves the adjacent windowsill but hefty cats like Domino would not fit. Luckily there is a new bracket (coming soon!) from Brawny Cat that will fit any cat bed for an instant windowsill.
Domino, shown here in our #1 perch. It is simply a Tempurpedic pillow with a heating pad on top of a radiator cover. It fits one cat spread out, or up to three cats who like each other i.e. as in this cat “sandwich”.
We’re big fans of cushions. I place cushions on the floors, on top of shelves, furniture like desks. I like safe perches where cats can jump from one surface to another like in the cat room. Be sure all perches are secure with non-slip surfaces and no sharp or protruding edges. Try to clear all or most objects to another location. If you must keep a few items, make sure they’re unbreakable or secured with museum putty. 
You may have overlooked a perfect perch location. I’m not an early bird and had forgotten how gorgeous the early morning light is in my dressing room. There already was a perch by the dressing table but the plain east-facing radiator was clearly under-utilized. I placed a pillow, a beach towel on top and a cat bed and voila, a new perch. It’s now Domino’s favorite place in the morning.
Try creating one new perch for your cat(s) this weekend! Do you have any tips of your own?
Merlin sometimes likes enjoying a meal with a view from his favorite perch. In this case, freeze-dried raw chicken, the exceptional new Oracle cat food from Dr. Harvey’s. Did you enter our fab giveaway? Be sure to enter our next one! The 3 lucky winners from our Oracle giveaway are going to receive large bags valued at $38.95 each in their choice of flavors from Dr. Harvey’s are Steve F., Ms. Phoebe and Oui Oui. Congratulations! Please look for an email from Layla and Cat Wisdom 101. If we don’t receive a response within four days we will randomly select another winner.
18 Comments
chaturbate girls
Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog!
We arre a collection of volunteers and starting
a new project in a community in the same niche.
Your blog provided us usful information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
Jobi and Fisher
You have the best ideas! Everytime I read about your cats, the love and joy of them just shines through in your words and actions.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Thanks so much! Cats are LOVE :-0
Abby
We had trouble leaving a comment yesterday.
We hope it was just a WP blip.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Thanks for letting us know. It happens.
CATachresis
I am surprised that Odin doesn’t have problems judging distances when he’s jumping! He is amazing! Domino is fast becoming a bit of a star in this house 🙂
Layla Morgan Wilde
It’s remarkable but his depth perception is perfect. And yes Domino is really coming into his own. Purrs to you and Austin!
Katnip Lounge
We have many cat trees and places to perch, including the skyways and upper lounge on the Catio. The only two places off limits are the pot shelf in the kitchen and the china cabinet. Remarkably, I really think they stay off of them, too! (no pawprints when I dust)
Layla Morgan Wilde
You have a the best perches!
Julia Williams
Those are all awesome tips!! I do have one cat tower situated in front of a window, which is a favorite perch. My two boys also like the back of the sofa, so I place a blanket there for them.
P.S. $1,000 for a cat condo!! Wow, glad I don’t shop there! I bought a fairly large one from Drs. Foster & Smith for around $125. Still, free is good too, so these are great ideas.
Thanks!
maggie
These are great ideas. As my cats get older I have some cute little sturdy children’s chairs placed as intermediate stairs around the house. I also have some wooden boards under the books on our tall bookshelves. They stick out about 8 inches and make a stairway up to the top. I need to rethink it. Although it works, it’s not pretty!
Layla Morgan Wilde
Maggie, I use vintage children’s chairs as well. That’s an interesting idea about putting a board under books. The books would have to be heavy ones, yes?
Deb n Cats
Your prescience astounds me, Layla. I’m in the process of decluttering the living room with an eye toward perches for the ladies. Thanks for the great ideas.
The Island Cats
We love to sit in windows and the mom always puts scratchers, stools and things by them to make it easier for us to access them. Hey, Merlin! I have that same bowl!
Ernie
Caren Gittleman
Cody is definitely a “tree dweller” and many of your suggestions he would just LOVE! We are just limited on windows since we are on the 2nd floor of an apt/condo building.
Sam and Pam
Sam is no longer a climber or jumper but he DOES love to be “up” and we’ve facilitated that with a variety of “help” like footstools…..He loves looking out of windows and just hops up on the couch to spend hours looking out. His window perches are favorites at certain times of the year – he uses them in winter but not in summer. Your suggestions are all wonderful and we employ similar peeking opportunities for Sammy around our house. Your crew sure has some wonderful cozy spots – especially the radiators!
Hugs, Pam
Sparkle
This is all good advice, I but I like the idea of humans shelling out the money for an expensive kitty condo too! 😉
Layla Morgan Wilde
Yes, some condos are fabulous but can cost up to $1000. The focus of this post was cost-saving DIY ideas.