Cats are people, too.

I cannot imagine not having pets. And since we have 3 cats, I just want to remind you that cats are people, too.

Currently at our house we have a dog, 3 cats, 2 hamsters, 1 guinea pig, and a goldfish.  They love unconditionally, don’t judge (well, okay, maybe the cats do), and help my kids learn compassion and responsibility. Pets are a big-time commitment and life-long (theirs) companion.  Our pets range from Megamind the goldfish, who we’ve only had a few weeks to Maggie, our 18-year-old cat, who we have had longer than the kids, since our oldest is only 17.

I have lots of great ways to make life easier living with pets, like how to care for your Guinea pig and how to organize your dog stuff, but today I thought I would concentrate on just cats.

As I mentioned, we have 3 cats, and just like us, they all have different personalities. Maggie, the oldest, is the boss, even though she is by far the smallest. Muffy is 14 and she is too fat because she eats her food and everyone else’s too, and spends her time laying around. (Hmmm, pretty good life.) Stallone is 4 and we adopted him 9 months ago. He was a feral stray that was picked up by our local rescue group and he is just the sweetest thing ever.  I think he really appreciates the comforts of being an indoor cat now 🙂 Both Stallone and Maggie are polydactyl – Maggie has 27 toes total, and Stallone has 26!

But first, have you just about given up the idea of keeping your house clean with your pets around? Here’s the solution you’ve been waiting for! (And it’s FREE) 👇

So, enough about my cats, here are some ideas to help you with yours.

Litterbox ideas.

Make a litter box out of a Rubbermaid storage box.

Make a great DIY litter box cabinet by modifying a store-bought cabinet. I love that this has drawer space as well for food and supplies.

If you don’t have a large space, but still want the litterbox out of sight, this bench is the perfect choice.

Pet supplies storage cabinet.

It’s so convenient when you can store all of your pet supplies in one place.

Paint a storage cabinet, add hooks to the doors for leashes and store supplies, and food in baskets and bins inside. This keeps everything nice and neat and makes it easy for pet sitters to know where everything is, too.

Ready to get organized? Get your free guide of 10 fast and easy ways to get organized for under $10 below, created by a professional organizer (me 😊).

Cat sit-ables.

A simple shelf covered in left-over carpet and mounted with angle brackets makes a great cat perch under a window. This is our old lady, Maggie, enjoying the view, and at 18, she appreciates not having to jump too high, and in the morning it is right in the sun – kitty heaven.

But if you don’t have the supplies, you can purchase one like this.

If you have the DIY skills to measure and cut (which I don’t, but my husband does), you can create a great custom cat tower. We have tall ceilings (9 ft) so regular store bought ones were too short, so my hubby made this one using PVC pipes, MDF board, and left-over carpet. Our youngest cat, a rescued feral who is very agile, LOVES this tower, especially since it’s near the window.

Or get this magnificent hanging macramé cat bed for you cat to sleep in style!

Cat treats.

Grow your own catnip.  It is easy to grow from seed, but  if you plant catnip in the garden, beware, it spreads like wildfire!  So after it took over my garden, I dug it all up and this year I just bought one plant in a peat pot and stuck it in a terracotta pot on my porch so it can’t spread. CAUTION: Just keep it in place where your kitties can’t help themselves! Fresh catnip is more potent than dried and they can become desensitized to it when exposed to it too often.

Kitty tip: How to grow and dry catnip.

Easy DIY catnip toy.

Fill an old baby sock with cotton balls or fiberfill and about a teaspoon of either fresh or dried, crushed catnip. Sew the end shut and you have a homemade catnip toy!

I hope you enjoy these ideas for living with your cat!  Leave me a comment with tips you use with and for your cats, and since I’ve shown you my guys, I’d love to see a picture of yours!

~ Pam