cats / Pets

Cats are on a whole different level

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Gracie hopped on top of the door to my home office so that she could watch me, without walking amongst the dogs.

Our mixed household – humans, cats, dogs, and parrots – requires a little customization so that everyone gets what they need. The dogs rule the floor; our cockatoo rules the air. The cats want a place of their own, a domain where the dogs can’t go. Only a year old and fearless, Gracie takes advantage of any vertical space she can get!

Our dogs are well-behaved and are cool with the cats, but the cats would rather be on a different plane. We’ve added some “catification” to our home, and today’s photos show just how much the cats who want to be above it all. My next post will show some of the new additions to keep our felines happy.

My husband made a cat tree from natural aspens. Gracie is sitting in the crow’s nest, even with the second floor loft. This is her favorite spot in the house. We put in the little stairs after we heard her kitten claws scrabbling at the wall when she was working on her own. I almost had heart failure, so my husband put in the stairs and ramp as a safety feature. She is very quick on those, and sometimes ignores them for a little free-climbing.

My husband has enlarged the windowsills in prime locations so that they are perfect for cats to lounge on, and he has added some shelves by windows and our bed.

This second-floor window catches the late afternoon and evening sun. There are trees outside to watch the squirrels playing.

The cats love being above the canine fray, especially if it gets them the best sunspots.

Nami is sitting on a shelf beside my bed. She likes to take command from here.

46 comments

  2. Beautifully arranged for the kitties! I know they enjoy being up high! (Didn’t mean to put publish my email address, the fields had no descriptions when I first commented. Please take that one off, I would appreciate it!)

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  3. Pingback: Cats are on a whole different level – Life With Rescues With Skyla

    1. Well, we live somewhere pretty cold most of the year, so they need a little indoor fun. In fact, although this is late summer, we are getting a snow storm tomorrow! These shelves will just make the indoors less dull.

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  11. I really enjoyed seeing your special places provided for your felines. I found it fascinating and creative. I guess I never thought about a cat needing to go vertical to any degree, but it sure suits yours! The perfection of using the aspens is poetic. You were all just meant to be there.

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    1. Aspens are my favorite tree, so when we go camping, I seek out aspen forests.They are beautiful, even without their leaves. It is a beautiful energy in our space. The cats love their cat tree route to the second floor – no dogs on their route!

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    1. That would be hard. Our miniature poodle used to sit on the lowest perch before his arthritis got bad. No self-respecting cat would. Sit that low! For the dogs, there is a couch beneath the picture window facing the street. That is their gossip and security surveillance station. I’m pretty sure they don’t want to go as high as the cats!

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    1. Thank you. She’s just a year old and pretty adventurous. I could have added even more daring photos if I thought people would sit through them!

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    1. My husband was determined that our “cat tree” would be a real tree. So when we found three whole, felled aspens in the forest (storm damage), he scooped them up, and brought them home. He added cradle-like platforms on several levels and the crow’s nest at the top! He’s a creative woodworker. We all benefit, but the cats have really made out Iike bandits.

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    1. She scares me particularly when she’s on the second story and I hear her claws against the drywall scrambling for purchase. I don’t know how she made it before the stairs and ramp.

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    1. The window shelves are a favorite here, too. Gracie explores everything! I know your cats are happy with your many accommodations to their needs. You give them elevation, which is a primal need for cats.

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