A lot of pet owners worry about having a cat in an apartment. They have questions like: Is the space going to be too small? Will the cat be happy? How do I keep my space clean? Can I responsibly have a cat in my apartment?

Not to worry – you can definitely successfully keep your cat in an apartment (as long as your apartment allows pets) by cleaning often, providing lots of vertical space, challenging your cat mentally, and cat-proofing your apartment!

In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at each of these cat tips, and by the end of the post, you’ll be more prepared to make your feline companion feel at home in your apartment!

Clean Every Day 

Like any pet, cats require related cleaning and maintenance. Unlike a dog, it’s not likely you’ll be able to take your cat outside to designated areas to use the bathroom (some cats like leashes, but it’s rare.) Your cat will need a litter box or two, and in a smaller living space, you’ll want to be sure to check them every day and scoop out their mess in order to keep your and your cat’s space smelling nice and fresh!

Cats, like other pets with fur, will shed. It’s one of the immutable facts of pet ownership. While you won’t necessarily have to do it every day, you’ll want to vacuum and sweep at least once a week to make sure that there’s not too much fur getting everywhere!

Provide Lots of Vertical Space

Cats in the wild would normally have a quite large territory they lived in. While you might not have a ton of horizontal space in your apartment, cats consider vertical space a part of their territory as well! 

You can get tall cat trees and place them strategically throughout your space to increase your cat’s territory. Do you have tall bookshelves or other furniture? Consider placing a cat tree nearby so the cats can reach it and use the shelves to traverse your space. If your apartment will allow furniture to be hung directly to the walls, consider placing hanging shelves around your space for your cat as well. 

Challenge Your Cat

Cats are quite intelligent creatures, and like us, they require mental stimulation to be happy! While you might not be able to be home 24 hours a day to play with your kitty, you can buy toys for them designed to stimulate their brains and encourage critical thinking skills. 

You can stop by your local pet store to ask for advice on the latest cat toys and brain teasers, or order them directly online from a specialized web pet store! 

When purchasing toys, keep in mind their potential noise level. Lots of cats are most active at night, and you don’t want toys that will keep you and potentially your neighbors awake! So if you get toys for them that make a lot of noise, make sure to hide them before bedtime. 

Cat-Proof Your Apartment

Long-time cat owners will likely already be prepared and cat-proofed, but it’s always a good idea to double check things when moving into a new space.

You’ll want to be sure that your windows and doors are secure so your little furball can’t escape (and make sure they’re microchipped just in case they do manage to MacGuyver their way out of your place!) 

Also, you should make sure that there aren’t any hazardous things for your cats laying about – be sure to know what kinds of plants are poisonous for your cat, and make sure that they can’t access any of your cleaning supplies or other chemicals!

Are you looking for the perfect apartment for you and your feline companion? 

We hope these tips will help you take steps to be the best apartment-dwelling cat owner around! Are you moving and looking for the perfect community?

Contact Syringa Property Management today, we’d be more than happy to help you find the perfect housing community to settle down in.

Syringa Property Management, Inc. is a real estate management company committed to the service of our clients and our customers. It is the goal of Syringa to provide the best possible housing environment for our tenants while fulfilling the goals of the owners.