March 3, 2021 Back Home

The Real House Cats of Suburbia: A Guide to Living in the Burbs with your Best Bud

Loving living in the burbs and want to add a new cat to the mix? Caring for a kitty while living in a suburban setting has its own special quirks, so be sure you’re ready for the responsibility.

Whether you’re thinking of adopting a cat companion to share your home with, or if you’re just looking for ideas on how to make your cute suburban house a litter more cat-friendly, we have some thoughts for you!

But first things first…let’s cover your suburban cat’s wellbeing.

HOW TO SHOP, CLEAN, AND CARE FOR A SUBURBAN CAT!

Here’s a few tips on how to provide a neighborhood-dwelling feline a safe and enriching life:

IN OR OUT?

There’s a lot more to consider when it comes to letting your cat go outside alone in a suburban area compared to a rural one. Increased traffic, heightened likelihood of coming across another cat or dog, and the fact that your feline may disturb the property or gardens of your neighbors are all things to consider. It’s important to know that any domestic feline can live a full and exciting life indoors as long as they’re provided with enrichment.

You’ll ultimately never be able to ensure that your outdoor feline returns safe every day – but, if your cat just can’t get enough of their independent adventures, there are plenty of measures you can take to give you some more peace of mind, such as GPS tracking, microchipping, and the use of breakaway collars with ID tags.

Supervised Stimulation

Although your neighbors won’t be happy if your cat digs up their garden, we’re sure they’ll smile if they see you taking your feline for a walk in the neighborhood. Most cats love to spend time outside and can be properly leash trained with the right amount of patience and treats.

Outdoor playpens are another option for providing your cat with time outside; these structures range in price and permanence to suit your situation, and can be either purchased or built.

Decorating your space with pet-safe plants can give you and your feline a similar feeling to being outside in nature, and plants like wheatgrass, catnip, and barley sprouts can even serve as a delicious snack that grows back!

The Window is a TV

Window perches can provide your feline with hours of birdwatching entertainment, aren’t a big financial investment, and can be added onto windows temporarily.

All you need is some bird feeders to hang outside of the window and an existing, pre-built, or custom window perch to allow your cat to get a first-hand glimpse of nature and the prey they love to chirp at year round.

Cat Care Convenience

Generally, having enough storage isn’t a big issue in suburban homes like it is in city apartments, so purchasing any cat supplies you may need in bulk can help save you time and money.

Auto-shipping is also a useful tool that’s widely available to help when it comes to forgetting to restock on important supplies like litter and food.

TIPS FOR GIVING YOUR CAT A SUPERB SUBURBAN HOME

Feline confident about the basics of caring for your cat? Don’t stop there! There’s so much meow to cover when it comes to enriching your cat’s lifestyle in the suburbs.

PLAY DATES AREN’T JUST FOR KIDS

If you have any friends in the area who happen to have an outgoing feline, it may be worth-while to consider introducing your cats, especially if they live in single-cat homes. Doing so at a young age can provide better results, but nonetheless, it’s important for each cat owner to be confident in their feline’s ability to be friendly and kind before introducing them to a new friend.

Cats can be territorial so it’s usually best to introduce two cats in a neutral environment where they have space to hide if they want, and we know that this sounds like a lot of work but with patience and persistence your feline can earn the trust of a lifelong playmate.

Get a friend or Give back

Fostering a cat is a great option for a lot of households, and there’s a lot of options for folks living in suburban areas.

This temporary housing arrangement helps to free up space in shelters and your foster home could turn into a permanent situation if the foster feline ends up fitting in well with your family. It’s definitely something to consider if your existing cat has been longing for companionship and if you have the space and resources necessary.

In addition to fostering, donating extra treats, food, litter, toys, blankets and supplies to animal shelters is amongst the easiest ways to care for cats that aren’t yours and doing this once in a while can make a huge difference for an entire shelter.

If this is too much of a financial burden, there are a lot of other ways to help out your local shelter without spending any money – from volunteering to spreading the word on social media.

Knowing how to care for your cat can change depending on where you live, but the one thing that doesn’t change is the need for a long-lasting and naturally safe litter box solution. Try World’s Best Cat Litter® … it’s the #1 natural cat litter made from whole-kernel corn.