Cats are beautiful, interesting, weird creatures. If you’re lucky enough to be loved by one, it’s your God-given responsibility to give them a comfortable and fun home. We wrote about the supplies you should get if you recently adopted a pet, but once you have that pet situated at home, you’ll want to create a healthy, welcoming space for them. Cats require a specific type of environment to play, scratch, and relax.
Here are our favorite products based on months of testing with our own cats. Even if our pets rejected a particular product, we still examined overall construction, design, and value to determine whether it may be of use to other kitties. Felines can be finicky, so you may have to go through a few options to find the right fit.
We won’t hold it against you if you’re more of a dog person; we have a guide to supplies and accessories for dogs too.
Updated October 2022: We’ve added a refillable cat scratcher, a slow feeder mat, and a breakaway collar.
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Photograph: Martin Poole/Getty Images
Basic Cat Rules
Dos and Don’ts
Don’t listen to the cat haters: Cats do form a connection to their human owners. And while they may be more low-maintenance than dogs, they still require thoughtful care. Here are some basic dos and don’ts when it comes to owning a cat.
DO: Separate food and water. Use multiple litter boxes for multiple cats. Give them ways to hunt their food. Ensure they get exercise. Give them places to hide and feel safe. Regularly trim their nails. Give them love and affection!
DON’T: Leave them unattended around these toxic plants. Accidentally harm them with common essential oils like eucalyptus. Feed them a vegan diet, milk (yes, really), or these other toxic foods. Declaw them.
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Photograph: Tuft and Paw
Find a Litter Box They Like
Litter Box
A litter box is essential. What kind you get depends on your cat—not every cat likes enclosed boxes, and others need high sides to shield your walls from urine (sometimes they aim high!). Experts say you should have one box per cat. If you live in a multilevel home, we suggest a box on each floor.
This plant-disguised box nicely blends into small spaces, though the price has risen since we first bought it. Rubbermaid storage bins (without the lid) work well, and they’re cheap and sturdy. I also love the simple design of the Tuft and Paw Cove Box with its detachable sides and a place to hold its scoop and small dustpan. It’s pricey, but it’s a nice upgrade to a basic box. (All Tuft and Paw products are aesthetically pleasing.) You’ll find cheap, standard litter boxes everywhere they sell pet items.
You should also get a mat for underneath the box to minimize the litter tracked through your house. These mats with deep corrugations trap a ton of litter. Just vacuum and shake it out regularly.
Want to try an automatic litter box? We have thoughts below.
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Photograph: Smarty Pear
A Self-Cleaning Box That Monitors Weight
Leo’s Loo Too Automatic Litter Box
I (Medea) was unsure about robotic litter boxes—they’re big and expensive, and experts warn that not cleaning out a box every day could mean missing potential signs of sickness. But then I tried the Leo’s Loo Too.
A connected app keeps track of your cat’s bathroom habits, alerting you when they use the box and what their weight is, so you’ll know something is off if their bathroom trips suddenly change. It also has a modern look to it that doesn’t seem out of place, and it’s loaded with sensors and safety features so it won’t spin if it detects a cat (or you) near it. My cat Eely tries to stick her head in to watch it spin, and it stops instantly. The entire thing is still big (and expensive), but the internal drum where they actually go is a bit cramped, so bigger cats might not like it.
