How to Not Suck at Being a Cat Parent
Hey, being a cat parent isn’t always easy. You could spend copious amounts of time, money and energy doing everything you can think of to get your cat to love you, and they still look you dead in the eye as they slowly knock your glass of water off of that table. We’ve been there. And we’re here for you.
This page is by no means the definitive collection of all your cat related answers. We can’t even say that we 100% agree with every single thing in these videos, but they’re not a bad place to start when you have questions either. So use this page as one of the many resources at your disposal.
There are endless cat how-to videos, books, articles, blogs, movies out there. Find someone you vibe with, and learn everything you can. Or stop into the café or lounge where literally any of the staff there would love nothing more than to chat with you about your cat and brainstorm ideas to solve your cat parent woes. Heck, most of the customers probably would too! You can also always email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you and help you in any way we can.
Welcome to the world of crazy cat parents. We’re so happy you’re here. 🐱
How to Greet a Cat (Are You Doing it Wrong?)
- You have to earn their trust
- Let the cat set the pace
- Crouch down to their level
- Use soft glances
- Use the secret cat handshake
- Don’t pet them just yet
- Play hard to get
Everything you need to know before you adopt a cat!
- Be sure you can afford a pet for 15+ years.
- Prepare your home
- Pet proofing
- Establish basecamp
- block the unders
- Learn the cat’s history
- do they get along with other cats/dogs?
- how much attention does the cat’s personality require?
- Train any dogs in the house BEFORE bringing a cat home
- Do pet to pet introductions properly
- Spend lots of time with your new cat to learn about them and get them acclimated to your schedule.
Everything You Need for Your Cat | 10 Cat Essentials
- Basecamp
- Bowls
- Litterboxes
- Scoop
- Litter genie
- Food
- Scent Soakers
- Beds
- Scratching posts
- Cat trees
- Toys
- Cat proofing
- Carrier
- ID supplies
- Grooming supplies
- Nail trimmer
- Brush
WORST Mistakes You Make with Your Cat
- Looking at cats through dog colored glasses.
- Litter box mistakes
- bad location
- not enough litter boxes
- not cleaning enough
- Not catproofing your house
- cleaners
- medications
- plants
- recliners
- cords
- Using your hands as a toy
- Not socializing kittens
- Not acclimating your cat to their carrier
- Not taking your cat to regular vet visits
- Not doing pet introductions properly
- No catification
- shelves
- cat trees
- cat superhighway
- ample window space
- basecamp
- Declawing your cat
How to Get Your Cats to Stop...Everything You Hate: Every No Needs a Yes!
- Jumping on counters
- No: double sided tape on sticky feeding mat
- No: don’t leave food on counter
- No: automatic air canister
- Yes: cat tree on edge of kitchen
- Yes: jackpot treats when using cat tree
- Door dashing
- No: air canister 10ft from door.
- Yes: perch near door where they can see what’s happening from above
- Scratching x, y, z
- No: sicky paws
- Yes: scratching post right next to “no” area
- Waking you up at night
- No: ignore them completely until they’re trained
- Yes: bedtime schedule
- meal
- playtime
- Troublemaker energy
- No: sticky paws
- No: declutter shelves
- No: automatic air canister
- No: block access
- Yes: catification
- cat trees
- shelves
- scent soakers/scratchers
- Yes: playtime schedule
- wand toys
- laser toys
- kicker toys
- independent toys
Help! My New Cat is Scared of Me!
- New cats often hide at first
- consider what they’ve just been through
- Some cats are naturally shy to begin with
- Block the unders
- give them alternate cocoons
- Set up basecamp properly
- Start to establish a trusting bond
- get down to their level
- bribe
- playtime
- food
- what do they like/what do they dislike? Use this info
- take it slow
- set very small milestones
- celebrate the small successes
- push the challenge line slowly while making them feel safe
- give them time to become brave enough to explore their space, and you!
- Some cats take weeks, some take months. Be patient and go at their pace.
