Living with a cat is easy; living well with a cat takes a little know-how. These guides cover the fundamentals — scratching, play, hydration, grooming and feeding — in plain language, with no products pushed at you. Where a product genuinely helps, we mention it and link to it. The rest is simply good practice.
Setting up a scratching station your cat will actually use
Cats scratch for three reasons: to stretch their bodies, to shed the outer layer of their claws, and to leave scent marks that say “this is mine”. Punishing a cat for scratching the sofa misses the point — they need to scratch, so the trick is to make the right surfaces more appealing than the wrong ones.
Stability comes first. A post that rocks or tips over teaches your cat that scratchers cannot be trusted, and they will go straight back to the armchair. Place the scratcher where your cat already scratches, not tucked away in a corner. Cats like to stretch up after a nap, so a spot near their favourite sleeping place works brilliantly.
Material matters too. Most cats love sisal rope for a full vertical stretch, while corrugated cardboard suits horizontal scratchers. Rub a little catnip into the surface for the first week to get things started, and praise or treat your cat every time they use it. Within a fortnight, the sofa usually survives untouched.
Ten minutes of play, twice a day
Indoor cats still carry the instincts of hunters. Without an outlet, that energy turns into night-time zoomies, rough play with hands, or weight gain. The answer is structured play: short, focused sessions that mimic a hunt.
Wand toys are the gold standard. Move the feather or lure like prey — darting, pausing, hiding behind furniture — and let your cat stalk, chase and pounce. Finish with a “catch” they can grab, then offer a small treat or a meal. This hunt-catch-eat sequence satisfies the instinct completely and settles them down.
Rotate toys rather than leaving them all out. A toy that disappears for a week becomes exciting again when it returns. And avoid laser-only play sessions: the frustration of never catching the dot can stress some cats, so always finish with something tangible they can grab.
Fresh water, happy cat
Many cats are fussy drinkers, and chronically low water intake is linked to urinary and kidney problems, especially in males. Fortunately, a few small changes make a big difference.
First, location. Cats instinctively avoid drinking next to their food — in the wild, water near a kill site may be contaminated. Place the water bowl in a different spot from the food bowl, ideally in a quiet area your cat passes often. Second, go wide: deep, narrow bowls push sensitive whiskers against the sides, which many cats dislike. A wide, shallow dish is far more inviting.
Third, consider moving water. A pet water fountain keeps water oxygenated and flowing, and most cats find it irresistible. Change filters as directed, top up daily and wash the bowl weekly, and watch their intake climb.
Grooming without the drama
Regular grooming keeps coats healthy, reduces hairballs and gives you an early warning of skin problems, lumps or parasites. The key is to keep sessions short, calm and rewarding.
For most cats, a weekly brush is plenty; long-haired breeds need a little more. Use a deshedding or slicker brush with gentle strokes in the direction of the fur, and keep the first sessions to two or three minutes with a treat at the end. If your cat tenses up, stop — you can always try again tomorrow.
Nails need trimming every few weeks. Press the paw gently to extend the claw, and clip only the sharp tip, well clear of the pink quick. If you are nervous, ask your vet to demonstrate at your next visit — it takes seconds once you have seen it done.
Making meals work harder
Cats evolved to work for their food, and a bowl of biscuits left down all day does nothing for their minds or their waistlines. Puzzle feeding and slow feeders turn meals into enrichment.
A slow feeder bowl with raised ridges forces your cat to eat around the obstacles, which slows fast eaters and reduces vomiting after meals. For dry food, a treat-dispensing ball is even better: fill it with part of their daily ration and let them bat it around the room. It is exercise, entertainment and dinner in one.
Introduce new feeding methods gradually, alongside the old bowl, so your cat never goes hungry while learning. Most cats take to puzzle feeding within days, and owners often notice calmer behaviour and healthier weight within weeks.
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