How to Get a Cat to Use a Cat House

Whilst cats can be great companions, most love having their alone time too. This is because cats are solitary predators, meaning that they hunt alone as opposed to in packs like our canine furry friends do. Cats will also establish their own territory via spraying, ‘claiming’ an environment as their own, which is somewhere they should be left undisturbed. This is why it’s a good idea to invest in an indoor cat house – a safe and quiet space for your cat to relax in privacy, away from the chaos of the rest of the household! But how do you get a cat to use a cat house?

Firstly though, if you’re unfamiliar with what a cat house is exactly, they’re a shelter specifically designed for cats to be able to retreat to. Whilst some cat houses are designed to stay outside in the garden, should you have an outdoor cat, they’re not an alternative to your cat living inside of the family home. Think of it more like a home within a home for your pet.

A frequently asked question is whether cats actually like indoor cat houses. The answer to this is yes! If your cat has never used a cat house before, it could take them some time to get fully used to the idea, and they may not immediately take to their new cat house. However, rest assured, there are steps you can take to get your cat comfortable within their new shelter and once they’ve settled in, they’ll love getting cosy in their own little den!

How Will My Cat Benefit from a Cat House?

Indoor cat houses are beneficial to cats for a number of reasons, as we’ll find out. Furthermore, the Omlet Maya Indoor Cat House is great for humans too! The stylish and easy-to-clean design will fit into your home perfectly, doubling as a storage facility, making for an ideal solution all round.

Privacy

If you live in a fast-paced household, your cat might not always appreciate being the centre of attention! A cat shelter will be beneficial to your cat in that it allows them to have privacy in their own shelter, moving them away from the hustle and bustle of the home.

Safety

Another benefit of a cat house is that they provide your pet with an enclosed environment, which gives them an element of safety. If you’re a cat owner, you may be familiar with cat hiding behaviour, which cats do because a secure space can make them feel safe. It’s not usually anything to be concerned about, unless it becomes excessive, which could then be a sign of an underlying issue. If you notice your cat also avoiding eye contact, running away, or tucking their tail under them, they may be suffering with anxiety. In this circumstance, it’s always a wise idea to get advice from your vet, however, a cat house offers anxious cats their own hideaway within the family home, that will give them assurance that they have their own ‘safe zone’.

Comfort and Cosiness 

A cat house will also provide your cat with a comfortable, cosy, and warm space, which is especially important during the colder months. You can place your cat’s bed inside of their indoor cat house, so they can enjoy sleeping and relaxing in their snug shelter.

How do I Get My Cat to Use a Cat House? 

Just as you’d make your bedroom your own with cosy furnishings and decorations, it’s important that you make your cat’s house into a home too! By creating an environment your cats love, it will make it a lot easier for them to get into the swing of getting into their cat house.

Treats

It’s important that your furry friend associates their house with being a positive environment. One way to do this is by using cat treats to lure them in. Simply place some of your cat’s favourite treats in and around their cat house and watch as they are unable to resist going in. This form of positive reinforcement will make for a much simpler transition. Once your kitty has realised that the shelter is somewhere they actually enjoy going to, you should no longer need treats to guide them in, and they should willingly walk in by themselves.

Catnip

Why not try some catnip? – a firm favourite amongst a lot of cats, due to effects of the chemical compound nepetalactone, found in the leaves of catnip. You can read more on why cats go crazy for catnip in this previous blog here. Unless your cat is unreactive to the substance, the scent can’t be missed by cats, so it’s a perfect method for trying to get them to enter their shelter. You can use catnip either in its natural form, dried or flaked, or in catnip treats. Just as you would with regular treats, simply sprinkle your catnip in and around their cat house to tempt them in.

Toys

If your pet is a fan of catnip, Omlet also provides a number of cat toys that contain the ingredient, which can be used to entice your cat into their house. If your cat isn’t too big on the stuff, don’t worry, as you can use any other type of cat toy that they really enjoy playing with. Initiating play with your cat and any of their favourite toys outside of their cat house, again will allow them to make positive associations with their house, teaching them that great things happen when they go near the shelter!

Chase toys are particularly good for this activity, as it will mean that your cat could end up chasing the toy directly into their house. Cats have a natural instinct to chase, meaning that many go wild for these types of toys. 

Additionally, once your cat has settled into their house, it can also be used as storage for their toys!

Comfy Bed

Placing a comfy bed on the floor of their house is one way to get your kitty to use their house. Since your cat could end up spending a lot of their time in their den, it’s only right that their bed provides them with an optimum level of comfort. The Maya Donut Cat Bed is a great option to go for, with a deep cushioning that will have your cats sinking into the bed of their dreams.

Warm Blankets

With winter round the corner, placing a blanket inside of your cat’s den will be warmly welcomed by your pet. You can also position a soft cat blanket on top of your cat’s bed inside of the shelter to give it more of a luxury feel and have them keep even more cosy. Just as a comfy bed can work to tempt your cat into using their house, a warm blanket will be equally irresistible.

Where Can You Put Your Cat House?

There are a number of different areas in your home that may be appropriate to place your cat house. This depends on your living situation, and your cat’s preferences. Do they like to be involved with family time or would they prefer to have their shelter in their own quiet room? As we earlier mentioned though, if you have outdoor cats, it’s not recommended that you place your Maya Indoor Cat House outside, as it is designed for indoor use only.

When deciding which room to put your shelter in, you may also want to consider factors for yourself such as how easy it will be to clean and whether it will look right in your home.

In a Quiet Room

As mentioned, most cats prefer a quiet life. If this is applicable, then a quiet room would be the perfect location for your house! If you have a room in your home that is not frequently used by other members of the household and is also not close to anywhere in the home where you can hear a lot of noise from the outside e.g. traffic or noisy neighbours, then this could be the right solution for you and your cat.

The Kitchen

Maybe you have a cat who likes to be more involved with family time. If this is the case, the kitchen might be best suited to placing the indoor cat house in. Furthermore, if you keep your cat’s food and water bowls in this room, then it will mean they’ll have the convenience of this too!

The Living Room

Similarly, you can also place your indoor shelter inside of the family living room, if your cat doesn’t mind a bit more noise. With the Maya Indoor Cat House, the contemporary and stylish design means that the shelter can fit in perfectly with any existing furnishings, so you needn’t worry about it clashing with your home. Furthermore, if you have any concerns about keeping a house in your living room from a cleaning perspective, the Maya Indoor Cat House can easily be hoovered and wiped down after use. 

The Bedroom (If You Don’t Want Them on Your Bed!)

To have your pet in the bedroom or to not have them in the bedroom? This is a common debate amongst many pet owners, but there’s not a one size fits all answer to this question. Whilst some cat owners rule pets out of the bedroom completely, some will happily doze off with their cat at the end of the bed every night. If you’re not particularly keen about having a cat on the bed but do enjoy having their presence in your bedroom, then you can try placing the house in a corner of your room. This way, you’ll have the benefits of sharing a room with your cat but it will save you from having to clean up any cat hairs from the bed and you’ll both have your own personal space – a win-win situation!

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An indoor cat house is a fantastic idea for both cats and humans, even if your cat does initially struggle with using it. What is important is to be patient and not to give up if one method of helping encourage them to use it doesn’t quite do the trick. Hopefully with a few of our tips your cat will love using their cat house soon enough!

This entry was posted in Cats

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