So You Want to Get a Cat

Cats are great pets. They're independent but still loving and full of character. Set an automatic feeder and you can leave a cat for a day or two without a care in the world that he or she isn't lounging by a sunny window much of the day. You can't really say the same for a dog.

Like any pet, there are things to consider before bringing a cat home. For example, whenever she has been house hunting, cat lover Patricia Pelgrims — who currently has five cats — has always asked herself if the lot is a safe and exciting area for her cats. "We've always gone for larger plots of land and always made sure that there were no busy roads nearby," she says. "To top that off, we've also made sure that the neighbors were never too close... You don't want to annoy the neighbors because your cats use their garden as a toilet."

But if you haven't had a cat before and you're at all fussy about your interior, there are a few questions to ask yourself. After all, cats love to scratch, and they come bearing all sorts of spatial planning questions. Where will you put that litter box? Or how about that frayed carpet-covered scratching post? If you love cats, you may have already brushed aside these questions for the joy of having a purring friend circling your feet and lounging around the house. If you haven't thought it through yet, here are some tips and considerations to be sure a cat is the right pet for you.

"Are cats worth it? Well, of course," Pelgrims says. "Our cats are not special breed. Just your ordinary moggies, but they are in our care and I want them to have the best life possible, while still staying cats."

Where will you put the litter box?

Most cat owners will have a litter box inside, which creates a dilemma when it comes to how you set up your interior. “Smell is a big part of design,” says Laura Denberg, an interior designer who specializes in space planning and kid- and pet-friendly spaces. “You can have a beautiful room but if it smells bad it’s going to be terrible.”

Many people put the litter box in a bathroom, something that Denberg is against. “The bathroom, to me, is not an option,” she says. “You’re not going to clean it every 15 minutes. It’s going to smell no matter how diligent you are.”

Setting up boundaries can help, too. "In our house, there are two no-go areas for the cats (and dog) — the bedrooms and the laundry room are now off limits," Pelgrims says.


And since bathrooms tend to be high-traffic areas for you and your guests, the more you can separate that litter box from people — as well as odor-absorbing things like clothes and linens — the better.

A basement is a good option, but not everyone has that, and some people have turned it into a second living area. Denberg suggests taking over a little-used closet or unused portion of a room.

Ideally, you want nearby shelves to be kept off the ground by about three feet. Don't store linens or coats in the closet. Instead, use the space for storing things in plastic bins with lids. Then, install a berber carpet or deep tile that will catch litter more easily so it doesn’t get tracked out. If possible, cut a pet hole in the bottom part of the door or wall.


Are you OK if your furniture gets a few scratches?

Cats scratch. Plus, they're natural climbers and your furniture will become their jungle. If you care about your stuff, you’re going to want to protect it somehow. Because of this, Denberg says cats are a bit more difficult than dogs when it comes to interior design. "Cats get on furniture, are more invasive," she says. "They get on kitchen counters. Cats have more available cubic footage than dogs. They can get anywhere.”

Most homeowners respond by giving cats other things to scratch on, which often satisfies this need. But while scratching posts are good, "nobody wants to look at them,” Denberg says. Plus, they don’t always prevent cats from testing out their claws on other things. If this is a problem, you might want to consider removing that precious piece of furniture for a while, or covering it.

In this Philadelphia home, the owner wrapped a wardrobe post with rope for a design-minded alternative to the carpet scratching post.


If you're remodeling a house or buying new furniture and know you'll be getting a cat, keep the fabrics in mind. “Avoid silk, linen and cottons, if possible,” Denberg says.

Instead, get pet-friendly fabrics that are durable and easy to clean. Denberg suggests upholstering furniture in commercial fabrics that are commonly found in restaurants. “It’s not the cheapest route to go upfront, but it saves money over time so you won’t be buying a new chair every few years. They’re treated, tough and offer more bang for your buck,” she says. “If you can live with some of the fabrics, do it."

Denberg likes the pet-friendly pieces from Crypton. “They can take a beating and are stain resistant,” she says.

This space uses commercial-grade chenille fabric on the sofa.


Where will you put the cat food?

"I feed them in the pantry on the countertop," Pelgrims says. "Not ideal, but I don't want our dog to fill her belly with the more expensive cat food."

Cat food can be messy and, if you use wet food, smelly. You'll want to consider where you're feeding your cat. If you have a dog, you'll want to put the cat food up high somewhere so the dog can't reach it. Make sure you have an ideal spot that the cat can access easily, and make sure you're OK with seeing the food every time you walk by. Built-in nooks like this can help keep food and water bowls tucked away.


Do you have potentially toxic plants?

Cats love to munch on things. “My mother’s cat liked to chew on plastic bags and throw them up," Denberg says. "It was a weird cat, but you might get a weird cat."

You'll want to check to see if any of your indoor and outoor plants are poisonous to cats. If so, you'll want to remove them. Here are 22 plants to keep away from pets.





Keep breakable things out of the way

Cats like to climb — on shelves, counters, bookshelves, furniture, you name it. If you have decor items of value, you'll need to tuck those away somewhere that the cat can't get to.

"We can go out and buy the most expensive cat baskets/beds, but the fact remains a cat won't be told where to lie down for a snooze," says Pelgrims, whose cats are show here. "Cat does what cat wants. And I respect that."

Also, cat owner Michele Thompson, whose cat (one of four) is seen on the mantel, advises to avoid bean bag chairs if possible. Cats tend to like to urinate on them. "Something to do with the bean filler feeling like their litter," she says.


Most important: Do you have space in your life for a cat?

While cats are generally independent creatures, they are emotional creatures and need love and attention. And they will almost certainly change the way you live. “Are you willing to put chicken in the fridge to thaw instead of on the counter? Because you’ll have to or else the cat will eat it,” Denberg says. “Are you willing to have a cat on the counter? Or on the dining room table during a dinner party because you turned your back and didn’t think your cat would want to hop up and sample the hors d'oeuvres? You’re going to have to live with imperfections. Litter, dirt, scratches."

Denberg offers this tip: The more crazy you get with design, the less crazy you’ll be about having animals, because your things become too precious. But for many, the reward of having a cat far outweighs anything else. “Personally, I don’t want stuff to be too precious," Denberg says. "Imperfections are what make a home feel lived in.”

Pelgrims has one more thing to add. "Somehow people think because you've got a bunch of real cats that you like to be presented with loads of cat figurines too," she says. "I don't have the guts to tell people, enough is enough. But to be frank, I don't want my house to turn into a museum of cat curiosities. Some I keep, some go to charity after a good while."

More:
So You're Thinking About Getting a Dog
Houzz Call: Send in the Design Cats
50 Dog Photos Worth a Wag

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