Do you and your kitty share a small Chicago apartment or condo? If so, you want to make sure your cat has a space of his or her own in your home, but sometimes it can be difficult to find the right kind of furniture for your cat that doesn’t take up a ton of valuable square footage. Let’s take a look at what kind of cat furniture you can get that is also friendly for your small space!
Cats have a natural desire to both climb and have a full view of their surroundings, so having a tall cat tree with multiple steps or shelves going upward is a great way to give your cat a spot that is completely his or hers to climb, scratch, and relax. However, it can be difficult to find a cat tree that doesn’t take up a ton of space! One solution if you own your apartment or condo is to install a wall-mounted cat tree that has shelves attached—having it flat against the wall means that it won’t jut out too far into your living space, and it will also be super sturdy for your kitty’s jumping pleasure! If you don’t own your apartment and can’t create wall installations, another great option is to get a corner cat tree—this would still give your kitty a space to climb and would only take up a small area that would most likely go unused otherwise.
Sometimes you can give your cat a nice area in your home to relax without taking up any more space. For instance, if you have a street-facing window in your home, it’s a great idea to leave the sill in front of it empty so your cat can have a nice sitting spot. If that window doesn’t have a large sill big enough for your kitty, you can get a short piece of furniture (like an ottoman that can double as a coffee table when you have human guests over) or a short cat tree to sit in front of it as well.
Besides resting and climbing furniture, you also need to consider the best space and/or furniture needed for your cat’s food and litter areas. Take your cat’s preferences into consideration—if they are fine eating their food on the floor, you won’t need anything besides a food and water bowl! If they prefer being up high most of the time, you may want to consider either having their bowls on the counter or maybe even leaving their bowls on one of your other elevated pieces of furniture you have for them in your home. For their litter box, you should again take your cat’s preferences into consideration, but they should have a spot that is quiet and comfortable for them—sometimes this can mean a space under a table that is easily hidden, or they may need somewhere more open. To learn more about a cat’s litter needs in general, take a look at our article with Blum Animal Hospital about litter boxes.
When considering what kind of furniture to get for your small space, be sure to keep your kitty’s personal preferences in mind. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work to make a small space cat-friendly, but you can definitely find a happy balance for you and your cat. Cats are very adaptable and can make a space their own in no time!
