Acclimating Your Cat to Their New Catio, Cat Highway, or Cat Shelves

A month ago, we posted a blog about catio’s, cat highways, and cat shelves. Some of you may have decided to forge ahead with one of these options, while some of you only took note. Either way, upon completion of your catio, cat highway, or cat shelves you may need to acclimate your feline friend to using their new digs!

Most cats will automatically start using these new spaces without prompting. Especially, if they were already displaying behaviors of climbing or wanting to go outside. However, if you do need to help your cat get used to using them, it is very easy.

Cats are very food motivated, so you can use treats to encourage your cat to hop up onto a shelf or to lead them up a ramp or up cat stairs. Play is also a good motivator. If you have a wand toy for your cat you can use this to “lure” your cat onto a shelf, ramps, cat stairs, or even out onto the catio. For a catio, you can leave the door ajar to allow access for your cat to come and go as they please or you can even start feeding your cat on the catio. This will help your feline friend associate the catio as a fun, friendly space.

The more your cat starts to realize that they are allowed to use these spaces and that these spaces are available to them, they will start loving their new expanded territory!

*Featured image courtesy of Pinterest.