Hooray cat-ification! Here are Junipurr’s favorite cat gear for furbaby wellness + enrichment. There is no sponsored content: I purchased all products out-of-pocket at full retail price and used them extensively (three months or more) before sharing my candid analysis. My goal is to empower you to make the best choices for your furbaby by outlining key factors of consideration. Wherever possible, I suggest free or DIY options because YAY environment + creativity!
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Bringin’ Home Baby:
The Essentials
New to cat parenting or got a new little furball under your roof? Congratulations, friend! Here are the essential gear for your cat’s wellness and enrichment. Good news: many of these are free and/or have an abundance of low cost options. Behold the magic of cardboard boxes, paper bag, ribbons, and toilet paper rolls!
Litterbox - The walls should be shallow enough that climbing in is not a full-body workout for your cat but tall enough to prevent a cat-made beach. Amenability to cleaning is important, as cleaning that litterbox is about to become your day job (kidding! Only a side gig). Hoods may not be suitable in households with individuals still learning their manners *ahem, other cats, dogs, human kids.* However, after trying four different litterboxes, Junipurr and I both prefer this box and this lid, which are easily detachable and significantly contains the spread of, um, aroma. In a small home, such things matter to emotional well-being.
Litter scooper - Almost any scooper will do, including the $2 scooper-plus-caddy sets from many big box stores. This one has been celebrated as the Rolls-Royce of litter scoopers, a veritable feat of engineering. Aiight - I admit that its precision is fabulous (counter-intuitively, some wider and deeper scoopers actually make it harder to corner those stinky beasts). Has my life been transformed? No, but if $10 is no big and you want to own “the mother of all poop scoops,” then voilà.
Food bowl - Humans and bowls go WAY back (literally thousands of years), so look around the house and you may find a clean, shallow bowl that works perfectly. Ceramic is better than plastic, metal, wood and glass (minimized risk of leaching, easy to deep clean, strong), but make sure it’s glazed and fired in cone 10 (i.e. food safe). The lip of the bowl should be gently rounded, not sharp. The heart of the bowl should be smooth, no 3D designs or crevices that could hurt cat tongues and be hard to clean. Walls should be shallow because apparently whisker fatigue may be a thing. A lofted bowl is ideal to minimize strain, but that’s getting into silver platter territory.
Water bowls - Food and water bowls are often sold as a set; however, our little desert creatures tend to not drink in the same station they associate with food. So, what works better is having multiple smaller bowls of water around the house.
Carrier - Early in her career as Boss Baby, Junipurr decreed that she will not tolerate any form of disrespect (i.e. constraint in the form of a carrier). No amount of positive association training has changed her mind, and I’ve cycled through five carriers of different sizes, material (soft v. hard), loading and closing mechanisms, and intended species (including “big dog”). Other than spaciousness, comfort, and proper ventilation, I consider quick + sturdy latch mechanism the most important criteria. This is what we currently use (yes, it’s palatial). If you find a solution that does not at least partially rely on prayer, let me know.
Brush & Flea Comb - Unless your cat is hairless, brushing him/her regularly is an important routine for reducing hairballs and keeping the coat free of parasites and other skin problems. Brushes and flea combs serve different functions, so it is a good idea to have both. Junipurr has more brushes + combs then her humans have combined. (To be fair, she is also hairier than us ;). This soft bristle brush is hands-down the favorite - Juni practically drools when I brush her with it, and I like that it causes less static electricity and broken hair than nylon brushes. It also feels surprisingly lovely to hold. I wonder if this is what Japanese shokunins consider the light-handed magic of artisan crafts? *shrugs* I like this metal comb because its teeth have smooth atraumatic tips and its handle bar is long enough to give me a life-saving lead from murder mitten when I’ve combed Juni a nano-second too long. If you have a longhair cat, a comb with narrow teeth on one side and wide teeth on the other might be useful. I don’t often use mine, but its smaller size makes it a good comb for the emergency prep bag.
Nail clipper - This is the one I use because it has two cutting edges and thus yields a cleaner cut. My vet and local shelter staff both also use this brand. It’s not perfect, though, esp for humans with large fingers - at least, that’s FP’s rationale for why he is not able to support the dreaded nail trimming ritual. *cough*
Bed &/or Blankie - The need we are trying to meet here is spiritual comfort, that hot bowl of soup on a cold night hygge kind. Essentially, any scent-soaking snuggler would do (a baby blanket, your softest sweater, your blanket etc.). These ultra-soft fleece blankets are the pajama-material of my dreams (though note the dimensions), and this bed is Junipurr’s all-time favorite. She also likes this one. Many kitten foster parents love the strawberry, and this handmade designer-looking wool cave continually tantalizes me (“I could make you the Favorite!”), but Junipurr has been all about the plush seating + open top. If she could drive, she’d be a convertible kind of girl. Lord help me.
Emergency prep - Ooh wee! This is Big Conversation territory! I did try to give you a gentle heads-up (see brush & flea comb). We do a deep dive here, but real quick, let’s talk about microchip and a tag + collar. (Good news: the carrier is also a key part of your emergency prep checklist, so if you got that, you are already making progress!) In the US alone, millions of cats get lost every year. Tag + collar are important, and in fact you should have a few backups, but they can get damaged or fall off. Microchipped furbabies are 20+ times more likely to be reunited with their family. Let that sink in. As cat parents, how many other things in our control give us this magnitude of power to protect our furbaby’s safety? This American Veterinary Medical Association FAQ on microchipping provides a quite comprehensive guide. If you have additional questions or are ready to have your cat ‘chipped, talk with your vet. Remember to keep your contact info up to the date!
Toy - Ahhh, cat toys! Cat parents’ favorite thing to shop, forage, and DIY! Alas, I am of the cohort of humans with opposable thumbs, Pinterest ambitions, but no crafting ability. So, I lean on shopping. Happily, fabulous options abound! To get started, adopt a strategy of diversification (i.e. one toy per category) rather than getting multiple toys from the same category. Here are the categories that make eyes widen and butts wiggle (we’re talking about cats, people!): wand, kicker, free chase and/or crinkle, track toys, food puzzle (more on this in the Catify Pro Kit, below), and battery-operated motion. By no means do you need to have all categories, especially when you first bring furbaby home. Every cat has individual preferences on what and how s/he likes to play, so try a few at a pace that works for your family. We’re in this parenting thing for the long game (ha, see what I did there? :D). Also, don’t underestimate the power of foraging - look around the house and great outdoors. Get creative with play! p.s. You may be wondering about the omission of the (in)famous laser toys. While quite effective in getting many furbabies to work on that cardio, laser play alone does not allow for a satisfying closure, plus there is some risk of hurting feline eyes if the laser is shone directly into them. Thus, I personally do not use them with Junipurr.
Catify Pro Kit:
The Ooh Laa
Ready to level up? Oh ok! Voilà the best items to elevate your game. As you and your cat settle into creating a home together, think: Hustle & Flow, regal feline style. Meaning: how do we make the entire 3D - nay, 4D - space of our home engaging and accessible AND how do we make furbaby’s comfort even more indulgent?
Hustle –
Cat tree and/or shelf. We have multiples of both, and they play such a critical role in the daily sanity of all members of our household that I’m considering honoring them with names. Alas, not all cat trees are made equal. Over the years, I’ve purchased double-digit number of good looking and highly reviewed cat trees that were so offensive to cat logic and basic principles of engineering that finding the optimized cat tree has become a Holy Grail pursuit. This is my current favorite cat tree. However, if you got some woodworking chops, consider making your own standalone tree or wall-mounted shelf! The internet has a pocket full of free cat tree and floating shelf instructions (this Youtube tutorial offers the most informative step-by-step guide. I’m not in love with the use of this type of carpeting material given the toxins, but that could be substituted out with better sourced materials). If, however, you are like me when I first became cat parent and don’t know the difference between a drill and an impact driver, I got you. Forget the cat condos and floating shelf for now, and go with strong, weight-bearing bracket-supported shelves. The lumberyard will cut your shelves to size (just have your measurements ready and be polite - they are doing you a favor :). I trust these brackets, and I recommend a shelf width of at least 8.5 inches (22cm) and height of 1.25 inches (3cm). This is why I don’t recommend most pre-made cat shelves - they are not sturdy and spacious enough and/or they are significantly more expensive then a well-assembled DIY.
Tunnels – Tunnels are love. How so? Junipurr LOVES them, and I feel like an self-sacrificingly loving parent whenever I bring them out, because I know I am about to be ambushed by zestful little murder mittens. The purpose of tunnels is to serve as what Jackson Galaxy calls “cocoons” - safe havens for shy furbabies that still allow them to feel a part of the family energy, unlike under the bed. Even for not-shy cats, they serve as deliciously unpredictable (to prey) hiding spots from which to strike. I recommend getting longer ones b/c grown cats are on average 15-20 inches (38-50cm) long, not counting the tail, so those shorter tunnels are quickly outgrown. We have one of these and two of these because pro tip: If you have multiple tunnels, you can combine them in ever-changing configurations, thereby creating a fabulous ground-level secret highway. Combining is super easy and reversible, since they have a thin wire framer that bend easily to snuggle inside another tunnel and to pop out. Just verify the diameter dimensions before you purchase.
Ripple Rug – I must confess: I have a love-hate relationship with the Ripple Rug. One, why it gotta be so ugly?? It is legit poop brown! Two, it has a weird synthetic smell that took six months and two washes to fade. Three, after washing it precisely according to the manufacturer’s instructions - I don’t even exercise this much meticulousness when baking - it still lost some of its ability to keep shape. So why on earth am I including it in Resource recommendations? Because it is freakin’ BRILLIANT. These people must have been cats in their past lives, because the cat sense and intuition is so masterfully woven into the design - the light scratchy sounds it makes, the feel-good material for cat claws, the variety and size of openings, and the numerous different configurations that can be made. I dare say it’s the ultimate catification of the floor.
Food puzzles - In one month alone at the start of this year, I heard three different cat behavior experts recommend food puzzles as a form of mental stimuli to keep furbaby happy and engaged. Our first experience was unfruitful, but I’m out here trying to raise a Betty White — witty, brilliant, and only getting more so with age — so I went on a food puzzle haul. This is our favorite, and here are 5 Tips for Introducing Safe & Engaging Puzzle Time.
Catnip, silver vine, valerian etc. (after cat is 6 months old) - Listen, in college I considered myself straight edge, minus the hardcore punk. I realize that there is a diversity of perspectives and lifestyles, and I’m not here to judge. I share this because I was very hesitant for the first two years of Junipurr’s childhood to introduce any “herbal stimuli.” The “oh yeah! it’s totally fine! like totally!” assurances I received from various vets and cat behavior specialists just couldn’t quell my admittedly ultra-conservative concern. Reading both Mikel Maria Delgado’s and Steve Dale’s (both certified animal behavior specialists) analysis of this scientific study, then reading the study itself, opened my eyes to the scientific evidence behind the potential benefits of offering olfactory stimuli. As established, I’m hardly an expert on herbals, so my one piece of advice here is: if you decide to add olfactory stimuli to your furbaby’s life, consider buying or growing organic.
Harness + leash - If the thought of taking a cat outside for a walk on a leash makes you guffaw - ok, ok! It’s not for everyone. But, assuming there is a peaceful greenspace nearby without excessive traffic or predators (coyotes etc.), consider letting your cat decide. For wanderlust, uber-curious and high-energy cats, leash training can be a super engaging way to expand their world, literally. I started leash-training Junipurr from when she was four months old, and she actually loves wearing this tiger-stripe patterned harness. She knows she looks good and legit preens when I put it on for her. Do what you gotta do when you lookin’ #onfleek, I guess ;)
Stroller - Similar to harness + leash, pet strollers are about expanding your cat’s world and experience of nature. What I like about strollers: they provide a safe cocoon for our furbaby, and thereby gives us cat parents a greater sense of control over her safety. I also like that they enable us to take our cat with us to more places. Has it been a slam dunk with Junipurr? Noooooo. *laughing while wiping away tears* In fact, it’s kind of a saga. I got this stroller because it was the most reviewed product with 4+ stars, but some of the obstacles I’ve found are due to the stroller’s mechanics, so I would personally not recommend this product.
Flow —
Scratch lounger - After a long day of playing and hunting and chowing down, a furbaby’s gotta lounge! Enter the curvaceous scratch throne. The circular kind that looks like a skatepark bowl is popular with many, but Junipurr is a hardcore fan of this infinity loop style lounge. Rarely does she use it as a scratcher, but nightly she lounges on it and seems pleased by its cradling. I like its sturdiness - I’ve sat on it numerous times to test its strength, because the concept of densely packed cardboard does not strike me as particularly durable, but it is. It also does not flake or yield any random particulates.
Huggie warmer - [NOTE: I have not personally used this product with Junipurr, thus I really hesitate to include it in my Resources. After much internal debate, I decided to include it with a clear disclaimer, because for many kittens (esp orphan kittens) and grieving or anxious older cats, it has provided such a vital source of comfort that I felt obligated to tell you about it. As with all decisions for your furbaby, please do your research and make the best call for your family. I will update if/when I purchase and test this product.] This humble lookin’ huggie seems to be the OG of huggies — it’s a favorite of many seasoned kitten foster parents (Hannah Shaw of KittenLady, Barb of Kitten_Faces etc.). It has also comforted many grieving older cats who lost a sibling or are just going through a generally hard time. On cold nights and lonely afternoons, a heated, soft snugglebuddy does sound nice.
Heated bed - My dear friend, PIC (Partner-In-Catloving), and role model cat parent L. highly recommended this cat bed after we attended a Humane Society webinar on easing cat anxiety during a time of change (hello, Covid). I was incredulous. We live far from the North Pole, is a heated bed necessary? Also, Juni already has many beds (which she ignores). Well, friend, there is a reason the subtitle of this list is “The Ooh Laa.” Is this pokemon-look-alike heated pod necessary, if your home is kept a reasonably temperate climate (70F or 21C is ideal for cats) and your furbaby has no health conditions that require a heated haven? No. Therein lies the ooh laa.
Automatic feeder - Food is political. Dried food, wet food, frozen food, homemade food etc. - the options are abundant, there are benefits and risks to each option, and despite some who want to make this the breastmilk debate of cat care, we at Junipurr Studio abide by a mutual respect policy. Let’s celebrate each other for making the best choices we can for our furbabies. If you feed kibbles and an automatic feeder would make life more manageable/rituals more consistent/enable necessary travel, my advice is to buy a product that has two forms of power (e.g. battery and plug in). Intentional redundancy in the design is what gives us peace of mind when the power goes out accidentally or the battery dies without warning. I learned this the hard way when I realized that a middle-of-the-night nanosecond power outage made our previous feeder forget its programming and Juni did not get her 4am snack. Hell knows no fury… I now use this one.
Water fountain - Is a water fountain necessary? Just ask all those people who have a fountain in front of their house (“It’s for the fengshui!”). Haha, ok, I’m done teasing. As with some of the other items in the Catify Pro Kit, this one is more of an indulgence than a need - unless your cat is chronically dehydrated because s/he refuses to drink water. Don’t get me wrong - cats do need to drink water. But they can drink from a bowl or some even like to drink from a faucet. As cats (and many humans) get older though, they can get increasingly finicky about seemingly simple things like drinking water. A plug-in water fountain can help. P.s. I have also found success sneaking a spoonful or two of water into Juni’s wet food.
Trust Fund Baby:
The Top Shelf
Aiming for that coveted Favorite Cat Parent/Grandparent/Human Award? Now, as Jenny from the Block done told us: Love don’t cost a thing. Homerun gifts probably don’t hurt, tho ;) Here are the greatest hit gifts that will endear you to the Boss (Fur)Baby - or at least, ensure your furbaby gets to experience that Blue Ivy life.
Anything missing from The Essentials or The Ooh Laa (above). Cat toys and furniture are the two easiest places to start (my favorites are food puzzles and Ripple Rug).
Cat TV set-up - There are two definitions of cat TV, and the competition of which one is more literal is fierce. There is the “monitor that plays videos created for cats” model (this video is Junipurr’s favorite), and there is the window perch + bird feeder (with a sturdy screen and window pane in between) model. Junipurr prefers the latter, and as a screen-time conscious parent, I am with her — it’s more immersive and, dare I say it, natural. I don’t think the bird feeder matters much (birdwatchers, please feel free to enlighten me!), but the quality of feed does. We are trying to do right by all animals, y’all. I purchased a bag of this, and I fear it will never end. Not that I’m complaining about being the most popular home on the block ;) We had this window perch but Junipurr, being the amply blessed chubster that she is, grew out of it. Nowadays, her cat tree serves as her by-the-window perch.
Catio - A catio (cat patio = catio. Nifty, eh?) is a secured outdoor enclosure that enables safe nature appreciation for cats. Where I live in the US, my local animal shelters and vets strongly recommend that cats be kept indoor-only, given the numerous threats to their well-being outdoors, from coyotes to cars and more. Also, let’s not forget that on the food chain, our adorable snuggle-puffs are veritable terrorists to the likes of birds and squirrels. But that does not mean our furbabies don’t enjoy some sunbathing al fresco. There are many solutions that don’t entail semi-permanent infrastructure, e.g. supervised (regular) patio playtime, harness and leash walks or stroller rides (see above). But since we talkin’ Yonce money and Blue Ivy lifestyle here, a catio is the next level up. They can cost anywhere between practically free (hello, Hella Resourceful!) and the sky, with $350-$500 as the average. This Humane Society article on catios provides a solid starter guide on the whys and hows. Caveat – just as nature abhors a vacuum, parenting seems to abhor a panacea. This CatWatch Newsletter article identifies a few watch-outs before going shopping and building. For safety, durability, maintainability, and aesthetic, I like catios that are constructed with rot-and-insect-repellent wood framing, 16-gauge wire or stronger escape-and-intrusion-proof galvanized wire, shaded polycarbonate roof, and wood panel flooring. On my personal wishlist (i.e. I have not purchased yet, because, alas, Junipurr is not yet a trust fund baby) is the Sanctuary design plan from general contractor, feng shui consultant, and cat mom Cynthia Chomos of Catio Spaces.
Pet cam - For some cat parents, pet cameras may beg the question: what is a furbaby’s right to privacy? Here are my two cents: Curiosity is in the DNA of cats, thus it’s perhaps inevitable that we, the cat parents, got a lil bit of this curiosity fluff rubbed off on us. I purchased a Foscam but found it buggy on two accounts and suboptimal on a third. First, I’d get a number of false positive triggers. Second, the delay between having to log in every time made me miss Junipurr’s action 95% of the time. Third, I would like a camera that had more install options (e.g. like GorillaPod tripods for cameras) so I could position it in a sensible location for overseeing Juni’s actions. Given the high reviews, the first two may be user error - I honestly don’t know. In any case, I’m still on the lookout for the perfect pet cam. Holla at me if you’ve got intel.
Vacuum - If you already have a vacuum or floor cleaning solution that works well, ain’t no need to waste $$ or environmental resources! However, if your current vacuum machine is side-eyeing your furbaby with a “I will not clean up after that furball again” attitude, or your heart yearns for the latest and greatest tech gadgets (hey, we all have our guilty pleasures. Did someone say cheetos?), then a sleek vacuum whose life purpose is to be a butler to pets could be a smart investment. I personally have this vacuum, which functions well for my purposes (including a large living room white shag rug) and was relatively affordable. If/when I upgrade, this NYT Wirecutter approved Roomba is on my wishlist, because I have pet parent envy over all these other furbabies on IG and Tiktok who are cruising atop this machine like it’s their private amusement park ride. Obviously, a pet-hair specializing vacuum is more of a need for furry/long hair breeds, but given how easily cats vomit - “Cats find vomiting easier than we find burping,” according to my vet - a strong vacuum may, alas, come in handy.
Art - You know what is the truest formula on Earth, superior even to the elegance and wisdom of E= mc2? C = M(∞), where C = Cats, M = Muse, ∞ = infinity. WHERE IS MY NOBEL PRIZE?! Be it a gallery wall of their photos (one can certainly get very fancy with the frames, but I am quite pleased with my grid gallery wall install using Ikea Ribba 19 ¾ x19 ¾ " frames) or *gasp* original commissions, the (art) world is your oyster. While you ponder the possibilities, here’s an 100% true French short on a cat’s experience as artist/muse. Teehee!
Personalized gear - Customized ceramic food bowls, hand-embroidered silk blankie by Taylor Swift (because apparently that’s an experience), etc. For Juni, I am on board with the customized food bowl, but in general, constraint is encouraged here. While you could get a gold plated Tesla of a stroller for your furbaby, perhaps there are other more meaningful ways to show your love. Which brings us to my favorite - drumrolls please! — suggestion:
Felin-thropy - Being a patron/ness of the arts and social causes is a de facto aspect of the well-lived trust fund life (lookin’ at you, Gettys and Guggenheims!). Naturally, a donation in her honor to a favorite animal shelter or advocacy non-profit - paired with an at-home gala, of course - is sure to tickle every aristo-cat’s fancy. And you know how the adage goes … happy cat, happy cat parents ;)