10 Ways to Pamper Your Cat

Since the moment your feline fur baby joined your home, your life changed for the better. There are endless ways to spoil your kitty in return, and only the best will do. From cosy cat hammocks to scratching posts, we’ve got purr-fect ways to pamper your cat.

Share your space

Does your favourite feline receive an invitation into your bed? Curl up next to you on a blanket while you’re working from home? Feeling your cat sleep beside or against you is special – it highlights the love and comfort they feel with you. Plus, spending quality time with your cat can help boost oxytocin, aka the ‘love’ or ‘cuddle’ hormone. Starting with this is an easy one.

A trip to the groomer

Even your cat deserves a pamper trip to the salon – or even luxury holiday. Aside from regularly brushing and bathing your cat (only do the latter if you really need to), scheduling in regular visits to the groomers will help keep their fur healthy. This will help reduce the chances of hairballs, knots/tangles and skin conditions, giving you both total peace of mind. A groomer will also clip their nails, clean their face and ears, and more. Who knew?!

Ways to pamper your cat? With special treats

Your cat may have a favourite variety of food and treats they eat often, but surprising them with something new or different is a fun idea. You can readily find inspiration from your supermarket or speciality pet store, including some all natural treats made here in New Zealand. As an alternative, you can try these human foods that are sure to have your cat purring for more.

Room with a view

Cats love being perched on high places so they can see all their surroundings. Because your cat instinctively wants to climb, giving them their own space for this is safe for them and better for your furniture. A cat tower for climbing and exploring is one of the easiest ways to pamper your cat. To bring your cat closer to the outdoors, we suggest a window hammock.

Hammocks provide a cozy and elevated perch for your cat, allowing them to bask in the sun and watch the world go by from a comfortable vantage point. They mimic the sensation of being up high, satisfying your cat’s natural instinct to climb and survey their territory.

Ways to pamper your cat? With a kitty playdate

Playdates for cats? Yes, they’re real and can be beneficial to your cat’s social and physical health. Setting up a kitty playdate is great when you need to leave your cat alone more often than usual, they need more exercise and/or you want to help them release pent-up energy. A handy tip for setting up a playdate is to pair cats based on temperament; that way both enjoy themselves.

A scratching post

While some fur parents will call cat fur ‘kitty glitter’, giving your cat a proper place to rub against and scratch is a far better option than your furniture. A properly made cat scratching post is the best option. A scratching post allows your cat to care for their nails, exercise and stretch so they can limber up – ensuring they’re ready to pounce on short notice. Stress reduction is an added benefit of a scratching post and helps keep your cat happy. When your cat is happy, you’re happy.

The world’s best massage

Exploring next-level ways to pamper your cat calls for a massage. Cats can enjoy the benefits of a massage in similar ways to humans. These include helping with blood circulation, muscle tightness, anxiety, and relaxation. Plus, it’s a chance to become more intimate with your cat. To start, ease your cat into the experience with gentle scratches in areas they love. When they’re visibly relaxed and purring, introduce light strokes down their back, moving slowly in circulation motion to their shoulders, ears, and chin. By this time, your cat should be a happy camper, inviting you to use fingertips to delicately rub their chest and later their paws.

Ways to pamper your cat? With more playtime

Playtime is important for cats – especially younger ones. It can help nurture their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Nothing compares to time with their human (or so we like to think!), but toys can make a great substitute when they’re alone. Finding toys that are interactive encourage your cat to think, helping them feel mentally stimulated. Here is a great example.

A good night’s sleep

There are a range of cat beds available online and from your local pet store, though choosing the one your kitty will fancy isn’t always a simple task. While a cardboard box may be a fun distraction, it’s not an optimal napping space in the long term. For the purrfect night (and day) sleep that’s fit for royalty, it pays to research a variety of styles reflecting your cat’s personality and needs. For example, do they like to hide? Maybe they love napping up high? Are they really into kneading fluffy materials? Here‘s some cat bed inspiration.

Ways to pamper your cat? With their very own playlist

Understanding ‘cat language’ can take time to develop, but does your cat like music? The good news is, according to the Applied Animal Behaviour Science journal, cats certainly do like music – so long as it’s to their taste. While we humans usually like to bop along to the radio, a cat’s preference tends to be something soothing. Why not give this a try when leaving your kitty home alone, resting on their cat hammock? To setup the pawfect playlist consider music that features instruments like the cello, piano, flute and harp. These can be found in music by Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Puccini.

Cat insurance – the extra your pet deserves

We know this article is 10 ways to pamper a cat, but we’d be remiss not to mention that another way to show your kitty love is with pet insurance.

In the event of an unexpected vet bill, our cat insurance will not only protect your cat, but your pocket too. With three levels of cover and convenient month-to-month payments, plus no lock-in contract, getting the peace of mind you both deserve is simple.