You read that title right—even your cats can enjoy wall shelves!
Any of us out there with feline friends know how much cats like to hang out on higher vertical spaces. How many times have you tried to clear some adventurous little kitty off from the top of your dresser, or from the kitchen counter?
Being up high actually has a lot of benefits for cats—their natural instincts encourage them to be up high so they can keep an eye on their surroundings, and it gives them more space to call their own which can help cut down on turf wars among your pets. It helps keep them calm and works to soothe a little of that ‘kitty paranoia’ everyone’s cat suffers from now and again, which is something everyone in the house can enjoy.
But what if you can’t give your cat the space they need to hang out? A lot of people don’t have the space for a whole cat tree, but their cats still need a place they can call their own.
Enter wall shelves! These days, more and more industrious cat parents are turning to floating shelves to help their cats feel more at home, without taking up the floor space that other cat houses might. And it’s easier than you might think!
All you need to do is hang some shelves up (we recommend wood wall shelves as the material will be easier for your little ones to play on) in an area where your cats can easily get to them. At this point you’ll probably want to add a few soft cushions or carpet samples to make it a little more comfortable on them, since they’ve probably gotten used to the comforts of home and don’t want to sleep in a tree branch like some of their ancestors did.
Try to stagger them in a way that makes them accessible. For example, a lot of people set up a few different cat shelves in something of a zig-zag/zipper pattern, starting from very nearly the floor for your cats to climb on and more easily get from one to the next. It creates both a fun staircase that your cats get to play on, as well as an easily-accessed sleeping spot!
Of course, it doesn’t have to stop there. If you’re the crafty type, you could use two wall shelves with some cloth carefully attached to each side to serve as a hammock for naps, or as a bridge for them to cross. If you’re careful about mounting them, you could even work corner wall shelves into your design to give them more room to roam and hang out above the floor, all the better to relax with.
This does, of course, depend on a few things. You’ll need to make sure the shelf mounting brackets you use can support the weight of your cat (especially if they’re a little on the ‘chunky’ side), and you’ll want to make sure everything is mounted as safely as possible to prevent your little friends from getting injured. This might require the help of someone who’s skilled with installing shelves, in case it’s not your forte—but every little bit will help keep your cats safer.
And that’s all there is to it! A little imagination, some careful installation, and some patient cats who can reap the benefits of their new playground. Who knows, maybe they’ll even scratch up your furniture a little less!
