There’s a lot you can buy for cats these days to help make indoor life more interesting and entertaining, and they go a long way, not only in helping to prevent feline boredom, but also in helping cats who live in relatively small indoor spaces, even studio or one bedroom apartments, to stay happy albeit the small-for-a-human size of a home.
In my experience living with a house cat in the studio flat that I shared with my husband, with both of us working from home full time, I discovered cats don’t really see a place as small if they’ve got enough to do within it. You can increase the “size” of a home to a cat quite easily by adding things for your cat to jump onto, hang out in, adding little nooks and crannies for cats to sleep, as well as engaging activities cats can do in various spots around your apartment or house.
Trixie Pet Products Minou Cuddly Cave – Amazon / Chewy
Don’t get me wrong, the majority of keeping cats entertained has to do with more activity-oriented buys – things like cat toys furries can play with by themselves, when they get a sudden burst of energy, or tall cat trees/enormous cat jungle gyms to keep kitties climbing and jumping around when they get the itch to hunt and have fun. That being said, all those low-key, low-energy cat products – from small cat trees and cardboard cat scratchers, that double as scratching pads and nap spots, to self-warming cat beds kitties will often spend hours upon hours snoozing away in – these can go an enormously long way helping your cat stay happy by providing options and interest during downtime.
Last year, my husband and I moved to a 4 bedroom house, and in that time I’ve noticed my (now up to 3) cats spend little to no time in some rooms, while they’re entertained, amused, and obsessively trying to spend more and more time in others. They seem to develop favourite spots and ignore wide open spaces, or areas and rooms that have little to no nooks and crannies they’re fond of hanging out in. Things like cat trees and cat beds get considerable use, and while I haven’t invested in an indoor cat house myself, I don’t doubt for a second they’ll be a smash hit with my furries.
There are a slew of different types of cat houses for indoor cats, many which come with side benefits like doubling as scratchers, being high like cat trees, or even being ideal for hiding litter boxes away in if your cat doesn’t take to them for naps. They’re made of different materials, some which are ridiculously affordable, others, like wood, are more expensive but I’d imagine would quite literally last a (human) lifetime. There are some cat houses that are excellent for keeping cats warm in cold months, others that are excellent for adding height and places to jump for homes that need the added space, but without taking much additional room. Basically, there’s something for everyone, and every cat, depending on your needs and your kitty’s preferences.
If there’s a type of indoor cat house you think should’ve made it onto this list but didn’t, or you have a recommendation based on what your particular cats have or haven’t liked – please take a moment to leave your thoughts in the comments! It’s really beneficial to learn what other cats have favoured or been disinterested in before committing to one product over another. Now for a rundown on some of the indoor cat house options I think are worth a peek…
Picture from post Ikea Knagglig Cat Bed Condo Hack: No Extra Tools & Parts Needed
Indoor Cat Houses to Keep Life Comfy & Interesting for Indoor Felines
1. ASPCA Cat Scratching Pads, Bonus Catnip Included, Corrugated Cardboard, Reversible
You may think cardboard cat houses aren’t worth the money since they’re not meant to be forever, or technically even long-term buys, but I actually believe they’re possibly the best investment in terms of cat products, down to how often they get used, regardless of whether or not you’re on a limited budget.
While I’ve never bought a cardboard cat house per say, I have bought a cardboard cat scratcher bed in the shape of a circle, and honestly, there isn’t a doubt in my mind this is both my adult cats’ favourite spot in the entire living room. This includes cat trees (which they love) and a self-warming cat bed (the Trixie Minou, which they also love) as well as a bunch of little nooks and cranny’s I’ve carved out for them amongst book shelves and such. They normally take turns sitting in this thing pretty much, scratching a little before nestling in for a nap. Hard to imagine a cardboard cat house wouldn’t be a smash hit in exactly the same way.
2. K&H Pet Products Outdoor Kitty House Heated & Insulated Cottage Design Cat Shelter
There are a lot of heated outdoor cat houses available these days. While these are primarily snagged by pet owners of outdoor cats looking to keep their cats warm while they’re hanging out outside in the winter, or individuals looking to keep stray and feral cats that frequent their neighbourhood sheltered from frosty weather, they’re also at times used by indoor cat owners to give their cats incredibly cozy spaces to snooze in as well.
I don’t know about you, but when my indoor cats can’t get into a warm lap, their second choice if they’re bored of a cat bed or are feeling a little more like something warm is having a snooze while seated right up close and personal with a radiator. Back when I was in Canada with central air, Avery would hang out on top of the warm heat vent for a few hours a day. As a result, there’s no way in my mind my cats would all appreciate a heated cat house for snoozing in a few hours at a time in the winter months.
3. Kitty City Large Cat Bed, Stackable Cat Cube, Indoor Cat House/Cat Condo
If you’re looking for a modern, sleek, cat cube style cat house, and you’d like for it to be as comfy and plush for your kitties as your human furniture is for your human family members, this City City cat bed looks to me like a solid bet. It’s multi-level, which is an excellent feature that gives cats more to do without taking much space in your home. It’s grey, which matches with pretty well near any human furniture (important to someone like me).
It’s perfect for multi-cat households as there are a lot of places for cats to rest. Up to four cats can be on one of these without disturbing each other considering it’s design. It’s got pillows that look ridiculously comfy, and that long hidden area at the bottom looks incredibly snug and self-warming for cats to curl up in when they’re cold. Looks like up to three cats can fit into the bottom, if you have cats who like to snuggle up together.
4. Hollypet Self-warming 2 in 1 Foldable Comfortable Triangle Pet Cat Bed Tent House
These triangle-shaped self warming cat beds are some of the most popular on the block because of how cozy they are for cats to nestle up in. While not strictly speaking cat houses, a lot of them sure do look like little houses considering they look like they have roofs. Incredibly affordable and almost certain to be a hit with your furries.
5. Plemo Cat Tree 31.5-Inch Luxury Cat Tower, Stable Play House with 2 Large Condos
A sturdy cat tree that’s got two houses integrated into it, as well as scratchers and a pillow perch right at the top. What could be more cozy?
I’ve been thinking of grabbing something like this to put in the hallway of my main floor. I’ve been on the hunt for something with cozy spots to rest, some height, and scratchers, and this type of layout is perfect. I often place cat toys right on top of an elevated portion of a cat tree, as one of my kitties, Bjorn, can’t resist knocking some off to play with when I do, and right atop that bottom cat condo/house is the perfect place in my opinion to do that. Need to look into whether it’ll fit the space I’m thinking of!
6. Petsfit Espresso Double-Decker Pet House Litter Box Enclosure Night Stand
I’ve spoken about this indoor cat house a lot because it’s essentially the perfect fix for households who have dogs as well as cats, and whose dogs like to get into kitty litter, cat food, or both. Essentially a lot of pet parents use these to keep cat food and water in the top portion, litter boxes in the bottom, so all their cats’ needs are taken care of while being completely inaccessible to dogs of all sizes, since they can’t jump into the top hole to get access. So with one of these, they basically create both a dog proof cat feeder and a dog proof litter box, all without taking up too much space, and without having to section part of the home off from dogs. Pretty great idea if you ask me!
7. AmazonBasics Cat Condo Ottoman
If you want to increase the amount of indoor cat houses in your home, while also increasing the amount of cat furniture you can fawn over because of how adorable and human-like it looks, this is where it’s at. I’ve strongly considered grabbing one of these for a relative who loves mid-century furniture, as I feel it would go flawlessly into his home. Still not available where I live yet, but once they are, I definitely think I’ll snatch one up to gift!
8. PETMAKER Cat Condo 2 Story Double Hole with Scratching Surface
Two-storey cat barrels like this one are perfect for space conservation, while simultaneously maximizing the amount of space cats can use for the footprint they take up. Its got three distinct spaces for cats to sleep in, two inside, one space at the top, all which can be enjoyed without any cats getting in the way of any others if you’ve got a multi-cat household. You also get a scratcher down the back. Looks like a great option to me!
Amazon Basics Large Cat Activity Tree – Amazon / eBay
9. K&H Pet Products EZ Window Mount Cat Penthouse
Combining indoor cat houses with window mounted perches are window mounted cat condos like this one. I still have yet to try window mounted cat products, but I know these would be an enormous hit with all my cats. In fact, I can really easily imagine squabbles breaking out over who gets to sit in one of these.
10. Trixie Wood Cat Home and Litter Box
These solid wood cat houses are more often used to hide litter boxes than they are as cat homes, but they’re absolutely perfect for either use. If you grab one as an indoor cat house and find your cat’s lost interest in it, you can always switch over to using it to hide your kitty’s litter box instead. Always nice when there are two possible uses that are both quite good for whatever you’re interested in grabbing.
11. AmazonBasics Collapsible Cat House
This collapsible cat house cat cube is one of many like it that feature a super snug looking cuddly spot in the bottom of the cube, and a pillow for hanging out in right on top, I think they’re excellent solutions for those who live in small apartments with their cats like I used to, as in case you’d like to move them around to create extra interest, or even put them away for some time then bring them back when your cat’s forgotten about them (making these nap spots almost like new every few months!), they’re enormously helpful. Also really great for those who like to put away cat things and clutter when company comes over, then whip it back out for their cats to use when the space doesn’t need to be so cleared. Lots of good from easy-to-store collapsible pet products.
12. CO-Z 4 in 1 Cat Tower House, with Cat Bed, Climber, Peek Holes, Scratching Post & Dangling Toy
It seems like cats as well as small dogs like hanging out in these cat beds. Multi-level and with quite a lot of bells and whistles, it’s hard to imagine a cat resisting the urge to test one of these out, then once on it, the urge to stay and chill. I don’t think they’re particularly pretty in comparison to a lot of other indoor cat houses, but at that price? Hard to complain.
13. little dove Pet Teepee Dog(Puppy) & Cat Bed
There are a number of adorable small-pet teepees that would make the absolute most perfect indoor cat houses, in my opinion. They’re so beautiful, so well loved by both humans and little animals, and just outright good value considering they’re not all that expensive to make. If you’re trying to grab a number of different cat houses to keep things interesting for your pet, while I’d say these are not likely to be as appreciated as a really warm self-heating type of cat house in the winter months, they absolutely will be loved, and probably even more so than the self-warming types in summer when things are a little hot, but your cat still wants some privacy and a space to him or herself.
14. Petsfit Wooden Pet Bed,Dog Bed
These wooden pet beds in the shape of cribs are so ridiculously cute. They’re nowhere near cheap in comparison to other indoor cat houses, but they’re so incredibly Instagrammable, if you’re on the hunt for something that’s photogenic as heck and would make for a great photo op, this is where it’s at.
15. Petsfit Weatherproof Outdoor/Indoor Pet House
There are a slew of outdoor cat houses that would make for excellent indoor cat shelters, but I won’t take the time to discuss each one here, so hop over to my article on those in case you’re interested. These are typically a lot more heavy duty, and if you have outdoor/indoor cats, you can easily move them from outside to inside the house, or keep them in a sun room or conservatory if you’d rather an in between. Have a peek if this is what you’re after.
Picture from post Our New Cat Knew: Stick Around Long Enough, They’ll Let You In
Your Thoughts on Indoor Cat Houses?
Have you got one or more indoor cat houses in your home? What types do you have and which do your cats prefer over others?
Which of the types above do you think cats would like the very best? Are there any other types you think cats would love? Any types you’re thinking of trying out or have tried out that you’re worried you’ll like a lot better than your cat does?
Let me know what you think in the comments down below!
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