Simple, Affordable Ways to Enrich Your Cat's Life
Catification is all about creating a home that meets your cat's natural instincts and needs. Whether it's providing places to climb, hide, explore, scratch, or play, even small changes to your cat's environment can make a big difference to their happiness and well-being.
And the best part? Catification doesn't have to cost a fortune! From repurposing everyday household items to simple DIY projects, there are countless ways to make your home more interesting and enriching for your feline companions. Here you'll find practical ideas, demonstrations, and videos to inspire you to see your home through your cat's eyes.
How to Make an Ant-Proof Feeding Tray for Your Cat
July 2025
Got ants getting into your cat's food bowl? A DIY ant-proof tray is a fairly quick and easy solution.
Ants don't like traversing threads on metal screws and bolts so making a tray with screws or bolts as legs is usually enough to stop them
Adding a cap or lid of some kind gives you the option to smear vaseline around the threads if you have some particularly intrepid ants who traverse the threads (has never happened yet to me).
I used 2.5" long and 1/4" thick bolts with appropriate washers and nuts as well as 1" pvc end caps. Bottle tops of a similar dimension would do the same job and keep costs down. I used needle-nose pliers to tighten the nuts, but a proper socket would have helped a lot and made the job easier.
Restaurant trays have a lip, so hopefully this will stop food spilling over the edge ant attracting ants. The trays can also be very quickly washed, rinsed and dried or put through the dishwasher.
I have 5 cats so that means 5 trays, spread out so nobody has to eat jostled up next to anybody. Even cats that are good buddies would usually prefer eat at least 6' from each other as our housecats, directly descended from felis silvestris, usually still have a strong instinct to hunt alone and eat alone.
How to make a quick, elevated feeding bowl stand for a megaesophagus cat
April 2025
Megaesophagus cats have a dilated food-chute that means they can't swallow and push that chewed up food down into their stomach like normal animals can so they tend to puke and dribble after eating - a lot.
Lots of stuff needs to be done for megaesophagus cats and this isn't a video about all those comprehensive care steps. What it is, is a video about one small - but vitally important - aspect of feeding care for a megaesophageal cat.
And that, is elevating their food bowl.
• Make some kind of ramp that can accommodate their food bowl so the cat is more on a 45 degree angle when eating.
• I made a cardboard cut out mock-up for size reference before cutting out some scrap plywood to piece together the final, wedge-shaped, contraption for elevating the cat's food bowl.
• After eating, figure out a distraction or technique for keeping the cat on that 45 degree angle for about 30 minutes so that the food is gravity-dripped into the stomach.
• And, of course, if you even slightly suspect you have a meagaesophageal cat, please see your vet.
• Thanks to Squirrel and Panther for their assistance in making this video. And RIP Gizmo, for whom I made this elevated feeder all those years ago. - you are fondly remembered with great love.
How To Cat Proof Your Back Yard Fence
March 2023
Cats that roam neighborhoods generally have a life-expectancy of about 6 years as they almost always come to a sticky end. If you're lucky enough to have a back yard with a fence, cat-proofing it - to keep your cats inside the yard away from danger - can be the best of both worlds to your cat and give you peace of mind that they are both having a great time and are also safe.
• I used 4 x 2 pressure treated lumber as the 'branches' to support the poultry wire. I've seen videos where people use pvc pipe very successfully for the same purpose.
• Deckmate screws were a time-saver as they don't require pre-drilling pilot holes.
• I'm pleased I used 36" poultry netting so that the netting is more than wide enough to both slip behind the beams for stapling to the fence and also having some overhang.
• Wire cutters, an impact drill and tapcon drill bits and screws helped a lot.
• Having your fence posts at least 6' high seems to be a rule of thumb that works well.
• Try to get a second pair of hands to help with a project like this. It's rough trying to do it by yourself.
• Good luck!
• (October 2024 update: Cat proof fence suffered zero damage from Category 3 Hurricane Milton.)
How to build and install a DIY access ramp for a senior, arthritic cat
Sep 2018
As our elderly companion cats get older, stairs and ramps often become necessary to help them get to their familiar eating areas and scent-soaked relaxing spots.
• Every home is different. This ramp was in a small apartment and I found 6" wood was sufficient for Mugsy (RIP) to go up and down his ramp and for the humans not to be crashing into it as they walked around.
• Where cats need to grip, I am a big fan of sticking down yoga matting that has been cut to size. I just used a general wood glue; nothing fancy.
This cat ramp video isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, but I hope it helps get your own ideas churning about how to provide assisted access ramps for your own geriatric super-senior cats.
Create Vertical Space Without Drilling Into Walls
April 2016
Probably because most cats like to climb up high to relax and perch (often to get away from dogs, toddlers and feet), vertical expansion is a core component of catification. But a lot of us rent, and drilling into the walls to put up shelves, ramps and a cat super highway just isn't an option with most landlords.
This video shows one way in which I created vertical space without drilling into walls.
• Buy 8 hollow cinder blocks, four 4 x 4 beams and cut them to a few inches below ceiling height.
• Cut out sections of wood as bases for the cinder blocks. Screw each one to an upright 4 x 4 beam.
• Slide two cinder blocks over the upright and fill in the gap with mortar or concrete.
• Prop it to keep it level and allow to dry overnight.
• Spackle top of cinder blocks. Then paint it and the upright beam.
• Wrap sisal around blocks and glue carpet on top.
• Add carpet to base to protect your floor.
• Put the uprights into the 4 corners of your room, attach brackets and 12" cross pieces.
• Attach brackets for access steps, cut and attach steps and glue carpet or yoga matting on top.
Create A Vertical Step Case
Jul 2015
When building a vertical cat super highway, we want multiple on and off ramps and no dead ends where cats can get stuck and ambushed. Sometimes you have an odd spot, with no easy solution plus you cannot drill into the walls because you are renting.
My solution was to use scrap wood for this corner to create a kind of bookshelf that was all cat steps.
• Measure your area, sketch a rough design and cut your scrap wood to fit before screwing it together. 12" between steps is an ok rule of thumb.
• Putting a simple, thin backing on actually increases the rigidity.
• Amazing what a few coats of paint do to make a rough project look better.
• Cut some carpet remnant or yoga matting to size for the steps and glue in place.
• Put books on top overnight to provide weight while the glue dries.
• Put some treats on the steps to encourage exploration.
DIY Disguised Litter Box
June 2017
One of the challenges of living with cats is finding suitable places for their litter boxes without having them become an eyesore. Cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy recommends having at least one litter box in the living room, but let's face it—not everyone wants a litter box sitting in plain sight!
My solution was to repurpose an old chest of drawers that I rescued from the garbage area of our apartment building.
After hauling it upstairs, I cut an entrance hole in the side of the cabinet, along with a corresponding opening in the litter box inside. I reinforced the frame with a little glue, removed the original drawers, and joined the drawer fronts together using some scrap metal. A couple of hinges and a latch completed the transformation, allowing the front to open for cleaning and maintenance.
The result was a DIY hidden litter box cabinet that blended into our living room while providing several useful functions.
One of my favorite principles of catification is creating dual-purpose furniture—something that serves the needs of both humans and cats. This old chest of drawers became a discreet litter box enclosure, storage space for my CDs, and a convenient place to keep litter supplies and the poop scoop out of sight.
Even better, the top became a favorite elevated resting spot for our cats. Mugsy particularly enjoyed lounging there, where he could keep an eye on the apartment entrance, living room, and kitchen. Magic loved it, too.
It's a great example of how repurposing old furniture can provide practical, inexpensive catification, making a home more comfortable and functional for both cats and their humans.
Catify With Packing Paper — 10 Reasons to Keep It!
June 2017
Before you throw away that brown packing paper from your latest delivery, consider giving it to your cats!
In this lighthearted video, two enthusiastic feline wrestlers demonstrate ten wonderfully inventive uses for ordinary packing paper. From ambushes, hiding places, and makeshift shields to sliding mats, battering rams, and camouflage vehicles, there's apparently no end to what a couple of imaginative cats can do with a crumpled sheet of paper.
And the number-one reason to keep it? It's a great excuse to… WRESTLE!
It's a fun example of feline environmental enrichment—showing how simple, inexpensive household materials can encourage cats to explore, hide, pounce, play, and interact with one another.
Sometimes the best cat toys aren't toys at all!
Catify With a Syringe Case — An Unexpected Cat Toy!
Aug 2017
Who needs expensive cat toys when something as simple as an empty plastic syringe case can provide entertainment?
In this short video, two of my cats, still little more than kittens, have a wonderful time batting a Monoject syringe case around the living room floor.
It's another example of how everyday objects can sometimes inspire playful behavior, curiosity, and physical activity in cats.
Of course, not every household object is suitable for feline play. Always check for sharp edges, loose parts, or anything that could be swallowed, and supervise playtime.
Sometimes a cat's favorite toy is something you'd never have thought of buying!