After nearly a 35-year ban, cats will soon be legal to own in HDBs. That’s a win for any of us who identify as a cat lady or man. It means we’ll no longer have to resort to visiting cat cafes regularly or heading to the void deck to pet a cat.
But before you start asking the cat distribution system to drop one at your home, you’ll want to make sure your apartment is up to code. We’ve got tips to ensure your flat is cat-safe:
Keeping your cats indoors is the best way to ensure your cats’ safety. Meshing all possible openings – windows, balconies, and doors – is a must if you plan on keeping a cat or two in your home.
Image credit: @kobe.and.mochi via Instagram
For one, they’re curious creatures with no sense of danger. Cats will pounce on birds and other prey with no regard for how high up they are. With a mesh on the window or grilles on your balcony, kitties will have a barricade preventing them from falling from a height.
Meshing your door will also prevent your cat from wandering out of your home where they might be subjected to dangers like poisonous plants or even territorial feral cats that may fight.
Invisible grilles for balconies that don’t obstruct views.
Image credit: Invisible Grille Concept
We’ll caution against getting flimsy plastic meshes though. Responsible pet owners will want to invest in proper installations done by professionals. Don’t worry about these spoiling the look of your home either. These days, there are pet-friendly mesh gates that match plenty of home aesthetics and invisible grilles that don’t block your view from the balcony.
Monsteras are also known as the “Swiss-cheese plant” and should not be in homes that have cats.
If you’re making the switch from plant-rent to paw-rent, you might want to take inventory of the greenery in your home. A number of common plants are toxic to cats, including money plants, aloe vera, devil’s ivy, snake plants, philodendrons, and monsteras. When ingested, these can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and seizures. In worst-case scenarios, your pet might pass away.
Image credit: @mei.gift23 via Instagram
This goes for plants you might grow in your corridors as well. While your cats may be fully indoors, flower pollen can get blown into your house and harm your cat. All species of lilies and chrysanthemums especially are deadly, so keep these flowers far from your home to protect your furbabies.
Since cats do their business in litter boxes, it might be tempting to light scented candles to get rid of the smell. But the fumes from the essential oils used could be toxic to cats. In fact, even having unlit scented candles in the same room as your cats may be harmful. Popular scents that can cause organ failure in cats include lavender and eucalyptus if ingested.
If you do want to continue using scented candles or essential oil diffusers, just ensure that your cats are kept in a separate room when doing so. That way, there’s little chance of your cats breathing in any toxic fumes. Plus, it’ll prevent them from knocking over lit candles and causing a fire.
You might even want to invest in an air purifier to clear the air of any leftover fumes after burning a candle.
Do air out the room by opening the windows and switching on a fan before letting your cats back in. To be extra cautious, store your unused candles and oils in airtight containers to prevent your pets from getting to them.
Cats are climbers by nature and if outdoors, you’ll see them climbing trees and walls. It’s unlikely you have either of these indoors, so it’s bookshelves and wardrobes you’ll find your kitty jumping into. This isn’t always the safest, especially if your shelves are lined with fragile knick-knacks that can be knocked over by cheeky kitties.
Your best bet is to get cat condos and towers, so your cats have something else to climb. Get ones that have hiding holes near the top for your cats to sleep in as well. These provide a sense of security for them since they prefer being high up. You can even get towers where the poles are also scratching posts – these will save your furniture from being clawed up by your cats too.
Just about any cat video on the internet shows a furry feline going wild chasing after a piece of string. Pulling a string kicks a cat’s hunting instincts into gear. And guess what looks like a cat’s favourite string toy? Your electrical wires.
Store wires out of reach in drawers or consoles.
Image credit: Uchify
It goes without saying then that you’ll want your wires stored away to prevent your cats from getting to them. You can hide them in consoles or at the very least, bundle your cords together with velcro or cable ties.
The same applies to fans and curtain blinds that have pull strings. You might want to change your fans to remote-controlled ones or cut the string so they’re shorter and harder to reach. For blinds, keep cords out of reach by hanging them onto a hook.
With these tips, you’ll be ensuring the safety of your cats. Now all you have to concern yourself with is making sure they live a healthy lifestyle so they’ll be your companion for as long as possible. That’s where Pet Pal comes in, a brand that offers cat wet food and cat litter.
Cats can be picky eaters; thankfully, Pet Pal has 6 different flavours of cat wet food ($1.52/can) that will whet their appetites:
Tuna & Shrimp in Gravy and Chicken Fine Flakes in Gravy.
Pet owners will be pleased to know that only 100% real fish, whole shrimp, and shredded chicken are used in these cans of food.
That means no gristly fillers that only add calories to your pet’s diet but no nutritional benefits. There are also no artificial flavours or colourings used.
Pet Pal doesn’t just take care of your cat in the kitchen, they also have cat litter ($25.43/5L) for their bathroom needs. Made for cats in mind, this litter is gentle on their paws, so they won’t be tracking bits of cat litter into your home outside of their toilet area.
It also clumps quickly and has quality absorbency, meaning you won’t find puddles of pee at the bottom of litter box trays. Plus points for pet owners, who don’t have to clean up after their cats every time they take a poo. It’s even able to mask strong odours well, just in case you have a sensitive nose and can’t stand the stench.
Pet Pal products are readily available exclusively at most NTUC FairPrice outlets. Or, shop online to have them shipped directly to your doorstep. There are even carton deals you can look out for when buying Pet Pal cat wet food. Currently, a box of 24 in any flavour will set you back only $25.95, saving you $10.38 on the usual price.
For new owners who’re still getting the hang of looking after felines or seasoned cat ladies adding more to their brood, Pet Pal has the goods to ensure a healthy kitty.
This post was brought to you by NTUC FairPrice.
Photography by Ian Sim.
Cover image adapted from: @kobe.and.mochi via Instagram
Originally published on 19th February 2024.
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