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Cats’ stock may have fallen some way since being worshipped in ancient Egypt, but the domesticated kind still live pretty rarefied lives. Cat kit is big business, despite reassuringly few cats being trusted with credit cards of their own.
But what do you actually need to keep your pet feline safe and happy? I live with three of the furry little simpletons, Hamilton, Brando and Ripley, so have hopefully gleaned some insights. I’ve outlined some must-buys below, along with a few things I think can be safely avoided.
One caveat: cats’ taste in products is as diverse as people’s and no matter how much you research, you will end up with some duds – especially when it comes to toys. But at the very least, you can guarantee they’ll love the box in which they came.
The best kit to get for your cat
A sturdy crate
Catit Cabrio transport box, £40.89
zooplus.co.uk
£37.49
amazon.co.uk
I can’t emphasise enough the importance of the word “sturdy” and how buying anything less is a false economy. I made that mistake with my first cat, Humphries, who was what you’d charitably describe as “hench” but more accurately as “a chubalub”.
On a routine trip to the vet, he burst from his cheapo carrier and ran down an alley. Fortunately, he wasn’t gifted with natural intelligence and arrived back through the cat flap just as I was about to call the vet to cancel the appointment.
Cats usually hate carriers, so you want something secure but easy to carry. I upgraded to the Catit Cabrio, which opens from the top and the front so that even the most reluctant cat will get in eventually. It’s also easy to clean and has built-in food trays you can fill from the outside.
Quality food
KatKin, 14-day trial from about £19
katkin.com
High-quality cat food can really perk up their demeanour, alertness and energy levels – especially in older moggies.
The market is packed with choices for discerning cat parents, from Untamed to Marro. But the one I’ve tried and stuck with is KatKin. The company uses only what it calls “human-quality meats” (thankfully with the hyphen to avoid ambiguity) balanced by a certified vet nutritionist and portioned for your cat’s dietary needs.
I bought it specifically for Hamilton, who is elderly and has thyroid issues. The extra energy he now has is truly astonishing – and, to me, that’s worth the added expense. Be warned, though, you need a huge amount of freezer space because it’s made fresh and then frozen to maintain the nutrients. You defrost them as you go, with each portion lasting for up to five days in the fridge, so long as it’s unopened.
A microchip cat flap
SureFlap cat flap, £70
argos.co.uk
£69.99
amazon.co.uk
Not all cats are let outside, and much online discourse argues that nor should they be, in line with American guidance on the matter. However, the UK charity Cats Protection is of the view that, if possible, cats should be allowed outdoor time for “mental stimulation, exercise” and stress reduction.
Unless you want to be constantly opening and closing the door for an indecisive animal, a cat flap is a must. Ideally, look for one that reads your pet’s microchip to prevent furry intruders.
Sure Petcare products are easy to use and install – although you’ll need a glazier if you’re installing the SureFlap cat flap in glass. The Connect version records your cat’s comings and goings in an app. Such data can be useful for tracking behavioural changes (sometimes a sign of medical problems), but you’ll need to buy the adorable cat-eared hub too, so it’s a bit of an expense. You can get cheaper models that respond to a magnetic key on your pet’s collar, but it’s not without its risks, given that collars can slip off.
Entertaining toys
Yeowww banana cat toy, £8
hugglepets.co.uk
£5.85
amazon.co.uk
3-in-1 cat dangler toy, £2.49
zooplus.co.uk
More than anything else in this list, toy quality is subjective. Nonetheless, kickers and teasers have gone down well with most cats I’ve met.
Kickers – so named because the cats grab on to them and kick away – can energise even lazy cats, especially if they’re packed with catnip. Anything Yeowww-branded is a winner, and this banana-shaped toy is so popular you can have replacements sent on a subscription.
As for teasers, my superb cat sitter swears by this dangler that comes with three different heads and is affordable at just over £2.
Good litter management
LitterLocker, £29.99
amazon.co.uk
Let’s not sugarcoat it: there’s no way to make scooping litter trays fun. But you can minimise the unpleasantness of the worst chore of cat ownership, especially if your tray is far from the main bin.
LitterLocker is essentially a small bin that lives next to the litter tray, but its cunning design makes maintenance easy and limits those truly heinous odours that leave you questioning how they came from such a tiny gut.
Scoop the poop, drop it in the top segment and pull out the tray to ensure the waste drops into a neatly contained bag that can be tied up and disposed of when full.
Comprehensive pet insurance
Take it from someone who has maxed out three annual insurance premiums over the years: cats can be expensive. Ripley recently needed a three-night stay in hospital, which cost more than £2,000.
It pays to have pet insurance. Yes, you’ll still pay an excess, but it can make serious decisions about your cat’s health significantly less stressful. Moneysavingexpert.com is a good place to start researching the best insurance for your pets.
If you don’t want to do this, at the very least, put the money you would spend on pet insurance into an account for unexpected vet bills to insulate yourself from the worst shocks.
Moving water for hydration
Petkit cat water fountain, £54.99
currys.co.uk
£55.99
amazon.co.uk
Like most living things, cats need water. But many are known to neglect the tried-and-tested bowl of tap in favour of delicious-looking fetid puddles – far from ideal. Pet drinking fountains can up the appeal of tap water, though, plus they don’t need to be refilled as frequently as bowls.
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The Petkit water fountain runs quietly enough for scaredy-cats and needs only to be topped up every eight to 10 days. It also has an app to track drinking habits, so you can watch for any behaviour changes.
Quality pet bowls
Ceefu elevated bowls, £16.99
amazon.co.uk
SureFeed microchip feeder, £98
argos.co.uk
£115
petsathome.com
In case it doesn’t go without saying, you want a bowl from which your cat likes to eat. That means wide and shallow, so the sides don’t interfere with their whiskers, and raised for comfort.
Metal and ceramic bowls are typically best because they’re easy to clean, whereas plastic is thought to harbour bacteria that’s been linked to feline acne.
The elevated cat bowls from Ceefu tick the boxes and are dishwasher-safe. But a feeding system that locks to a certain microchip, like that from SureFeed (or the app-connected version), may better suit households with multiple cats to stop any greedy guts or bullies from stealing dinner.
Lint rollers
PetLovers extra-sticky lint roller, £6.99
amazon.co.uk
A sure-fire way to spot a cat person is the fur all over their clothes, but lint rollers can help make it less obvious.
“Extra sticky” here is key, and the PetLovers lint roller does the job brilliantly.
Holiday supervision
Unlike dogs, cats will quite happily carry on their daily routine of sleeping and eating without human supervision for short periods. But if you’re away for several days, you’ll want a cat sitter for mental stimulation and general comfort.
Cat in a Flat connects cat owners with sitters in their area. The idea of giving a stranger your house keys is undoubtedly scary, but the site makes it easy to browse reviews and pushes for a meet-up before the first unsupervised visit.
The company’s guarantee, which includes vet fee cover and lost key replacement, offers peace of mind. The local sitter I’ve found through the site is always reliable (and has provided hundreds of photos and videos of playtime).
Something to scratch (other than your sofa)
Pets at Home Coco Haven cat tower, £70
petsathome.com
Trixie scratching board, £7.95
amazon.co.uk
£9.79
tesco.com
Ikea Utsådd scratching mat, £4
ikea.com
Cats love few things more than scratching, and your soft furnishings are going to be tested at some point. But you can at least try to distract your cats with something that feels satisfying to destroy.
I’ll be honest: my cats have never shown the slightest interest in dedicated scratching posts, though I’ve had some success using cat towers with a scratching area like the one above.
For a cheaper option, the Trixie scratching board enriched with catnip gets good reviews from my cat-owning friends, and Ikea has just launched a rather neat wraparound scratcher that can be attached to table legs.
Don’t bother with …
Robot litter trays
They’re expensive and have moving parts that a) may scare timid tabbies and b) could be prone to breaking. If you really want to try one, pick a brand that offers a trial, such as Litter Robot.
Supermarket flea sprays
Humphries once caused a household-wide flea infestation, which supermarket sprays and bug bombs simply couldn’t touch. The ultimate solution? The powerful Indorex spray.
Cat beds
Cats sleep wherever they please. I’ve bought loads of incredibly comfy-looking cat beds for them all to be ignored in favour of the sofa, the floor or the old favourite trip-hazard spot at the top of the stairs. Save your money.
Alan Martin is a freelance reviews writer whose work helps subsidise the lavish feline lifestyles to which Hamilton (14), Brando (eight) and Ripley (four) have grown accustomed. He reviews products from home, so has plenty of time to watch his domesticated panthers in their natural habitat – and lots of empty boxes for them to sleep in before recycling day
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