A New Cat Moves In

We know how exciting it is to decide to bring a new family member home. And we also know how many questions come up beforehand: what you actually need, how to make sure your little velvet paw feels right at home, and when the right moment has come to take this step. But now you've reached that point – the cat is coming! And you'll need to get everything set up for it. Because even if this cat might not be the very first you've ever had, a new cat naturally needs things of its own. At LucyBalu, we've put together everything you need for your new house tiger. First things first:

Ensuring Your Cat's Wellbeing

Especially at the start, cats need several retreats where they feel comfortable right away. Whether the house tiger moving in with you is a kitten or already a bit older, the situation is new and can feel a little unsettling at first. So make sure you offer plenty of cosy corners and hiding spots. These should be chosen so your cat can easily reach them and feel safe there. And they should genuinely offer your cat protection – meaning that when your cat retreats there, it should be left in peace for a while. For many cats, safety means being able to keep an eye on everything.

This is also why, years ago, we designed one of our first and most popular products: the SWING. This ingenious hammock offers everything cats want: cosiness, a sense of security and stability. If you've just brought home a kitten, the SWING might still be hanging out of reach – here you can create easy climbing aids with STEPS or with the WAVE. Another benefit: making use of the "third dimension" in the room. In other words, you can turn walls right up to the ceiling into living space for your cat. Especially for indoor cats, measures like these are a must to give them as much room to move as possible. What also gives many cats a sense of stability, especially in unfamiliar situations, are places where they feel safe and snug. Many kittens love using caves for exactly this. As soon as a cat can snuggle into something while still seeing what's going on around it, it relaxes. And on top of that, the CAVE is simply wonderfully fluffy…

The Quiet Corner – The Litter Box

The proverbial cleanliness of cats borders on the meticulous. No other pet cares as much about cleanliness as a house tiger. Naturally, a suitable litter box is essential for this. Very important: if you have more than one cat, you'll need more than one litter box! You can find out more about this in our article on introducing cats to each other. The litter box needs to be in a clean, quiet spot. Neither a busy hallway nor a lively children's room is a suitable place for a cat to do its business. You should also make sure, before your cat moves in, that the litter box location is always accessible. The choice of litter might seem unimportant at first – but it isn't. Whether you go for clumping or non-clumping litter, choose the eco-friendly option, or the artificially bleached kind (…which we'd gently advise against…): you should know that this litter will end up all over your home. And we mean everywhere. Dirt-trapping mats in front of the litter box, rugs around it – the litter will still turn up in beds, on armchairs and in the kitchen.

What's for Dinner? – The Right Cat Food

The way to a cat's heart is through its stomach too. That means we can win a lot of goodwill in those first few days with food and treats. Naturally, a suitable feeding spot is very important for our kittens. So what makes for the perfect dining setup? First of all: a quiet, bright spot that's easy for your cat to reach. It's really important that water is always available, while food is best served at set times. Many cats get both wet and dry food. Which in turn means you should definitely set out more than just one food bowl. LucyBalu's DINE feeding station and the BUFFET bowl set give you an easy and stylish way to offer more than one type of food. Water, or the water bowl, should ideally stand a bit further away. In addition, extra drinking stations should be offered, ideally spread around the home. We've already explained why in one of our earlier articles (more HERE). Cats often drink spontaneously, and by spreading water bowls around, we can make sure they can lap up water whenever the mood strikes. The food bowl needs to stand securely and not slip. And since many cats love playing with their food, you should either consider a mat underneath, or place the feeding station on flooring that's easy to wipe clean.

Cat Paradise – Scratching and Climbing

For your little tiger to truly feel at home, it takes more than just a bed, food and a litter box. To protect your furniture and rugs, for example, we strongly recommend bringing scratching options into your home. Because claws want to be sharpened and territory wants to be marked! And they will be – whether or not that expensive armchair can take it. That's why we recommend offering scratching spots such as the Scratchpad – you'll see how grateful your furniture and textiles will be – and your cats too, of course, since marking and sharpening claws are part of their wellbeing. Anyone who knows cats knows that, especially when they're young, nothing is safe from them. No cupboard goes unclimbed, no piece of furniture goes undiscovered and unclaimed. To do justice to all that, you can create true cat paradises in your home. This is exactly where LucyBalu's cat furniture concept comes in; because the various elements can be freely combined with one another, what you end up with isn't just a static scratching post – no! It's possible to create genuine climbing wall dreams for our cats, paired with cosy feel-good oases. A paradise obstacle course, so to speak, that gives your cat everything it needs to live a truly good cat life.

Finally – Toys!

Let's be honest – buying toys is somehow one of the best parts for us humans when a new cat arrives! The choice is huge, and you can hardly wait for your little one to finally relax and dash wildly around the home. Here's the rule: anything goes that your cat enjoys – except laser pointers. Why? Cats need to experience success when they hunt. "Catching" the prey is, every now and then, extremely important to them. Since you can't actually catch light – and many laser pointers can also be genuinely dangerous for eyes – we advise against them. Otherwise, cats are true individualists when it comes to toys too. Some love chasing balls, others adore toys that make noise. A little tip from our team: that's great during the day, and fine at night too, if that particular toy briefly "disappears" for a while… Other house tigers love wand toys or strings to chase after. When choosing toys, it's really important that they're not too small, so your cat can't accidentally swallow them. Marbles and similar items can quickly become dangerous here! Strings can also cut in quickly – so please make sure nothing happens even during the wildest play sessions. Variety matters here too. Swap out the toys from time to time, work with scents like catnip, and bring old toys back out after a few weeks – you'll see how enthusiastically your pet plays with them again.

Small (and Big) Trips With Your Cat

One thing that's often forgotten, especially at the start, is transporting your cat. At the latest when you set off to pick up your new family member, you'll realise you actually need a carrier for it. There are countless options on the market. Please make sure your pet travels safely and with enough airflow in its "travel suitcase". You also need to be able to get your cat safely in and out of the carrier (especially later on, for vet visits). A single front-facing opening, as was often the case with the old wicker baskets, isn't ideal. Cats can quickly feel cornered this way, and this in turn can lead even the sweetest kitty to lash out painfully. Large zippers or lids that lift off from the top are better. We took all of this (and more) into account when designing our cat travel bags. More on that HERE.

Anything else? – Accessories for cats

There are countless little extras we could recommend to you as cat owners. For long-haired cats, for example, brushes are absolutely essential. Many short-haired cats appreciate being brushed too – here, brushes and combs are more of a nice-to-have. For outdoor cats, it's worth considering whether a tracking device (like our NEMO) makes sense, while indoor cats tend to love cat grass. And so on, and so forth. Life as a cat owner also means giving your cat what it needs to be happy.