My Pet World: 'Catifying' your home adds more fun for your feline

A cat's mind is a terrible thing to waste.

"Cats are emotional beings, and they require stimulation -- every day," says Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet's "My Cat From Hell."

"I go into boring homes, where there is nothing for the cats," Galaxy continues. "As a result, over time, they lose their inner cat and their mojo, or territorial confidence. So many people who love their cats have no clue that they've unknowingly participated in stripping away the raw cat."

The good news is, that mojo may not be gone forever. Galaxy's recipe for giving your pet back its magical mojo sounds like this: "Catify the home, enrich the environment by meeting the needs of each cat, include places to hide, places (your cat can) call his or her own, places to observe others, and new things to explore."

Galaxay's latest book is "Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!)" (Tarcher-Penguin Books, New York, NY, 2014; $21.95) with co-author Kate Benjamin. The book is about understanding and then (literally) building what cats need.

"Cats are (both) predator and prey," says Galazy. "A plank on my platform for cats is to encourage confidence. As long as they keep in touch with a potential predator and feel safe, it's OK. As an example, when we're catifying, we talk about the 'cat superhighway' as a way for cats can get around the room without touching the floor (so they can be up high and see what's going on)."

Benjamin, an interior designer, now dubs herself a cat-style expert.

"The book offers both easy and inexpensive, as well as more complex means to achieve the goal of simulating the lives of indoor cats," she says.

Some of the catification plans are so complex (but, as Galaxy points out, also the "epitome of cool") that they require architectural blueprints.

"I needed to both consider functionality and, of course, safety for cats, as well as how does it look for the people who live there?" explains Benjamin. "One goal is to demonstrate that you can enrich your cat's life without turning your house into the crazy cat lady's house." Cat superhighways can be created using existing furniture, or by making platforms, walkways or shelves for cats to walk across and perch on.

For example, you can create a "wall scratcher," transforming an entire wall or part of a wall into a scratching post using carpet tiles. Simply cut the tiles to fit the area, and use a non-toxic adhesive to attach them, says Benjamin. You can create decorative tile patterns to match your décor, from modern and whimsical to vintage.

Carpet tiles are not expensive. Even less expensive is using a cardboard box as a cat hiding place.

"Kids can help build these projects, like creatively making the box to look nicer than a plain box by using wrapping paper," Benjamin says. "When you get tired of the box or it gets beat up, just toss it."

Galaxy is certain that cats benefit by living in catified homes.

"When cats live in enriched environments, by definition they explore more and receive more physical exercise and mental stimulation (and) they're less likely to have behavior problems. I can't stress enough how important this is," he said.

Benajmin adds, "Hopefully, the book is only a start. It's a misconception to think that cats don't need or want (something) beyond four walls. We explain what all cats need, then offer ideas on how to meet those needs. The hope is that we trigger a new way of thinking. The only limit to what people can do is their own creativity. Catification is creative and fun."

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