🐾 Provide a Safe Place - For a cat, a safe place is a private and secure area, often in a raised location. These features give the cat a sense of enclosure, isolation or seclusion. A safe place is one that a cat can retreat to so that it feels protected. If the cat cannot see a potential threat, it feels safer, even if its whole body is not fully concealed. When a cat is relaxed, a safe place can also function as a resting or sleeping area.
🐾 Provide Multiple and Separated Key Environmental Resources - Key environmental resources include the feeding, drinking, toileting, claw scratching, play and resting/sleeping areas. These key resources should be available in multiple locations, either to provide separate access in multi-cat households or several choices for individual cats. Each key resource should be placed in its own location, separate from other resources
🐾 Provide Opportunity for Play and Predatory Behavior - Cats should be able to engage in pseudopredatory play and feeding behaviors. This can be achieved by providing toys, opportunities for play-based interaction with the cat owner and with other socially compatible cats, and feeding devices and practices that require the cat to actively acquire food.
🐾 Provide Positive, Consistent and Predictable Human–Cat Social Interaction - Cats are companion animals that benefit from regular, friendly and predictable social interaction with humans. Consistent and positive handling of the cat from a young age leads to positive behaviors such as reduced fear and stress and a strong human–cat bond. Social preferences among cats vary widely, and are influenced by factors such as genetics, early rearing conditions, and life experiences. Many cats prefer a high frequency, low intensity level of social contact with humans, a scenario that gives them a good deal of control. In this setting, cats are able to initiate, moderate and end their interaction with humans
🐾 Provide an Environment that Respects the Importance of the Cat’s Sense of Smell - Unlike humans, cats use olfactory and chemical information to evaluate their surroundings and maximize their sense of security and comfort. Olfactory information involves many different smells detected by the nose. Cats use olfactory and pheromonal signals through the use of scent marking by facial and body rubbing. This establishes the boundaries of their core living area in which they feel secure and safe. Wherever possible, humans should be careful not to interfere with a cat’s olfactory and chemical signals and scent profile.