If your cat is showing signs of boredom, such as clawing the sofa or climbing high up on things he shouldn't, get him a cat condo to make his life happier. Cat trees or condos are large carpet-covered multi-level structures that satisfy most cats' needs such as clawing and climbing.
Usually on a middle level you will have a little house for them to climb into. That fills their need to squash themselves into boxes or other tight-fitting spaces. Cat condos can be found on online shopping sites and auctions such as eBay
at reasonable prices. If you order through the mail, you can buy directly from the manufacturers instead of getting one through a middleman (retail store.) This saves money and they will deliver it to your door, to save your back from lifting and carrying a big, heavy box.
When you first get the tree, it usually comes in two or three pieces and is easy to put together. My dad's cat gladly helped him put his together. Somehow, he knew the cat tree was just for him. Once the tree is complete, sprinkle a little catnip on each level, and show kitty his new palace. This tree will help kitty feel like the royalty that he is. Most cats quickly get the hang of it; others may need a little coaxing with extra catnip and encouragement. If you have a multiple cat household, if others see one on the tree, they follow along, not wanting to be left out. That happened in my case. Next thing I knew, all three were fighting to be on the top level.
Put the cat tree near a window, so that your kitties can look out at birds, like us humans watching TV. Most cats love being up high, so a tall condo is great for fulfilling the need to look down on the world from above. Once they are acclimated to the cat tree, your cats may stop showing interest in clawing or sleeping on your furniture. Usually, the larger trees have a toy hanging from one level, so the cats can play with it. One of my cats lies on his back and swats that toy, enjoying playing on his own terms (without me waving it around.) Cat condos are truly feline entertainment centers.
They come in a variety of colors and many have posts wrapped in sisal, which feels good to cat claws when they scratch it. Go ahead and surprise your cat with a new cat condo. It will make life for the both of you much happier and easier.
Fluffy definitely approves of his cat condo.
