Top 3 Ways to Keep Your Cat Safe and Happy This Spring

While we stay cooped up in the winter months, now makes the perfect time to plan for your cat’s safety and well-being this spring. As humans, we experience spring fever after long winter days spent inside, and just seeing the outdoors budding to life is enough to make us want to run outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Regardless of the time of year, our cats need positive stimulation inside to give them a way to engage their curiosity and energy without causing them harm, but spring is the season to ensure that their safety needs are met as well. From the best cat toys that keep them engaged to fluffy cat beds for the perfect nap, this post walks you through some of the best ways to prep for spring for your feline friend.

1. Secure Your Windows

Our cats see the same stimuli as we do in springtime—from the changing landscape of budding flowers and trees to local wildlife scampering about—cats are embraced with the same sights, sounds, and temptations to bolt out of doors and chase those birds flitting around or to investigate exactly what is making that grass wave back and forth.

While we know how to conduct ourselves outside, our precious, playful cats have instincts that will send them scampering up trees, playing in potentially poisonous flowers, and chasing wildlife through unknown, untested environments. Since we’ll likely be spending more time outside than in with our cats, we need to keep their needs in mind to ensure they aren’t cooped up in boredom and stressed while they watch the spring season come to life outside.

So before you get to that first beautiful day when you can open windows, check out all of your screens. Especially if your kitty likes to lounge around on window sills, a loose screen can give way and cause them to fall or get the idea to taste a bit of freedom. So be sure you replace broken screens, tighten and secure loose ones, and patch any holes you find because those can be easy routes for your cat to leave the house without you knowing.

2. Bring the Spring Inside for Your Cats

Making sure your cat can’t break out of windows is safety-oriented maintenance, but refreshing their environment to bring spring to them is pure fun. Just like you might change out pillows or other decor in your home after some spring cleaning, this is the perfect time to adjust the setup for your cat.

To provide the right stimulation that keeps them engaged and happy, you just have to think like a cat. So consider refreshing some elements throughout your home to fulfill their springtime excitement and energy needs:

• Give them something to hunt. You already know that cats are natural predators, but unless you allow critters to overtake your home, your cat has nothing inside to consider as prey. So give them stimulating, natural-looking cat toys that truly mimic what they see outdoors. Toys like the interactive bird simulation allow them to play independently to capture real-looking birds that hang temptingly within reach.
• Install a Window Bird Feeder. Cats love to watch birds, and having a feeder installed on your window can give your cat a front-row seat to the action. The Leo's Paw window bird feeder is a great option as it has a clear acrylic design that allows for unobstructed views of the birds. It also has multiple suction cups for secure installation and a removable tray for easy cleaning. Your cat will surely enjoy the entertainment, and you'll get to enjoy the added benefit of birdwatching from the comfort of your home.
• Offer new hiding places. When outside, cats will instinctively hide under shrubs, porches, and other spots that give them adequate cover from other predators. So even if you already have places to hide that you’ve purchased or created for your kitty, spring is a great time to refresh those items. Move them to new locations or bring in totally new cat-friendly caves for a new level of fun. You don’t have to get fancy either. You can rearrange your space to create a fun hiding spot or reuse a box or a cozy cave.
• Refresh their climbing spots. If your cat doesn’t have a spot to climb, create one. Cats like to climb to check out their space as much as they like to hide. If you don’t already have a climbing spot, create one near the window your cat enjoys to look out from, or watch where your cat currently plays and climbs and make that a formal activity spot. If you already have something for your cat to climb, place it near a window or a different window for a new view of spring.
• Bring in a babbling brook. Nothing says spring more than the sound of brook trickling by. While you certainly can’t have a stream running through your house, you can offer the same look and feel by getting your cat a cat water fountain. Not only can a water fountain offer constant, clean water, but it also encourages your cat to drink more and offers a constant, peaceful flow.
• Buy them a cozy new bed. Most of us do a generous amount of spring cleaning where we wash windows, flip mattresses, and maybe even hang our sheets outside to dry in the sun. So we know how wonderful a refreshed bed can be for sleeping, and your cat is no different. A cozy cat bed is the perfect new treat for your cat’s naps after a hearty time at play.

3. Give Them a Protected Outdoor Space

Your cat can enjoy all the sensations of spring in a protected outdoor space. Just as much as we enjoy relaxing on a screened porch, your cat will enjoy it, too. From the safety of a screened porch, your cat can see, hear, and smell all that is going on outside.

Just be sure you also have some interactive cat toys with your cat on the porch to provide stimulation and a way to expend energy. And always have your cat’s collar on and be sure the microchip information is up to date if your cat is chipped. That way, if there is an accidental breakout, your cat has identifying information that helps promote a safe return to home.

Whether you work from home or travel often, spring is a lively time of year for your cat, and it’s the perfect season to refresh your cat’s environment with stimulating cat toys that engage that feline energy in a safe and fun way.