When we moved into a one-bedroom with a cat, the internet told us to buy roughly forty things. Here is what actually matters every day, in the order we would buy it if we started over.
1. A place up high
Cats want to be above the room. In a small apartment that means going vertical instead of taking floor space. A tall cat tree by the window does three jobs at once: a lookout, a sleeping spot and a scratching surface. The 72-inch tree with a hammock and two condos in our shop is built for exactly that. If a tree is too much, a window hammock on suction cups gives the same view for a fraction of the space.
2. Something to scratch that is not the couch
Cats scratch to stretch and to leave a mark, and they do it near where they sleep. Put a scratcher there, not in the hallway. A corrugated cardboard scratcher is the cheap test: if it gets shredded, your cat likes horizontal scratching and you can add a bigger one. Sisal posts on a tree cover vertical scratching.
3. Somewhere to hide
Every cat needs a spot where nobody can see it. A collapsible tunnel is a hiding place and a toy at once: crinkly fabric, a peephole, a dangling ball, and it folds flat when guests come. A cave bed does the hiding part in a warmer, quieter way for cats that like to sleep enclosed.
4. Something to hunt while you are out
Indoor cats get bored between dinner and your return from work. Two things fix most of it. A felt puzzle box with a ball inside is quiet, so it works at night, and cats bat the ball through the holes for a surprisingly long time. A self-rolling ball moves on its own, bumps into things and pauses, which is what triggers the pounce. It is motion-activated, so it only runs when the cat touches it, not all day.
Add five minutes with a wand toy before dinner. Nothing beats you moving a feather, and the evening zoomies get shorter.
5. Water away from food
Many cats drink more when the water is in a different spot from the food. In a small apartment that often means a hallway with no outlet, which is where a cordless fountain helps. If you have an outlet in the right place, a corded one is fine too.
What we would skip
- Laser pointers. Nothing to catch at the end, and some cats get frustrated.
- A second litter box in a studio. One box, cleaned daily, on a trapping mat, beats two boxes you can smell.
- Plush mice. They live under the fridge within a day.
The short list
If you buy one thing this month, make it vertical space. Next month, the tunnel and the puzzle box. Water placement costs nothing to test. The rest can wait until you know what your cat actually uses.
Where these ship from: the cat tree and the cordless fountain are part of our Fast Delivery collection and ship from supplier warehouses in the United States (usually 5-9 business days). The other items in this post ship from our suppliers' warehouses outside the US, usually in China (5-12 business days after they ship). Each product page shows where the item ships from. Free shipping over $35. The Indoor Cat Kit bundles the tunnel, feather wands and puzzle box at a lower price than buying them separately.