When you buy their first kitten she is so small, so cute and so cuddly that you just want to nurse her and play with her all day.  As you kitten gets a bit bigger and more curious she will want to roam around the house and look in every room to see what potential playthings she can find.

You very often find at this stage that you kitten will want to scratch with her claws and this could be anything - the curtains, the furniture, your clothing, your knitting - anything with a bit of texture.  Sometimes this is just for fun and other times it is to keep her claws in trim.

If you cat is left alone all day whilst you are at work she may long for the fresh air but of course there is always the dangers of her getting out of your garden and into someone else’s who maybe doesn’t love cats the same way as you do or she may even venture into the road.  How can you encourage your cat to stay in your garden, so as not to upset the neighbours?

It is impossible to stop your cat’s natural desire to explore but it can be curbed.  You can  encourage your cat to stay in your garden by making it as interesting as possible so she won’t want to leave it but this is not always possible or 100% guaranteed.  Alternativey you can buy her a cat kennel or a cat house with a cat run attached.

This is an ideal “home from home” for your cat.  She will have her very own space to sleep comfortably and warmly under cover in the kennel area or she can play to heart’s content in the run area.    Just place her favourite cat bed in the cat kennel area and her litter tray somewhere she will use it - either in the kennel area or in the cat run area and fill the cat run with her favourite toys. 

Place a cat scratcher, or a cat activity centre in the cat run or even put large tree branches in there and hang catnip toys from the branches so that she can climb and play as much as she likes.  Don’t forget the essential bowl of clean, fresh water each day and some of her favourite treats !!

An outdoor cat kennel is also cheaper than  trying to enclose your back garden using a fencing kit which is not always 100%effective.

Cats are natural hunters and will tend to be more active at night time when their nocturnal prey are also active.  Some cat owners put their cats out at night as they won’t settle in the home at night because they want to be outside hunting, but there is an increased chance of road accidents when cats are out in the dark.  Again, another good reason to purchase a cat house or a cat kennel. 

A cat kennel with an attached can prevent cats that are used to being out and about at night from becoming restless and stressed because they have to be kept in but their owner can rest easy knowing that although their feline friend is outside smelling the night air and watching for little visitors, she is also safe and secure and will be waiting for her breakfast in the morning !!