Anyone who has shown the slightest interest in cats or watched just two videos of them knows cats like compact spaces.
If I fits I sits is the sorority slogan of all cats in the world. Even if you live in a mansion and have the softest and warmest bed for your kitty, she will find that Amazon box in which you ordered the said bed and judge you from inside that box using those two peeking shiny eyes.
Their love for small spaces raises a lot of questions.
Does their affinity for compact spaces translate to living spaces? How much space do cats really need? Given that cats are comfortable in compact spaces, is a studio apartment big enough for two or more cats?
Are there any advantages or disadvantages of making two or more cats share a small space? And if it is possible what can you do to ensure multiple cats grow happily and healthily in a small studio apartment?
Let me address each of these concerns of yours.
So, is a studio apartment big enough for two cats?
The important thing is not the apartment’s spaciousness but the space for activity. Cats need exercise and engagement. So, if you can provide the necessary activity for cat instincts using props like cat trees, perches, toys, attention, and play a studio apartment will be more than enough for two cats.
And the best part is having two cats can actually free you from a lot of responsibility of engagement and play.
All that is left is to be creative with the small space and create a cat-friendly ecosystem.
In the next sections, I will teach you how to do just that.
How Much Space Do Cats Need?
Just a few days ago I was creating a video on Iberian Lynx and I discovered they can travel around 1000 km to find their territory.
Cats have come a long way. It’s almost a miracle that a creature once a sneaky predator of the woods is now resting with its tongue out on our sofas, sorry boxes.
Domesticated cats do not require a lot of space to develop as well-adjusted pets.
However, they need the right amount of spaciousness to express their wild instincts.
But for the sake of being precise, a cat requires around 18-20 square feet of space. As is the case with everything, this estimate is subjective and depends on multiple factors.
Let me discuss each of these factors briefly.
- Breed
One of the most fun things about cats is doesn’t matter how many varieties they have, they have that ‘mysterious cat factor’ that connects all of them.
It’s like they have a common secret code of operation.
But different cat breeds do have, to some degree, different needs.
Large cat breeds like the Maine Coon will require relatively more space than a smaller-sized breed.
- Age
Kittens are bubbles of energy and therefore will need more space to jump around and play. As they mature, they tend to require less space as they don’t jump around as much and prefer staying close to spaces where there is either food or comfort.
- Energy Content
There are docile and laid-back cat breeds like the ragdolls and then there are Bengals and Siamese who are just their polar opposites.
Cat breeds with high bubbly content like the Siamese in general need more space to hide, climb and chase. On the other hand, cats like Persian or Ragdolls aren’t as demanding.
- Space Quality
A while ago I was watching a video by Jackson Galaxy where he urged the owners to create a way path for the cat to reach the shelves.
The first thing that the anxious cat did as soon as she reached the shelves is rest. You could almost feel the cat’s gratitude in the air.
The point is with cats what matters is the quality of space more than the quantity of space.
What you need to do is not fret about how much space you have but figure out how can you make your space more feline friendly.
Don’t worry I will tell you how to do that in the next section.
How to Care for Two or More Cats In a Studio Apartment?
The key component here is the quality of space rather than the quantity of space.
So you need to make the available space conducive for cats and at the same time must not be an obstruction to your lifestyle.
And no it’s not difficult if you can be smart about it.
Here are a few things you can do to make your small apartment space conducive for holding two or even more cats.
Get the Basics Rights
First off we need to understand a cat’s nature and respect it. Cats are inherently territorial and they like having their boundaries respected.
In a domesticated system, this translates to them having their own litter box, their own food, and water stations.
I understand that in a small space, this can be a challenge but this needs to be done especially if you are having more than one cat in a small apartment for the first time.
Some experts suggest that you need two separate units of even toys, scratching posts, water fountains, etc. But for a studio apartment, you don’t need to go to that extreme.
Just separate the elements that appeal to their core instincts (food, water, and litter box) and you will be fine.
Use Perches In Strategic Places
This is one of the best advice that I can give you. Cats by nature are stalkers. The predatory instinct in them wants to be sneaky, they want a wide field of view and they like to feel safe.
A perch placed at elevated levels is just perfect to address this core instinct of theirs.
I will leave you at the liberty of placing the perches but some of the best places are near a window where they can rest, catch the morning sun and watch the chirping birds.
When trying to place perches inside you need to be a little more strategic. The best room to place these perches is where there is already an overhead shelf that runs across the length of the room.
You need to install these perches in such a way that your cats can access this shelf for rest, supervision, and play.
Your creativity is the limit here but here are a few examples by ourrepurposedhome and balconygardenweb that will get you started.
Use Cat Trees
What can the arrangement of perches even better is if you have a big cat tree leading up to these perches.
The happiness your cats will experience with such an arrangement will be palpable.
In a small studio apartment, you can still have a big tree, the only thing you need to be mindful of is how big is its base.
You can place this tree in a corner of a room and can arrange the array of perches where the top of the tree finishes.
So, a good cat tree and four to five perches(you can have them custom-made too) will be more than enough to create a cat-friendly ecosystem.
Rethink Occupied Spaces
What are some of the elements in your apartment that occupy the most space? Is it your bed? A cupboard?
You can use risers like these to make the area underneath accessible to your cats.
As I pointed out cats like secluded, compact spaces to rest and stalk and the cave-like space underneath beds or a large cupboard can be perfect for it.
Common Spaces are Important
As independent and aloof cats portray themselves to be they love engagement, attention, and company. Of humans and of other cat-friendly creatures.
This works in favor of people who have small apartments because with a sibling they always have an outlet to engage, play and grow together with.
Not just that cats are huge cuddle bugs.
In addition to laying on top of a shelf and supervising your acts alone, they love a snuggle partner.
Therefore, you will often find both your cats snuggling in the morning sun on the perch you installed near the window or sharing different levels of the cat tree.
Therefore, as far as having multiple cats in a small apartment goes you don’t need to have different accessories for different cats.
It is okay to have them share props, toys, and accessories that will help them bond.
Recommended Products
So that is how you go about modifying your limited space to make it conducive for our feline friends.
Now as I said, it’s a subjective task. Studio apartments are of different types, they have different designs and different spaces, so much will also depend on how much stuff you have.
But all the tips that I am sharing here will apply to most living spaces.
Now let me give you some more helpful tips and products that will make your living situation with your furry friend much more convenient.
- Floor to Ceiling Cat Tower
As I said one of the best things you can do is strategically install cat perches and trees in the available space.
For a small apartment, you will need a long cat tree that has multiple platforms and which can lead up to shelves or perches.
To achieve said arrangement, this 5-tier floor-to-ceiling cat tower will be perfect. It doesn’t require a lot of space, is sturdy enough to hold multiple cats and there are plenty of ways that cats can use to get to the top.
Perfect cat tree for studio apartments.
- Climbing Tree with Adjustable Height: The whole cat tree consists of 5 levels push-covered platforms, distance from every 2 platforms is 17.3 inches, the tension rod on the top can be adjusted to a preferred height from high to low（95-109 Inches） accommodate room ceiling. Once the tension rod is compressed enough, your cats can challenge themselves climbing to the top and enjoy the view from above.
- Designed for Cats’ Natural Instinct: Cats are fond of climbing to high places out of natural, the height of this cat tree is all the way expanding to ceiling, cats will feel joyful to get to the highest spot in house; Cats are born to be hunters, sisal covered scratching posts and dangling ball will allow them to sharpen their claws and practice hunting skills. Kittens can rest, perch and napping on the plush platforms if tired, top cozy round bed will provide cats a deep quality sleep.
- Thicken Posts for Better Sturdiness: Posts on this cat tower are thicker than those in the market, the diameter of posts is increased to 9cm/3.5 inches, adding significant sturdiness to the structure and longer life cycle. All posts are covered with soft plush and natural sisal, do beneficial for cats to form a good habit of scratching. Please do be minded this tall cat post is recommended for kitten and small to medium cats, cats over 20lbs might be heavy for the very top scratching post.
- Space-Saving & Convenient to Move: This cat tree takes up mostly vertical space, occupies only a 44*25 cm/17.3*9.8 inches base on the floor, so you can settle it to any spot you’d like to. Overall weight of the cat tree is 8.7 kg/19.18 lbs, a relatively light weight that one will be able to carry easily. You can settle the cat tree to somewhere away from your furniture, so that there will be less scratches added to your expensive furniture.
- Easy Assemble & Issue-Free: It takes about 10 minutes or less to have the cat tree scratch post installed. For any questions on the cat tree towers, you can contact us directly, the seller is always here and ready for helping. A professional service team will be on your call to solve all your worries.
- Floor to Ceiling Cat Pole (Alternative to Cat Trees)
If you don’t have sufficient space for a cat tree, cat poles can be a very good alternative.
I particularly love this one because it is covered with sisal fabric and from what I hear customers say, cats go crazy for it.
You can use it in combination with perches or this can act as a direct conduit to a room-length shelf that you may have.
Either way, if you are tight on space this sisal fabric cat pole can come really handy.
- A small number of cats may not like to be close to or adapt to the product when they first come into contact with it. After half a month to a month of adaptation, they will like it. If the height of the product you buy is not suitable, you can contact us, we can put forward the appropriate solution according to your ceiling height.
- This type is fit for celling height 100.4Inch-108.3Inch. Please confirm the roof height you want to set before purchasing.
- The climbing tower with thick posts that reaches the ceiling stimulates the curiosity of cats, allowing your cat to climb trees as much as it likes, perfect for those who relieving lack of exercise and stress! If your cat gets tired, it can relax on the jump plate. It can also be used by multiple cats. The sturdy jump plate can withstand a weight of 15KG.
- The posts of the cat tower are made of paper tubes. The whole body of the posts are wrapped in strong sisal rope. Cats can easily sharpen their claws. Cats won’t scratch pillars, walls, curtains. Sisal rope is durable, long-lasting, dust-free and clean.
- The floor-to-ceiling cat tower that does not require drilling holes in the ceiling that is very easy to assemble! It is very space-saving that you can place it in a place such as a wall or a corner of a fence. The cat tower uses thick posts with a diameter of 9 cm, and the double-layer base board provides excellent stability.
- Smart Robot Vacuum
When you have a pet, especially a cat there will be hairs everywhere. And therefore, investing in a piece of good cleaning equipment should be the apparent choice, yet it is often overlooked.
You may think I am suggesting the product to make your life easier and you are right but also not.
You see I am suggesting this robot vacuum cleaner because cats love it. Okay, not all cats will love it but most do. You must have seen some videos on YouTube on how cats react to it. They will sit on it and take a trip across the house while it does all the cleaning.
So you see it’s something for both of you.
- 🏠[2-In-1 Mopping Robot Vacuum]: The 1400Pa mopping robot vacuum cleaner combo can quickly remove dust, paper scraps, and other garbage. Wet mop function and 230ml electric control water tank, even penetration, suitable for all hard floors, such as laminate, ceramic tiles, granite, parquet, etc.
- 📱[Smart App & Voice Control] You can easily create a home clean schedule, change the clean mode, and control the clean direction by using the Tuya Smart App. The auto vacuum robot is also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing users to make the robot start and stop the clean by voice commands. Remote control is also included in the package for your convenience. (⚠The APP only supports 2. 4GHz WiFi.)
- 🔔[Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance Upgraded Again]: The robot vacuum has advanced 3D precise obstacle avoidance function, a full set of sensors can intelligently identify and avoid white walls, stairs, and obstacles. 2.87'' slim design helps the robot vacuum cleaner to reach every corner of a house or narrow space, clean leftover dirty areas, and keep your house neat.
- 🔋[100mins Runtime & Self-charging]: Both mopping and vacuuming offer two levels of intensity adjustment, adjustable for different floor types. With 2500mAh battery capacity, the robotic vacuum cleaner can continuously work 100min in a 1290sqft house, and will automatically back to the charging base and recharge when in low battery or finished cleaning.
- 💪[4 High-Efficiency Cleaning Modes]: The robot vacuum and mop combo can be flexibly switched between different modes through the remote control or APP (Auto/Spot /Edge/Zig-zag cleaning) to meet the different cleaning needs of the family. Among them, the zigzag path can cover the largest area for cleaning, reduce missed scanning, and increase efficiency by 30%.
Some Final Tips for Cat Owners in Small Apartments
My intention with articles like these is to nudge you in the right direction.
This is because no two situations are the same. There will be so many people who will be reading the article and I want each one of you to gain some actionable advice.
And therefore, I cannot give black-and-white advice. It won’t be helpful nor will it give you the insight to make the best possible use of the space that is available to you.
I am sure once you have finished reading the article each one of you will be able to create a nice cat-friendly ecosystem that is appropriate to your situation.
Let me leave you with a few more pointers before I conclude the article.
- Create a Playtime Regimen
If your apartment doesn’t allow your cats to run around too much there is a chance your cats may feel bored.
This can be avoided to a great extent by having a feline partner which for you is covered.
The other thing that you can do is create a schedule of sorts where you give some dedicated attention and human engagement to the cats if you can’t do so in installments throughout the day.
Cats are creatures of routine and having a playtime routine using their favorite toys and methods can help them in getting adapted to the environment.
- Use Scents to Your Advantage
The sense of smell is a cat’s strongest sense perception. So after doing all the changes if you see your cat resist the changes you can use cat-friendly scents to make them accept their new environments.
- Don’t Get Trained by Your Cats
It’s important to create a pleasant living situation for cats what is also important is to learn when to ignore them.
You don’t need to elicit a response every time your cat does something. If you give into all your cat’s whims and fancies, feeding them at inappropriate times or worse all the time they are training you and it will work out bad for both of you.
In a very gentle way, learn when to ignore the cats and learn when to attend to their needs. Understanding borders is as important in the cat world as it is in the human world.
All the very best with your feline-friendly small apartment makeover.
Let me know how it goes. Take care of yourselves and your cats and I will see you around.
