Unavoidable truths cat owners need to accept

Cat Photo by Elliot Walsh
Author: Charlotte Duckworth

We love our cats, and the way cats see it, we’re lucky to be able to share our homes with them. It’s no wonder, then, that their needs and desires begin to impact on our quest for a stylish interior. If you’re privileged enough to live with a feline, here are a few things you’ll no doubt have learnt along the way…

Your interiors will start to match your cat
Without realising it, you’ll start choosing interiors that tone with your cat’s beautiful coat. After all, they are the most important member of the family, as well as being the most beautiful. It’s only right that their surroundings show them off in their best light. OK?!

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They will sleep where they like
It doesn’t matter if you provide them with their own handmade, personalised, sheepskin-lined bed, your cat will always prefer to park their posterior where you least want them to. Kitchen benchtops when you’re trying to cook make just the perfect spot, thank you very much.

Imagine your cat waking up to this…

They’ll make a beeline for a clean floor
Has it been chucking it down outside? Is your beautiful kitchen floor looking spotless? Then it’s guaranteed your cat will decide now is the best time to come in from the rain and take a casual meander around the room, leaving a pleasingly artistic trail of paw prints as they go.

You won’t be able to avoid the scratching post
Want to save your beautiful sofa from the wrath of kitty’s claws? Then the only option is to surrender to the scratching post. Try to integrate some jumpable, cat-safe shelving too, for extra interest, and fingers crossed your cat ignores the treasured accessories on shelves nearby…

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You’ll regret your stylish dark flooring
It seemed like such a good idea at the time –varnishing all the floors in your home to a sophisticated rich brown. Then along came Puss, whose favourite habit is shedding mountains of snowy white hair. Your hand-held vacuum cleaner has never felt so wanted.

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Catflaps and bi-fold doors don’t mix
Want a stylish, streamlined kitchen extension with bi-folding doors that let the outside in seamlessly? Your moggy has other plans. This catflap in the wall is a smart solution that won’t ruin the look of your beautiful new doors.

But, of course, most of the time your pampered pet will just sit and miaow at you to open the main door for them anyway.

Open-plan living equals your cat’s own racetrack
Cat owners know there’s nothing kitties loves more than hurtling up, down and around big expanses of space. Especially at three in the morning. They’ve got to get their exercise in sometime you know.

Cat-themed accessories will start to creep in
There’s not much to say about this one. You swore you’d never go there, but after a while, resistance is futile.

Stick to quirky, design-led pieces, like this cushion, to ensure you stay on the right side of good taste.

What impact does a pet have on your home?

The litter tray will be the bane of your existence
Litter trays and stylish homes do not go hand in hand. You’ll go to any lengths to disguise yours, especially when you have guests over. However, you’ve also learnt to your cost that if you make it too difficult to find, your cat will decide the doormat makes a better alternative.

This subtle cut-out in the wall is the perfect solution to keep you and your kitty happy, as it’s both stylish and discreet.

They delight in spooking you
Every now and then, your cat will pop up unexpectedly from behind a sofa or a lamp and nearly give you a heart attack. Things that go bump in the night? Yep, that’ll be them too. It’s the only way they know to keep you on your toes.