Best Purchases for New Cats

When we first got Van Gogh, I invested in some key cat tools and accessories for my home. Today, I’m sharing my best purchases for new cats and why I love them now that they’ve been part of our cat care routine for almost three months.

Planter Litter Box

The planter litter box I got on Wayfair is super attractive and easy to scoop. Unfortunately, it's currently out of stock but this other similar option is currently available.

The box must be comfortable for cats' use because Van Gogh uses it more than our covered litter box. We had to remove the Spanish moss that goes at the base of the greenery because Van Gogh was messing with it. I kept it for when he’s a bit older but think it looks fine without it.

To wash, this litter box is two pieces, one sitting on top of the other, and therefore very easy to take apart. Because it's quite large, I toss the litter directly into my outdoor trash can before spraying it down with water and a squirt of toxin-free dish soap. I figure if the dish soap we use is safe enough for our family's dishes and utensils, it's safe enough for our cat's litter box.

Hiding Litter Box Scooper

I got this litter box scooper with a matching storage container because I don’t like the idea of having a used litter scooper hanging around. The plastic scoop and holder are made of sturdy plastic and very well built. They are an exceptionally good deal at about $8.

The scoop naturally opens up the container when you take it out and you can use the corner of the scoop to open it back in to store it, keeping your hands free from touching gross litter that may come in contact with either part. Any excess litter also remains in the storage container, helping keep the floor free of debris and making the whole process more hygienic.

On the days I wash our litter box, I wash both the scoop and container together. Once I've sprayed and rinsed the litter box above, I fill the base with soapy water and let the scoop and container soak for a bit. Then, I spray it all down until it's all clean and free of soapy residue. Voila!

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Floor-to-Ceiling Cat Tree

I found our floor-to-ceiling cat tree at PetSmart. I love that it’s sturdy and offers Van Gogh soft texture and height while being narrow enough to fit in lots of spaces. I will note that this cat tree is very narrow therefore it may not be ideal for extra-large cats.

I like that it fits ceilings as tall as 9 feet and has a spring ceiling mount that keeps it in place. With young children and having placed the cat tree in our gym, I wanted it to be extra secure.

I will add that I do not like carpeted cat trees. They look dated, get gross, and are hard to clean. For this reason, I really enjoy the material that is on this cat tree. If your cat is used to carpeted trees, they may not be into this one. Van Gogh loves it because of its location, location, location. He watches us as we come and go, and keeps up with neighborhood happenings from this tree.

The Door Buddy

I impulse-bought The Door Buddy door latch system after seeing a Facebook ad. I wanted it to keep our dog, Caera, out of litter box areas and it did just that. It also works great to keep the kids out of my office since I set the latch up higher than they can reach it.

One of the best things about this tool is that the strap can be adjusted to the length your cat needs for access while keeping larger dogs and humans out. It also comes with a donut-looking thing that they refer to as a "pinch guard," which is meant to protect the cat from having the door shut on them, their heads, or their tails.

Installation is almost brainless and you can get two door straps for about $35. I must prefer this simple tool to making holes in doors or having baby gates all over the place.

Cat Condo

Our cat condo from Wayfair matches our decor perfectly. It’s beautiful and practical and wasn't too much of an investment at less than $100.

Because it attaches to the wall, this cat condo is narrow enough to go in most places, even walkways in the home. We have it in a pretty busy family room/kitchen area and it works great.

When building the condo, we turned one of the top shelves over to hide the velcro that is meant to attach to the cushion. We then left the removable cushion off of it and use that shelf as Van Gogh’s elevated feeding area. That way, our dog doesn’t steal his leftover food between meals. I believe cats should be fed away from dogs and this does the trick.

The unit is easy to wipe down and the cushions are all washable. When not eating, the other shelves and hideaway box keep Van Gogh comfy and cozy nearby while we watch TV.

Scratcher Boards

We got our scratcher boards from Wayfair. We purchased four for our house because we have a pretty large living area and lots of bedrooms where Van Gogh hangs out. They are about $15 pop, which is worth it if you have nice upholstered furniture like we do.

The boards come in different edge finishes and organic catnip. They include adhesive strips to mount to the wall. We haven’t mounted them yet because we like to move them wherever Van Gogh is showing interest in scratching. We plan to mount them according to Van Gogh's scratching preferences once we better get to know his patterns.

The goal with the cat nip is to draw the cat to these boards but I honestly didn't have to use it. Van Gogh knew exactly what to do with these the second I pulled them out of the box. They are lightweight too, making them excellent for travel with our adventure cat.

Want to know more about my beautiful new cat? I've written multiple blogs about him and encourage you to follow my Instagram and Facebook pages for more on his adventure as part of our family, along with our dog, Caera, and my two human children, Noah & Mila.

Cheers! Isabel