Cat Window Perches and Shelves for a Happier Kitty

There are many good reasons to keep an indoor cat indoors. There’s danger outside, both for and by your adorable pets. It’s hard to blame them for wanting to venture outdoors, but it’s also hard to explain to them about predatory coyotes and the risk they pose to threatened endemic bird species. One possible solution: a cat perch in your window.

Cats love to be perched in high places. To a cat, a high vantage point is advantageous for a couple of reasons: they’re concealed from prey they might like to spring down and hunt, and they can also survey the ground for any larger animals that might want to hurt them. But a modern house doesn’t offer all that many options for vertical climbing. A window-attached perch is just about the easiest way to install one.

There are few things more fun—for a cat, at least—than staring out the window. They can keep track of people outside, imagine themselves chasing birds and squirrels and bugs or just daydream while catching some rays. But windowsills aren’t always wide enough, and are almost never comfortable enough, for a long lounge session. Cat perches, hammocks and shelves are!

Trying to create a comfortable perch for a cat can seem like a lot of work, or as if it’ll take up too much space. Big jungle gyms require room; platforms for the wall require screws drilled. But many cat perches attach simply with powerful suction cups. That makes them easy to install and adjust, and they leave no evidence at all if you want to take them down.