But life doesn't always work out the way you think, and I ended up with 2 additional cats under my roof. One feral kitten that I tamed in my yard and now lives indoors and one almost frozen cat on the coldest night of the winter.
How to Organize Cat Supplies and Accessories?
I quickly realized that having 3 cats instead of just one became an organizing nightmare. I started to purchase cat food and litter in bulk, and the toy population increased as well. I had large bags of food out in the open and bulk litter with no place to go and toys just everywhere. So when I stood on one toy, I felt it was time for some organizing!
Pick a Corner of the kitchen, closet or just a corner. (I found by doing this I could keep things neat and tidy)
Purchase a Food Bin on Wheels and Container For Toys Together
I actually found this pet food container online with this matching container on top which can be used for cat toys, and there grooming supplies, such as the brush and bags of treats etc. This way you get rid of that unsightly bag floating around the kitchen, and you keep bugs out as well as keep the food fresh. I found in the summer months, ants would find their way into these bags.
As soon as you purchase the food, dump it into this container, and add a measured scoop so you don't overfeed them, and keep the other container on top for literally everything else.
Don't put all the toys out at once. Cats need stimulation and love to pretend to hunt the toy. This also keeps them busy and not so much scratching of furniture and carpet. But not only does it take over your living space, but they get bored.
Every so Often Rub the Toys in Some Cat Nip
This will get them excited about a toy they have cast aside. Rotating the toys is the perfect way to keep them stimulated. I also got myself an interactive toy for my slightly tubby kitty.
This type of toy keeps her interested as I put a few of her kibbles in it and she rolls it around and every so often one falls out and she gets quite excited about finding the kibble. So she literally works for her food like she would outdoors.
Interactive Toys Keep them Stimulated
Now Back to Organizing Cat Supplies!
Now that we have the toys figured out and a place to gather them, your floor should look at little cleaner. I still find the rogue toy mouse under the couch with the dust balls. I now have them all in one place in the container along with bags of treats, cat brush, and everything else you may need besides the food.
With 3 cats, and 3 litter boxes ( one on each floor of my house) I didn't want my house to smell like a cat house! I realized that no matter how often I scooped the litter boxes, the smell would linger. I was using a bag lined pail with a lid but it wasn't very efficient.
I came across these litter lockers that keep the smell out of your house. As long as you scoop at least daily, you house doesn't need to smell like a cat house!
These are well worth the investment.
Cat Litter in Bulk
I found it was much cheaper in bulk, but was awkward to use.
So I simply sit the box in the corner with a scoop inside and I decant it to a plastic juice container I got from the dollar store, that I can carry with me to the different floors for adding to my litter boxes as I take out the used. This has worked well.
You can get this brand in sizes up to 40 pounds. I like that it is a square box and will sit in the corner of my closet. You could dump it into a container on wheels, but I found it was just easier to scoop it out straight from the box into the juice container. But if you don't like the look of the box, you could do this.
Food, Toys and Litter Organized
Doesn't that feel a bit better? It still may not be pretty, but by having your food in a container instead of a huge bag, all the toys, grooming brush and treats in the container on top, and all on wheels, makes it a bit easier to use. I you use canned food you could also store them in the second container.
I find it actually doesn't take up much room. Simply changing out the bag for the larger kibble container and smaller container on top organized 90% of everything!
Making the Investment into just a few pieces made all the difference in the world for my kitties! Obviously they didn't care but I did!
Pet Records
This was the last thing on my list but a necessary one. With 3 cats I needed to keep track of Veterinarian visits, shots etc. I had a file folder, but I thought it would be better to have a journal for each cat. I found this one online.
This is a fun little book that keeps track of everything.
Even if you invest in only one thing, consider the food container on wheels. The food stays so much fresher and you can see how much is left. The matching container that sits on top can hold everything else. This way you can get rid of the ugly food bag.
Once you have that part figured, then take a look at your litter disposal system. This litter bin is also worth the investment for odors.
I had things in my kitchen cabinets, in the closet, and the bag of food on the floor, so getting everything into one spot simply made life easier.
ENJOY YOUR KITTIES!
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