How to Design & Organize a Cat Room

Your cat is part of your family, so why not update your home to reflect that? These 21 cat room ideas will teach you how to organize and design the special space your feline friend deserves.

Where to Make Your Cat Room

Cats are highly sensitive to their environment. Excessive noise and other stressors can directly impact their mood and their physical health. So choose the location of your cat room with care. Here are a few ideas for the best places to put your cat’s litter box, bedding, toys, and other supplies!

Transform a Guest Bedroom

If you have a spare bedroom that sits empty more often than not, why not get some use out of the space by turning it into a pet room paradise? Add a cat tree, a scratching post, and a comfy pet bed to this quiet, out-of-the-way area for a fast, simple transformation into the perfect cat room!

Make a Cat Cove Under the Stairs

Cats can make themselves at home almost anywhere, so cat owners don’t have to overhaul their homes to create a place where their pet will feel safe. Place a litter box and cat bed in a hollow spot under the stairs, add some carpeted wall shelves for your pet to climb on, and watch your cat enjoy their new kitty playground!

Turn Your Patio into a Catio

Enclosed patios and sunrooms make ideal cat playrooms! Simply install a window hammock where your feline friend can nap and enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors. Just make sure the room is warm enough year-round if you live in a climate with extreme seasonal changes.

Upgrade Your Office Space

If your cat likes to hang out with you while you work, your home office may be a great spot to add some feline-friendly amenities like a scratching post or bed. Utilizing this room as a cat room and office combo will allow you and your pet to enjoy each other’s company in an environment that suits both of your needs.

Revamp Your Attic or Basement

Attics and basements are often only used for storage. This makes them prime real estate for your new cat room. Hang a cat bridge across the length of the space, put cat cubbies up on the walls, or try your hand at making a DIY cat tree—the possibilities are endless!

Convert a Closet

Short on space? No problem! Designate a closet as a quaint kitty condo by adding essential comfort items like a cat bed, scratching post, and toys, then spread any other things they might need out throughout your home. There are plenty of creative dual-purpose cat furniture ideas you can use to enrich your pet’s environment without detracting from yours.

Create a Cozy Corner

Not everyone has an entire room to dedicate to their pet’s needs. Thankfully, even a corner can be made up into kitty heaven. And since cats love to climb, small spaces can still offer a lot of room for environmental enrichment opportunities—all you have to do is build up instead of out! It might not be a full-on cat playground, but your feline friend will love it anyway.

How to Design Your Cat Room

Finding a good place for a cat room is just half of the equation. The layout and organization of your cat playroom are also crucial. Check out these cat room design ideas for decor, pet furniture, and storage solutions!

Let Your Pet Be Your Muse

Make your kitty playroom your own with personal touches to honor your pet. A few photos will do the trick, but don’t be afraid to take a more whimsical approach by hanging a custom-painted pet portrait or personalized tapestry.

Install Feline-Friendly Flooring

As cats dart from place to place, your carpet is bound to suffer over time. Opt for more durable, pet-safe flooring options in your cat room like bamboo or luxury vinyl. Doing so will prevent unnecessary damage while also making messes easier to clean.

Find a Place for Storing Essentials

Thanks to their curious nature, cats are adept at getting into things they shouldn’t—especially when they’re looking for food. If you plan to keep your pet’s food in their playroom, make sure you keep them sealed in a heavy-duty container. This will aid with freshness and keep (literal) cat burglars at bay. Similarly, make sure treats are stashed somewhere safe like a cabinet or drawer. Extra litter, brushes, and toys should also be kept in totes or bins to keep your pet room tidy.

Designate a Spot for Mealtime

Cats tend to like having their meals in quiet, calm locations. So place their bowls in their playroom instead of in a more central part of your house. Take care to keep their food and water dishes far away from their litter box, though. Cats are far more comfortable when these elements of their environment are kept separate.

Conceal the Litter Box

Did you know that most experts recommend having one more litter box than the number of cats you own? Thankfully, there are several ways to keep your cat’s litter box out of sight without making it uncomfortable for them to use. Disguise your litter box by placing it inside a specially-designed piece of pet furniture. This will help reduce odors and improve your cat room’s visual appeal, as well as boost your cat’s quality of life.

Add Catwalks to the Walls

Healthy cats can jump six times their length. With that in mind, you should provide enough platforms throughout your kitty playground where they can flex their acrobatic skills. Place ordinary hanging shelves around your cat room at different heights to ensure your pet has ample space to explore.

Create Dimension with Stairs

Not all cats are nimble. Elderly cats and those with physical disabilities may not be able to jump very well, but this doesn’t mean they lack the instinct to climb. Install cat stairs along your walls or leading up to higher platforms to allow all your feline family members to enjoy their cat playground equally.

Hang Up Cat Cubbies

Make sure your pet room offers a variety of hiding spots for your cat to curl up in, including some cat cubbies along the wall. Just double check the cubbies are well secured before you let your kitty test them out.

Pick a Sturdy Cat Tree

Engage your cat’s body and mind with a stable, well-designed cat tree. These popular pieces of pet furniture are a must-have for any cat playroom. They offer hours of entertainment and dozens of ways for your kitty to climb, play, and hide. As an added bonus, cat trees come in all shapes and sizes, meaning you can easily find one that doubles as a statement piece.

Use Multi-Purpose Furniture

Who says your cat room can’t also be a place for you to hang out? Using multi-purpose furniture—like an ottoman-cat bed combo—is a great way to bring everyone in the family together, even in your pet’s domain. This kind of furniture will be especially critical if you aren’t devoting an entire room to your pet, but still want to make your living space pet-friendly.

Get Some Cat-Safe Plants

You’ve heard of catnip, but did you know that silver vine, cat thyme, and several other plants are healthy for your cat? Keep a few of these stress-reducing, pet-safe plants around your cat playroom to keep your kitties feeling great as they romp around. Be careful where you place them, though—your cat might decide to knock them over. Also, be sure to research any greenery you bring home, as many plants are poisonous to cats.

Choose a Comfortable Bed

Cats can fall asleep seemingly anywhere, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create a few extra comfortable spots for them to snooze. There are plenty of styles of cat beds to choose from, including pillow-like mats, enclosed beds, cat hammocks, and more. Let your cat’s personality, habits, and size guide your decision on what kind of cat bed is best for your kitty playroom.

Set Up a Scratching Post

Scratching is a natural instinct that all felines need an outlet for. So equip your cat playroom with at least one scratching post to keep them healthy, happy, and stimulated—and for the sake of sparing your other furniture’s upholstery.

Select a Variety of Toys

Don’t assume that just because your cat is capable of entertaining themselves that they’ll never want you to join in on the fun. The ideal cat room should be stocked with a mix of interactive toys for you and your kitty to play with together, as well as play-alone toys they can enjoy all on their own.