5 Things I Swear By As a Cat Mom

In the nine years I've been a cat parent, I've tried a half-dozen or more litter boxes, trying to find one that contains the smell and the litter. Unless you want to drop hundreds on a litter box that doesn't look like a litter box, this is the closest to luxury you can get. The lid gives your feline privacy while keeping litter hidden. Plus, grooved steps gently wipe cats' paws as they exit to keep floors litter-free.

There's nothing fancy or high-tech about this auto feeder, but it has made life so much easier and efficient in our house. It's super easy to program and has five rotating slots for food. (It uses four D batteries, which you probably don't have on hand so grab a pack of those, too.)

My old apartment featured wide windowsills, perfect for cat-napping and lounging. My new house, however, is windowsill-less. It became clear, very quickly, that I would need to find a solution for my sun-bathing felines. Enter the Sunny Seat, gifted from my parents, that turns every window into a cozy lounge space. The suction cups are hefty, and the seat cover is washable.

A bowl of water for two cats turned into a splash-pad scenario in the kitchen. Water. Everywhere. This cute, little water fountain is a savior on that front. It features three different water flow settings for my picky drinkers and offers maximum oxygenation for better-tasting water. It's so much better than a traditional water reservoir thanks to a triple-action filter. The filter removes magnesium and calcium from tap water, along with chlorine odors and bacteria. (You can buy replacement filters on Amazon, too.)

Waking up in the middle of the night to my cats using my (new!) sectional's arm as a scratch post still gives me nightmares. Carpet and sisal posts don't seem to do it for them, but this cardboard scratcher with a chase-ball? They can't get enough. The cardboard scratch pad actually lasts quite a while, but you can quickly replace it depending on your cat's level of play.