Special Features for Cats
Here are some of the special features for cats built into the homes at Lion Canyon. Not all homes have every feature, and some homes have features not listed here. See the page for each home for details.
Litter Closets
It’s hard to imagine having many cats in a large home or even just one cat in a small home without feeling like you’re living in a litter box, but it’s possible with a litter closet.
These tiny bathrooms for cats can be constantly ventilated to create negative air pressure, which means absolutely no air or odor escapes. This is accomplished using a hyper-efficient fan that costs less than a penny a day to operate in California. (A penny-and-a-half in San Diego.)
With a litter closet, the only time you will ever smell or even see your litter box is when you clean it. With an automated litter box (which we can provide), a single litter closet can usually be used by multiple cats—even ones that haven’t liked to share before.
Learn about litter closets to find out more about how they work to eliminate litter box odor in your home.
All homes at Lion Canyon include litter closets. Highgate has three, The Quarters has two, and each apartment at Cloud Nine Studios has one.
Bowl Basins
These small alcoves keeps your water bowl out of the way and always full, thanks to a water supply line with an automatic shut-off valve. (Should this valve fail, there are three other safeguards built in to prevent flooding.)
These bowl basins work with a cat fountain we will provide for your use, but if you want to use your own instead, most bowls with a reservoir can be adapted to work with it (which we will happily do for you).
These basins also have an ideal size and location, which is more important to cats than many people realize. Learn about bowl basins to find out how they can significantly improve the health and happiness of your cat.
Cat Lofts
Cat lofts are finished alcoves over closets that provide extra storage and are also the perfect height and location for a quiet living space for cats. Your cats can access these lofts via strategically placed shelves and platforms, which provide a path that integrates naturally into your home.
Cats have an instinctual drive to seek out high perches from which they can observe their surroundings. Also, to feel safe, cats need a secure, reliable place to which they can retreat when they feel threatened. Cats experience anxiety when they lack either of these basic needs, which are especially difficult to provide in a small home, but a cat loft satisfies both.
Interestingly enough, research suggests that the overall size of an indoor living space does not matter much to cats, but having access to higher elevations within that space matters deeply. In short, cats experience significantly less anxiety in tiny rooms with accessible high platforms than in large rooms where they are stuck on the floor.
By providing a secure retreat for your cat with a cat loft, you will enjoy the benefits of living with a cat with less anxiety. If you want to spoil your cats rotten, you could turn the entire loft into a luxury feline apartment, which you can decorate and fill with toys and cat-sized furniture. However, you don’t need to use the entire space for cats. You can provide a generous living area for multiple cats and still have plenty of room left over for storage.
The Quarters has two cat lofts and each apartment at Cloud Nine Studios has one.
Scratch Stations
Cats have an instinctual need to scratch—it is necessary to maintain the health of their claws, plus scratching relieves anxiety and boredom.
Scratch stations provide a consistent, safe place your cats can rely on to take care of this need whenever the urge arises. Each station has a universal scratch pad holder that works with any size of pad and holds them at the ideal position for most cats to get the most out of scratching.
The scratch stations are located inside the litter closets, which lets cats clean their claws immediately after using the litter box rather than track dirty paws around the house. This location also keeps ugly scratch pads out of sight, plus it will keep shredded cardboard and catnip flakes contained to further help keep your home tidy.
All homes at Lion Canyon include a scratch station inside each litter closet.
Cat Tunnels with Brushes
Each litter closet is accessed via a decoratively trimmed tunnel that is lined with a stiff brush, so your cats automatically groom themselves every time they go in and out.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much this brush reduces the amount of loose cat hair in the home. With multiple cats in the household, you’ll see a big difference immediately.
All homes at Lion Canyon include cat tunnels with brushes that lead to each litter closet.
Cat-Friendly Policies
Several policies help maximize the health and happiness of your cats. First, no pet dogs are allowed. Sitewide noise restrictions are enforced to ensure neither you nor your cats experience any unnecessary anxiety. Also prohibited are smoking, candles, incense burners, and anything that produces smoke or vapor other than steam, to reduce fire danger as well as to protect the health and comfort of cats.