Kenny Kitty Spa

I've read that once you begin re-decorating one room in your house, you somehow end up re-decorating more rooms than you had planned.  That is definitely the case at Paradise Ranch, which seems to be morphing into the Kenny Kitty Spa.  My goodness, as soon as I finished the outdoor cat addition, my two older cats wanted their own private rooms and spaces.  These two old gals could no longer tolerate one another, and they convinced me of this by peeing on my bed on a regular basis.  Sad to say, this was an effective way to get my attention! 

Miss Jinxy got her own new two-room suite, one room outside and one room inside, and she loves to go through the window between the two.  Zoe is now the only cat in my master bedroom.  They are both absolutely thrilled, and there has not been one accident since they have been separated!  Thankfully they are now playing like young ladies again.  In fact, I think I saw one doing sit-ups and looking in the mirror to see if her bikini still looks good!

Seeing Miss Jinxy, Zoe, and the other cats appreciating the new outdoor space so happy, I couldn't help but wonder about the kitties that stay primarily in the garage.  Were their digs in need of an updating?  And could the garage ever be separated in such a way that the kitties could have their space, and my workout equipment could be separated from them so it would not become covered in kitty fur? 

My handyman extraordinaire Ross made this all possible with wood, drywall, and a lot of ingenuity. Within the next few days, my indoor kitties will be enjoying a cozy new den. There will be climbing shelves, cupboards for hiding, planks for walking and balancing, pillows for sleeping, and scratching posts for exercise.  Kitty dishes will sit on shelves a few inches off the floor so as not to invite ants.  Even temperature has been addressed, with extra insulation to keep the den warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  The kitties will even have their own portable air conditioner for the summer months.

There will soon be no excuse not to use my exercise equipment in my gym. My treadmill, Pilates 

machines, and weights will have a place of their own, and they will not be covered in kitty fur!  Why didn't I think of this years ago?

It is amazing how easy it is to build or add on for your animals without a lot of money or time. Animals don't need expensive toys, they love the little pleasures like balls, sticks, cardboard, shelves, and especially boxes.  Have you ever bought an expensive toy for your child only to watch them enjoy the oversized box it came in more than the toy? 

Many holidays ago, a friend of mine bought a game table and chairs to accomodate her sons frequent chess and checkers games.  For hours Christmas Day they played with the oversized shipping box, about half the size of a refrigerator.  They drug each other around in it all over the house, and when they were tired of that, they made the box into a fort.  When several days after Christmas the box was still being enjoyed and the table and chairs had not yet been used, my friend returned the table and chairs, apologizing that she was not able to return the box. 

Give your animals (or kids) the simple things, and let their imaginations take over.  Watch them climb, roll, scratch, and have a ball being in the moment.  

Some pictures of the work in progress.  click on picture to enlarge