Single cats can live a long and happy life indoors without another cat. It’s ok to have a single cat with the right enrichment and diet.

I grew up with multiple cats and choose to have one cat now. This works better for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the cats in my life. I had 11 cats before Jericho, worked with hundreds as a cat sitter, and my business is all about helping cats live a thriving life.

cats in jess caticles life

But I’ve learned the hard way over and over again with cats in my life who all ate dry food, didn’t get proper enrichment, and suffered serious health issues.

Our last cat, Hemi, was only 3.5 years old when we said goodbye. Kidney failure.

Now, I choose to have a single cat so I can give him 100%.

And he’s thriving because of it! Even though he’s a single cat living in an apartment.

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Jericho lives a thriving life because of these 3 things:

1. Practical & natural cat care

I make good use of the space we have and don’t overconsume stuff we don’t need. Jericho’s furniture serves multiple needs, and I invest in quality, natural products for his care.

Quality and natural products tend to cost more. But I see it as an investment in Jericho’s health and happiness.

organic catnip on furniture lazy cat toys

I’m currently working on upgrading his furniture, beds, and stuff we use in our home. But I make sure to get good use of everything before I upgrade.

Quality furniture and beds help single cats feel confident and comfortable in their territory (aka your home). So this is important if you want your single cat to live a thriving life.

2. I feed a species-appropriate diet

Jericho’s raw diet includes a combination of raw and whole prey. This is the most natural diet for our carnivore cats. And diet is the foundation of health!

This goes along with natural cat care. And it’s another investment in our cat’s health.

cat eating day old chick whole prey feeding jess caticles

Unfortunately, it’s becoming “normal” that cats are developing serious health issues. But I believe this stems from poor diet and care.

Most of us feed dry food only (I was one of them) which is too low in moisture and too high in carbohydrates.

This inappropriate diet can cause overeating, which can lead to obesity. And obesity puts cats at risk for other serious health issues.

A high protein low carb wet food or (ideally) a balanced raw diet are much more appropriate for our cats.

jericho eating raw food jess caticles

This high moisture, high protein, low carb diet enriches our cats with nutrients they need for health.

3. Jericho gets tons of enrichment

We do clicker training daily, we scoop his litter box daily, we play daily, and our apartment is decked out in places to climb, perch, play, scratch, hide, and rest.

clicker training cats jericho jumping over obstacle jess caticles
Jericho jumping over an obstacle

I mentioned before that Jericho’s furniture serves multiple enrichment needs.

For example, his Cat Ladder encourages climbing, perching, scratching, playing, and resting. And it doesn’t take up a lot of floor space!

cat furniture for small apartments cat ladder

Keeping the litter box clean is a must as well. Cats are clean creatures who prefer and deserve a clean bathroom.

clean stainless steel litter box

A clean litter box can also help prevent behavior and health issues. Check out my 5 minute a week litter cleaning hacks if you need a new routine.

Final thoughts on single cats

Single cats can live a happy and healthy life without another cat as long as we provide good quality cat care, a healthy diet, and lots of enrichment.

These three things help your cat feel confident and comfortable in his territory. And this can lead to a long and happy life.

cat holding persons hand strong bond cuddling jess caticles

So this is your sign that it’s ok to have a single cat (as long as you do these 3 things).

No need to get another cat if that’s not what works for you!

Need help keeping your cat’s care organized? Get my Cat Care Binders & Bonus Videos so you can give your cat a happy and healthy life with you!