How to form a strong bond with your cat

You can form a strong bond with your cat by spending quality time together. Studies show that cats prefer human interaction to other stimuli.

Establish a strong bond with your cat by creating fun routines for both of you. Routines include hunting for healthy treats, mental stimulation activities, and satisfying your cat’s enrichment needs.

Your cat will start expecting these routines once they are established.

These routines will help you form a strong bond with your cat.

Disclaimer: I earn a commission if you purchase through affiliate links below. No additional cost to you.

Here’s exactly how to form a strong bond with your cat:

Let your cat sniff you and get to know you
Establish fun routines for you and your cat
Provide mental stimulation and enrichment
Switch your cat to a healthy species-appropriate diet

Let your cat sniff you and get to know you

Jericho, my mom’s 4 cats, and every cat I worked with as a cat sitter all loved to sniff me.

jess and jericho let cat sniff you form a strong bond

Cats know their way around based on smells. The cat’s nose has 200 million scent receptors. We only have 5 million!

Let your cat sniff you if you want to form a strong bond.

This regular sniffing will help your cat to get to know you.

Bonus tip: Close your eyes when your cat sniffs you! The “I love you” slow

Establish fun routines for you and your cat

Cats are creatures of habit, and they prefer routines. These routines help them feel safe and comfortable in their territory.

It’s important for our cats to feel safe and comfortable in their territory (aka your home).

This will help you form a strong bond with your cat.

Bonding routines for you and your cat:

Pay attention to your cat when he knocks stuff off counters
Take a cat nap together
Brush and pet your cat
Play with your cat multiple times a day
Clicker train your cat
Create positive routines around clipping your cat’s claws
Hide healthy treats for your cat to hunt
Talk to your cat
Relax and unwind together
Give your cat a massage
Read a book to your cat
Research cat behavior so you can understand your cat better
Take pictures with your cat
Declutter and clean your home regularly
Cat-proof your home to keep it safe

Stack routines on top of each other to establish the routine even more.

For example, Jericho gets a nice petting massage after I clip his claws. You can use these petting massage sessions to check that your cat’s skin and fur are healthy.

Start to play with your cat if he knocks stuff off your counters. This is your cat’s way of telling you that he’s bored and wants attention!

catsplay scratcher — Jericho loves his CatsPlay scratcher

Another stacking routines example…

I go for a walk every morning to get some sun in my eyes. I’ve had this routine for years. So I started clicker training Jericho when I got back from my morning walk. This helped establish the new routine since I already go for a walk every day.

And now Jericho expects and looks forward to our training sessions!

I use Cat School clicker training kit and Viva Raw complete raw cat food for our training sessions.

Provide mental stimulation and enrichment

All cats need mental stimulation and enrichment. Mental stimulation and enrichment keep our cats happy and prevent boredom.

Keeping your cat happy indoors will help you form a strong bond.

Best mental stimulation and enrichment ideas:

Make DIY catnip toys
Play with your cat multiple times a day
Get a window perch for bird-watching
Create a DIY toy pond in the sink if your cat likes playing with water
Furnish your apartment with cat scratchers and trees
Keep the litter box area clean daily
Adopt another cat
DIY food puzzles
Treat release toys

Jericho has tons of toys that I rotate since cats get bored easily. I also dress my home in tall cat trees, condos, scratching posts, and beds. I also take good care of his litter box.

Cat furniture that Jericho has:

Jericho loves to run around and play on these furniture pieces.

Don’t forget to teach your cat how to scratch the scratcher!

Give your cat a confident and comfortable life with the digital + printable Cat Care Binder so you can become best buds.

Get the binder

Litter box supplies

Shop all on Amazon: US, CA, UK.

Shop litter supplies on Chewy:

I scoop Jericho’s box daily after he uses it. And I clean it out once a week.

This is the best litter setup and cleaning routine I’ve fine-tuned over the years based on scooping hundreds of boxes working as a cat sitter.

Many cat parents overlook the importance of a clean litter box. But cats are clean creatures! They deserve a clean bathroom.

Switch your cat to a healthy species-appropriate diet

Most commercial foods are the opposite of what our cats would eat in their natural habitat.

Cats cannot live on dry food only because it is far too low in moisture. And many wet foods are still too low in good-quality meat-based protein and too high in carbohydrates.

You’ll have to learn how to read cat food labels to understand what’s actually in your cat’s food.

As a Clinical Pet Nutritionist, my top suggestion is a homemade raw meaty bones diet.

Many integrative vets are seeing that BARF and PMR diets are the best for our cats. There are many benefits to feeding raw meaty bones. And homemade cat food costs less than you think!

You could save thousands depending on what you’re currently feeding your cat.

Final thoughts on how to form a strong bond with your cat

Cats require attention, mental stimulation, enrichment, and a healthy diet to live a happy life indoors.

It’s our responsibility to provide this to our cats if we want to form a strong bond.

Let your cat sniff you to feel comfortable with you. Create fun routines to have fun together. Play with your cat, get fun furniture, and keep the litter box clean to provide mental stimulation and enrichment.

The most important foundation of a happy and healthy cat is diet. And homemade raw meaty bones is the best diet for your cat.

Need help fitting fun routines into your busy day? Check out my daily cat routines guide next!