Wall shelf highway run for cats: how to play

Build a circuit of cat-friendly shelves and perches around a room, then hide treats and put toys up there so your cat explores the whole route.

Time: 10 min
Energy: Medium
Space: A room

You'll need

cat-friendly shelves and perches
a few treats or part of a meal
toys that are not so small they could be swallowed, with no long strings

Set up

Pick a room where the family spends time. Look at what your cat already climbs (a windowsill, the back of the sofa, a bookcase) and plan a route that links those surfaces with shelves or a cat tree. Start with one section rather than the whole room.

How to play

Build one section first. Rearrange some furniture, or add a cat tree or a small shelf, to help your cat move between levels. Then watch how your cat uses it before you add more.
Link the surfaces. Add shelves and use what is already there, such as a windowsill or the back of the sofa, joining them up until they make a complete circuit around the room.
Add destinations on the highway: hangout spots such as a perch in front of a window, a corner, or a semi-enclosed hiding box at the end of the route.
Put different toys up on the shelves, choosing toys with no long strings, and hide a few treats in the high places so your cat has to work along the route to find them. Choose toys that are not so small they could be accidentally swallowed.
Check both directions. Make sure the route is easy to climb up and easy to get back down, and change anything that leads your cat into a dead end.
Keep it clean and secure. Clean the shelves regularly and check each shelf and bracket to make sure it is secure and does not need repair. Collect any treat your cat did not find.

House rules

The route must be easy to climb up and easy to get back down.
Avoid dead ends wherever possible, so your cat never gets stuck at the end of the highway.
Put the shelves and cat trees where the family spends time, not hidden away in a back room or garage.
Secure a cat tree away from a wall if you can, so your cat can hop on from different angles.
Treat the route as a project in progress: add a bit, watch your cat use it, then extend.

Make it easier: Start with a single cat tree or small shelf next to the sofa or a windowsill. Build only a portion of the route and watch how your cat uses it before adding anything else.
Make it harder: Link surfaces until the route goes all the way around the room without your cat touching the floor, and add destinations in a window, a corner and a hiding box.

Signs it's having fun

Your cat uses the circuit on its own, spends time on the destinations, and settles on a high perch to keep watch over the room.

Stop if you see

It is not okay if your cat is up high because they are too frightened to join the rest of the family. That is not the same as choosing an elevated spot for a comfortable rest.

Safety

Never leave wand toys or string toys on the shelves. It is very dangerous for cats to ingest ropes or strings, and toys with long strings should be used only with supervision.
Close or secure any window along the route. An open window or balcony may entice your cat to go and explore, and there is a risk of them falling and severely injuring themselves.
Choose toys that are not so small they could be accidentally swallowed and cause an intestinal blockage.
Make sure every hidden treat is found and eaten. Cats can become seriously ill if they do not ingest enough calories daily, so check the route after each session and remove anything left behind.
Routinely check each shelf, bracket and cat tree to make sure it is secure and does not need repair.
Clean the shelves well. Hairballs can happen anywhere, and no cat should nap on a dusty shelf.
High resting places are fine for a comfortable bit of shut-eye, but it is not okay if your cat is up high because they are too frightened to join the rest of the family.

Sources

Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.

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