When I think of a cozy cottage style home, I immediately think of the quintessential cottage cat. You know the kindsweet and fluffy and all curled up on the seat of your favorite antique rocker.

Here are 7 Decorating Tips from my own two Scottish Fold cats, Beau and Monique, for creating a cozy cottage cat atmosphere for your own home.

1. Kitty Condo. What cat doesnt love to climb up and down one of those carpet covered kitty condos? By providing one for your cats, youll also reduce the claw marks on your furniture and window treatments. You can purchase one that matches the colors in your cottage.

2. Beautiful Beds. You can easily buy decorative beds at pet stores and on the internet. My cats have two round pink fur cozy rings that I bought at Target when I was redecorating my cottage bedroom. Their cozy rings look attractive, match my dcor, and Beau & Monique love lounging in them. No hair on the bed, and the cozy rings have also been a conversation piece when friends come to visit.

3. Basket Case. Provide a pretty wicker basket for your cats toys. Wicker is always welcome in a cottage style home, and a basket provides a tidy way to store toys. Its also a fun place for your cats to play and hide.

4. Litterbox Luxury. If its not possible to hide your litterbox well, purchase or build a wooden cabinet to slide the litterbox into, or at least buy a covered litterbox in a color that blends with your dcor. A colorful rug can be placed under the litterbox to keep litter from being dragged all over your home.

5. Shelf Shazaam. Since cats loves high places, why not provide your cats with a high shelf of their very own? We installed one in our laundry room in a former home, padded it with a cat patterned throw, and put toys on it. At night, Beau & Monique slept the whole night on their very own shelf rather than wandering around our home and getting into trouble.

6. Feline Throw. Cats love snuggly blankets and throws. An attractive throw will also protect your sofa or chair from claw damage and an abundance of hair; just toss the throw into the washer and dryer for cleaning. A cat patterned throw can also add color and cozy ambiance to your dcor.

7. Finicky Felines. There are many attractive cat dishes now available at pet and discount stores. My cats water dish is in the shape of a fish, and their food dish is a pink crown that says Cat Princess. When I travel, Im always on the lookout for fun stuff for my fur babies and since Im an interior decorating consultant, I only like to purchase attractive things that go with my own style of cottage dcor.

Long gone are the days when your cats stuff has to be plain and drab. With the wide array of choices on the internet, you can integrate your cottage cats dcor with your own, and coexist both happily and beautifully!

c2005 Kathryn Bechen. All rights reserved worldwide.