FYI: Your Cat Hates Your Marie Kondo Era
You’re not just moving objects – you’re dismantling your cat’s carefully constructed world
You’ve finally tackled that overflowing cupboard, donated bags of clothes you never wear, and created the minimalist living room of your Pinterest dreams. You feel lighter, more organised, more in control. But as you admire your newly streamlined space, your cat is nowhere to be found – and when you do locate them, they’re hiding under the bed, wide-eyed and tense.
Welcome to the paradox of decluttering with cats: what sparks joy in humans can trigger genuine stress in our feline companions. That pile of jumpers you finally put away? Your cat had scent-marked every item. The cardboard boxes you recycled? They were your cat’s favourite hiding spots. The furniture you rearranged to improve flow? You’ve just redrawn your cat’s entire territorial map.
A 2024 studyopens in new tab found that cats in enriched environments had almost half the cortisol level in their hair compared to those with fewer resources, demonstrating just how sensitive cats are to their physical surroundings. But here’s the catch: while cats thrive in enriched environments, the process of ‘improving’ that environment through decluttering can temporarily upend their world.
Cats rely on scent markers, spatial memory and territory mapping to feel secure. They’re creatures of habit who meticulously catalogue their environment. To be fair, they’re used to daily disruptions – parcels arriving, laundry being moved about, furniture being hoovered under. But major decluttering? That’s a different story.
How much do you spend on your pet per year?
Why does decluttering upset my cat?
When you declutter, you’re not just moving objects – you’re dismantling your cat’s carefully constructed world. “Cats naturally scent mark the environment they are in. This helps them to feel safe and comfortable because everywhere feels familiar,” explains Samantha Prior, cat advisor at Woodgreen Pets Charityopens in new tab. “Taking a cat’s scent away can make them feel vulnerable and open to threats coming in.”
Cats have excellent spatial memory, remembering the location of food, water, hiding spots and litter trays. “They are also likely to remember areas of key events, such as always seeing a cat from one window,” says Daniel Warren-Cummings, Cats Protectionopens in new tab central behaviour officer. “They may become hypervigilant approaching the window even if the cat is not present.”
Cats rely on olfactory senses far more than we realise – both scent and pheromones shape their understanding of their world. When you’re completely gutting a space, all the items your cat has scent-marked vanish, making their territory feel significantly different and potentially threatening.
Is it normal for cats to be stressed by tidying?
It depends on the scale. Most well-socialised cats cope fine with everyday tidying. “Cats in modern homes are used to regular, smaller disruptions in their environment,” Warren-Cummings notes. A cat’s level of confidence within its environment will affect how it responds to these changes, he adds.
However, bigger changes like significant decluttering are more likely to cause stress. When a favourite box disappears or furniture gets moved, a cat’s brain processes this as a disruption to safety and territory, explains Prior. “Removing a familiar object erases olfactory cues processed by the olfactory cortex and spatial maps stored in the hippocampus. This causes a trigger in the amygdala, which flags unpredictability as a potential threat.”
That ratty cardboard box wasn’t just rubbish to your cat – it was part of their territorial map, offering security and a vantage point.
How can I tell if decluttering is stressing my cat?
The subtle warning signs often appear before obvious stress behaviours emerge. Watch for:
Changes in routine: your cat who’s normally downstairs each morning suddenly stays upstairs when they hear decluttering commotion.
Altered sleeping positions: a cat who usually sleeps openly on the bed now hides underneath it.
Increased nocturnal activity: your cat becomes more active at night when the disruption stops.
Spatial behaviours: pacing back and forth as though searching for something, sticking to edges of rooms, sudden freezing or running away.
Excessive scent marking: increased rubbing against doorways and walls.
Body language changes: seeming more alert than usual, with twitching and rapid ear movement.
Hiding more frequently: spending longer periods out of sight.
Changes in eating or toileting habits.
Over-grooming: sometimes to the point of causing sores.
“Not seeing your cat is a good indicator [that they are stressed],” Warren-Cummings emphasises. Any behavioural changes are likely a direct stress response – if a cat urinates outside the litter box after decluttering, “it is not a dirty protest, it is a stress response.”
How to declutter without stressing your cat out
The key is going slowly and giving your cat control. “Always let the cat have choice to move away and access to an undisrupted room which has the cats’ key resources in it,” advises Warren-Cummings. “You may want to use plug-in pheromone diffusers which would need to be plugged in approximately 24 hours before you start.”
Prior recommends tackling one room at a time, if possible. “This allows them to familiarise themselves with the rooms you have done, while still getting comfort from familiar rooms.“
Create a ‘need to do, nice to do’ list, adds Warren-Cummings. Prioritise essential decluttering tasks and assess your cat’s behaviour. If they’re managing well, continue. If they’re struggling, abandon the rest for another time.
Before removing items your cat interacts with regularly, ensure they have alternatives. “As long as the cat has alternative hiding spots – or an up-high space that they can use – it’s not usually a problem,” says Warren-Cummings. “The problem often occurs if you take away the cat’s only hiding spot downstairs, for example.”
When introducing new items to replace old favourites, do it gradually. Prior suggests replacing a worn cardboard box with a cosy hideaway using the same blanket, so their scent remains present. “One of the most surprising things with cats is that they will actively avoid new items, even if they are beneficial to them,” she notes.
Are some cats more sensitive to home changes than others?
Contrary to popular belief, breed isn’t a significant factor. “Lots of people like to attribute all sorts of characteristics to breeds but for the most part with cats, breed particularities are non-existent or barely relevant at least compared to the impact of socialisation and genetics,” Warren-Cummings explains.
Poorly socialised cats are more prone to being affected by environmental changes, he adds. Cats well-socialised during the critical first eight weeks of life cope best with change. Senior cats experiencing cognitive decline are more vulnerable, and elderly cats may rely more heavily on smell and memory of pathways, especially if their eyesight has deteriorated.
How long does adjustment typically take? Not long for well-adjusted cats. “If your cat is taking more than a couple of days, it may indicate wider issues around stress,” warns Warren-Cummings. However, individual cats vary considerably, and the strength of the bond with their owner affects adaptation speed.
During the transition, provide specific hiding areas where your cat won’t be disturbed. Allow them to hide if they wish and move their essentials within reachable distance so they can gain confidence gradually.
The clutter your cat actually needs
Here’s a hot take: sometimes the clutter your cat loves really is more important than your minimalist aesthetic. Warren-Cummings shares a telling observation: “My cat loves lying on the bed if there’s lots of other things on it such as piles of clothes. Potentially they feel safer being more surrounded, not dissimilar to being in a hiding place.”
“Cats love to explore, play, hide and sit up on high surfaces to look over their territory,” Prior points out. “Having a tidy home can reduce the opportunities for cats to do this.”
The balance lies in understanding what constitutes enrichment versus genuine hazards. That beloved cardboard box? Those furniture arrangements that create perfect elevated perches? They’re not clutter – they’re cat infrastructure.
If you find yourself worried about tidying due to the impact on your cat, seek professional help from a behaviourist. “It is unfeasible to avoid basic day-to-day life events like tidying, so avoiding it rather than addressing it as a strategy will likely fail at some point,” Warren-Cummings advises.
The most counterintuitive truth? Despite being creatures of routine, cats are remarkably adaptive – often more so than humans. “If we meet their basic needs for resources and the cat is not living in an already stressful environment, most well-adjusted cats will adapt to changes relatively quickly,” Warren-Cummings notes. “Also, because cats don’t have the same emotional attachment to items, ironically they would be much better at decluttering than humans – if only they knew what decluttering was.”
Your Marie Kondo-inspired transformation might spark joy in you, but your cat’s version of joy might involve that ratty old box you just recycled. The good news? With mindful decluttering – going slowly, preserving key resources, maintaining safe spaces – you can create a home that satisfies both your need for order and your cat’s need for security. Sometimes the most joyful space is one where both you and your cat feel comfortable, even if it’s not quite Instagram-ready.
