Two cousins.
One mission:
happier apartment cats.
Research-backed, apartment-tested guides for urban cat owners — created by two people who’ve spent years living exactly this life.
Who created My City Cat?
My City Cat was co-founded by Emma L and Emily L — cousins, lifelong cat owners, and apartment cat specialists. Emma holds a Bachelor’s in Animal Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania, is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant (IAABC), and has worked as a self-employed animal behaviorist since 2021. Emily brings years of hands-on apartment cat experience and a talent for translating research into practical, readable guides. Together they created My City Cat to give urban cat owners the honest, apartment-tested guidance that didn’t exist when they needed it most.
Meet the team behind My City Cat
Both of us grew up with cats. Then we moved to the city and saw how little existing advice actually applied to apartment living. Here’s who we are.
I’m the research and behavior half of My City Cat. My interest in feline behavior deepened after I adopted an anxious rescue cat in a small rental apartment. I found almost nothing useful for that situation. That experience shaped everything I now do.
Today I write and review all behavioral and enrichment content on the site, making sure it’s grounded in published science — not just intuition. When Emily and I co-founded My City Cat, it was to build the resource we both kept searching for.
I’m the writing and practical experience half of My City Cat. I’ve been raising cats in city apartments for years — across different buildings, layouts, and personalities. I learned what works through trial, error, and a lot of late-night research.
When Emma and I started planning My City Cat, our roles were clear. She brought the behavior science. I brought the writing and firsthand apartment context. We’ve been building it together ever since. Every guide I write gets run through Emma’s expertise before it publishes.
How My City Cat began
Two cousins, one shared problem
We both grew up with cats. Then we both moved to the city and brought our cats with us. We hit the same wall: most cat advice assumed you had a backyard, a spare room, and space a rental apartment simply does not have.
Emily had spent years testing apartment layouts and enrichment setups across city rentals. Emma came at the same problems through behavior science. Her training and IAABC certification helped us understand why some indoor spaces create stress and what actually helps.
When we compared notes, the answer was obvious. We were asking the same questions from two different angles, and the mix was more useful than either view alone. That’s My City Cat.
Built from real apartment cat life
Every guide on My City Cat starts from something real. It might begin with a problem one of us encountered, a behavior pattern Emma has seen in consulting work, or a product Emily tested at home. The research layer comes next — cross-referencing with veterinary guidelines, behavioral science, and welfare research. If it doesn’t hold up on both counts, it doesn’t go on the site.
We also fostered rescue cats as they adjusted to apartment life. That taught us how small indoor spaces can either calm a cat or add stress, especially when noise and escape routes are limited.
The background behind the content
The advice here comes from real situations we lived through — not templates. Here’s the experience behind it.
Emma’s academic foundation in animal sciences gave her a scientific framework for understanding feline behavior — one that became central to everything My City Cat publishes about indoor cat enrichment, stress, and behavioral health.
Emma’s IAABC certification as a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant is the professional credential that underpins all behavioral content on the site. It’s the reason My City Cat’s enrichment and behavior guides are grounded in recognized standards — not guesswork.
Since 2021, Emma has worked as a self-employed animal behaviorist, deepening her real-world consulting experience. From 2023, she also began writing as a freelance columnist for pet behavior publications — the work that eventually led to My City Cat.
Emily has raised indoor cats across multiple city rental apartments over more than a decade — experimenting with layouts, vertical setups, litter management, and enrichment tools. If she recommends something on My City Cat, she’s used it herself.
Fostering cats transitioning from shelter or outdoor life to small apartments gave Emily a direct understanding of feline stress signals, environmental adjustment, and what it actually takes to help a cat settle into an indoor home — experience that shapes My City Cat’s behavioral and setup content.
Emma and Emily co-founded My City Cat to be the apartment-first cat resource they always searched for but couldn’t find. Every guide draws on both lived experience and verified research — combining Emily’s practical apartment expertise with Emma’s behavioral science background.
Everything for apartment cat life
Every topic comes from real apartment experience — practical, city-tested, and built for the specific challenges of small-space indoor cat living.
Practical daily care tailored to apartments — not advice written for large homes with spare rooms and back gardens.
Climbing setups, puzzle feeders, toy rotations, and activity ideas to keep indoor cats mentally and physically engaged.
Proven strategies to eliminate litter box smell in compact spaces — from litter choice to air purification.
Understanding what your indoor cat’s behavior signals — including how apartment environments shape their mood and needs.
Navigating pet deposits, landlord conversations, lease terms, and apartment modifications for cat owners.
A calm starting point for new apartment cat owners — setup, routines, vet care, and what to realistically expect.
How we create content
My City Cat is not a content farm. Every article is written or reviewed by us and held to four standards before it publishes.
We only write about situations we’ve personally encountered or directly researched through established veterinary and behavioral sources. If neither of us has lived it or verified it, it doesn’t go on the site.
All health, behavior, and nutrition content is cross-referenced against guidance from the AAFP, ASPCA, International Cat Care, and peer-reviewed animal behavior research before going live. Emma reviews all behavioral content against IAABC-recognized standards.
Product recommendations reflect genuine personal experience. We don’t accept payment to recommend products, and affiliate relationships never influence our editorial judgment.
We review and update articles when new veterinary guidance, product changes, or reader feedback warrants it. Publish dates and last-reviewed dates are shown on every guide.
Where the information comes from
My City Cat content draws on real apartment cat experience combined with established veterinary and behavioral science sources. Below are the primary external references we consult and recommend.
- American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) — the leading professional organization for cat veterinary care. We reference their feline environmental needs guidelines for all enrichment and indoor care content. catvets.com
- International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) — the professional body through which Emma holds her Certified Cat Behavior Consultant credential. Standards and guidelines inform all behavioral content. iaabc.org
- ASPCA — animal welfare guidance and behavioral resources referenced throughout cat behavior and adoption content. aspca.org
- International Cat Care (iCatCare) — UK-based cat welfare charity and professional body. We use their indoor cat enrichment and behavioral research extensively. icatcare.org
- Humane Society of the United States — practical guidance on cat behavior, adoption, and indoor cat care referenced in first-time owner and rescue content. humanesociety.org
- Cornell Feline Health Center — peer-reviewed guidance on indoor cat health, behavior, and nutrition. Cornell CFHC
- Ellis, S. et al. — “The AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines” (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2013) — the foundational framework for all indoor enrichment guides on My City Cat.
Common questions about My City Cat
Why we keep building this
Whether you’re in a studio, a high-rise, or a shared rental — we built My City Cat to make indoor cat life easier, calmer, and more joyful. Every piece of content we publish is driven by a single question: does this actually help an apartment cat owner? If the answer isn’t yes, it doesn’t go on the site.
Practical advice for real apartment cat life
My City Cat is built for people who love cats but live with real apartment limits: small rooms, rental rules, neighbors, litter odor, noise, tight budgets, and not enough floor space.
Our guides combine apartment-living experience, indoor cat behavior research, veterinary and welfare resources, and realistic setup considerations. We prioritize advice that is safe, renter-friendly, affordable, and useful in everyday small-space homes.
- Apartment cat setup and space planning
- Indoor enrichment and daily routines
- Litter box placement and odor control
- New cat owner preparation
- Tools, quizzes, and calculators for better decisions
We’d love to hear from you
Have a question about apartment cat life? A topic you’d like us to cover? Or just want to share what’s working for your indoor cat? We read every message.
For story ideas, behavior questions, or partnership notes, use the contact page so your message reaches us reliably.
Open Contact Page