As much as we love our feline companions, it’s no secret that indoor cats may go stir-crazy at times. Without the stimulation and pleasure of the great outdoors, they can quickly become bored and listless. However, you can keep your indoor kitten happy, involved, and totally entertained with a bit of imagination and a few easy tricks up your sleeve.
It is critical to keep indoor cats amused, not just for their physical health, but also for their mental and emotional well-being. A bored kitty may engage in destructive behavior, such as clawing furniture or chewing on wires, that may be both annoying and expensive for you as a pet owner.
In this blog post, we will explore easy and effective ways to keep your cat entertained, happy, and healthy. From understanding a cat’s needs, mental stimulation to making fun activities and creating stimulating environments, we will guide you on how to keep your indoor cat in an ideal environment and provide basic care for your cat’s entertainment. So, let’s get started!!
Understanding the basic entertainment needs of your cat
Like any cat owner will tell you, our feline companions have a unique and interesting personality that distinguishes them from other pets. From their ravenous curiosity to their independent nature, cats have a way of winning our hearts and keeping us on our toes. But have you ever considered what your kitty genuinely requires to be healthy and joyful? Let’s find out by getting a better understanding of what they require.
Cats make excellent low-maintenance pets. Yet, assuming that they do not require maintenance is incorrect. Providing food and water is not enough for your feline buddy. When a cat is stressed, that can affect its fitness and nature. Your pet will be healthy and happy if you provide all of its basic needs at home. Here we’ve discussed about physical needs and mental stimulation-
Physical needs
It is true that most indoor pets are less active. It depends on the owner’s sincerity toward the cat. To improve the physical health of your cat and make them feel happy in your home, there are several tips you can follow, which I have personally implemented–
- Exercise
Despite the popular belief that cats are sluggish creatures, their natural behavior is highly energetic. On the other hand, many indoor cats are inactive. Set up a special space for your dear friend. Decorate your house with cat furniture for its amusement, like a cat box, tree house, cat tower, and stand. The furniture supports their instinctual needs, which allows them to exercise indoors.
You can mount some bird or squirrel feeders outside your window or balcony. When they approach the feeder, you can see how the cats’ predatory instinct has become active. The swift movement and hopping will surprise you!
Are you aware of the various exercise wheel options available for cats? Don’t worry, my dear readers. We’re here to help!! Read this article Do cats like exercise wheels and learn more about cats preference !
- Scratching
Scratching is a perfectly typical habit for kittens. As a good owner, you should give them lots of scratching surfaces, and you can also consider acquiring scratch posts, which may help your feline partner with a variety of tasks. For example- claiming their territory, filing their nails, expressing emotions, and getting a nice stretch.
- Mental stimulation
Mental stimulation is essential in addition to physical needs. It’s important to remember that even if your cat lives inside, they have an inherent hunting instinct and need outlets for this activity. Here are two approaches you can take.
- Playtime
Have you ever heard that if a cat plays for an hour, that expands its lifespan by four hours? How fascinating !! This realization has pushed me to integrate playtime into my cat’s routine. As a consequence, I’ve come up with some amazing ideas for engaging with and entertaining your cat.
- Play hide-and-seek with your cat to deepen your friendship and boost their mental agility. Pretend to hide and wait for your cat to discover you, then gently flee.
- Hide your cat’s food in various locations throughout your home, such as alongside windows or under furniture, to encourage exploring activity and mental stimulation.
- Teaser toys, such as fishing poles, remote-controlled mice, or laser pointers, can keep your cat interested and mentally active.
- Install a cat game app on your mobile to allow your furry pet to play games that improve their brain activity. App stores provide a wide range of entertaining and intriguing alternatives.
- Puzzles
Puzzles are an excellent way to stimulate your cat’s mind. Stationary puzzles often have cups, holes, or other obstacles that force your cat to remove food or other things with their paws. You may even try your hand at building your own puzzle toys by following this video: Cat Foraging Puzzle. These toys may be loaded with your cat’s favorite wet or dry treats or food.
Fun activities for indoor cats
As a cat owner, you must engage in enjoyable activities with your feline companion. My cat and I have experimented with a variety of hobbies and trends, but it is critical to keep trying new ones in order to avoid boredom. We’ve mentioned some fun indoor cat activities here, such as DIY cat toys, interactive toys, and a few training and tricks. Let’s take a closer look at these activities.
DIY cat toys
Despite being picky, cats do not always require fancy, store-bought toys. You can easily create a toy that appeals to their specific interests. For example-
- Feather wands: Feather wands are simple to build and an excellent method to stimulate your cat’s hunting instincts. Just attach some colorful feathers, sticks, bells, and rope on a stick and watch your cat play.
- Box castles: Making a box castle is more convenient, eco-friendly, and cost-efficient than buying costly cat furniture. Cut holes in cardboard boxes and decorate them to make a fortress for your cat. They enjoy exploring and hiding in boxes, and this easy-to-make toy is both economical and fun.
A visual image can often make learning more enjoyable and easier than reading text. To make your crafting experience more enjoyable and accessible, this video is just for you: DIY Cat Toys
Interactive toys
Interactive toys are a popular option and widely accessible on the market. The cat can play with these toys alone or with another person. It keeps indoor cats busy and out of trouble.
- Laser pointers: Laser pointers are widely regarded as the best cat teasers. Most cats interact with it by moving quickly. Wherever you focus the laser pointer, be careful, never point the laser at your cat’s eyes directly. You may also get rechargeable motion-activated cat laser toys for your pet.
- Electronic toys: There are many electronic toys you can buy, like electronic bird toys, remote-control cat toys, and moving fish toys. If you don’t have enough free time, then you can go for electronic toys. You can do other work while letting your cat engage with these toys.
The only issue with electronic toys is that they are not completely safe. So, always read the customer review before buying certain toys.
Training and tricks
Cats are intelligent creatures that may be trained to obey a variety of directions. Some owners often like showing off their well-trained cats earning compliments. Depending on the cat, the training process can be lengthy or brief. The owner’s creativity determines how well he trains his cat.
- Teaching your cat to fetch: Fetching is a common game for pets. Some cats need training, while others do not. Sadly, it took time for my cat to train for this game. Here are some tips you can adopt to train your cat:
- Choose an acceptable location to play the game.
- Introduce the proper toy for fetching.
- Begin motivating your cat to grasp the ball.
- Give your cat a treat when it takes up the ball with its mouth.
- Repeat the procedure.
- Clicker training: The clicker training tool is an effective tool for communication with your furry pets. This approach, also known as “mark and reward.” For example, if your cat successfully performs a trick or obeys an instruction, you can use the clicker to register the action and then reward it with a treat. This can be a tiny bit of dry food or a tablespoon of wet food.
Creating a stimulating environment
Creating cat-friendly behavior is a must. Provide your pet with a pleasant and secure environment that is quiet, clean, and free of drafts. You can also frequently change your cat’s bedding and take all necessary precautions to keep it safe indoors. Also, to keep your cat healthy and happy, it is critical to keep it interested in a variety of activities and to maintain regular medical treatment.
Providing hiding spots
Every cat has its own space, as hiding is their common tendency. You can manage several hiding spots or things for the pet, like a box, an empty shelf, or under any furniture, to create a specific hiding space. There’s nothing to worry about! Your cat will eventually come out of hiding and approach you.
Offering different levels and climbing opportunities
It is a natural instinct for cats to climb to higher spots and observe their surroundings. They feel safe while being in a higher place in a certain area. You can create high places with climbing opportunities on artificial structures that serve both as play areas and resting spots. including a wall shelf, a window seat (seats that stick to the window), a door tree (attached to and hanging from a door), a bookshelf, or the top of the cupboard.
Adding plants and other natural elements
Cats have been observed chewing on plants, which can assist with digestion and avoid hairballs. However, it’s important to grow plants that are safe for them. Greenery is very appealing to cats, and it may lend a fun aspect to their interior habitat.
It’s also worth remembering that cats may be mischievous and may inadvertently harm your plants, giving you irritation as a gardener.
Conclusion
Overall, cats can live happily indoors. It is a misconception that cats prefer the outdoors more than the indoors. By providing DIY cat toys, interactive toys, high places to climb, safe plants to chew, and a comfortable living place, you can ensure your cat lives a happy and healthy life indoors.
Try with several hobbies to find which ones your fur ball prefers. And I’m sure you’ll agree with me that trying new activities and creating a fun environment is a wonderful experience for all cat owners.
We would appreciate it if you could share in the comments which tips you found useful from this article.