Mary Allen
There is often no other option for cat owners than to keep their house cat purely as an indoor cat. However, there is a risk that the cat will not get enough exercise and activity. Here’s how to keep your cat healthy and happy when not outdoors.
Outdoor or housing for cats? Many people face this question when buying a cat. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to being outdoors, it is clearly an advantage that the cat has a lot of exercises, occupation, and natural environmental stimuli. However, outdoor cats also live much more dangerously. Road traffic, for example, is one of the leading causes of death for cats.
This danger does not exist for indoor cats. However, other problems arise as a result of living alone: boredom, lack of exercise, loneliness. But that need not be. Cats can be kept in a species-appropriate manner even when they are not outdoors, there are only a few things that need to be considered. We’ll tell you which ones.
Sufficient Exercise for Indoor Cats
The be-all and end-all for indoor cats: exercise and physical exertion! If the cat is not allowed to go outside, special care must be taken to ensure that it can move around enough. This is essential for the health of the cat and important to prevent obesity and related diseases such as diabetes or arthrosis.
In addition, indoor cats often accumulate energy that they cannot let out. This then shows in their wild five minutes, attacks on people or serious aggression – a problem behavior. This should definitely be avoided.
Therefore, play extensively with your cat every day. You provide the necessary movement with hunting and catching games such as catfishing, balls, or strings. You can also set up a real course for your cat.
But even when you are not at home, the cat should be able to exercise and be occupied. This works via the facility.
Varied Facility for Indoor Cats
An important aspect of the species-appropriate keeping of indoor cats is the furnishings. Because even if the human is not at home, the cat must be able to move and be occupied. Design your apartment as a cat paradise! This means:
- The cat needs opportunities to climb and jump.
- The cat needs opportunities to scratch.
- The cat needs places to sleep and hide.
In order to meet these needs of your cat, we have the following tips for a variety of indoor cats for you:
- A scratching post for climbing, romping, scratching, playing, and hiding is particularly important for indoor cats.
- There are commercially available wall mount systems that cats can climb and jump on. This turns the living room into an adventure playground.
- Build or buy dens and hiding places for your cat.
- How about a cozy place to sleep in front of a window? Cats love observing things outside from the window!
- Set up a cardboard box and put smaller cardboard boxes or some paper inside – the cat will love it.
- For the necessary care, there are, for example, massage arches for cats to buy. So the cat can have a good time when the human is out of the house.
Exchange some items from time to time. This provides even more variety. Of course, basic equipment should always be available to the cat.
Mental Utilization of Indoor Cats
Not only the physical but also the mental workload of cats is important for their health. In addition to games that help the cat move, intelligence toys are also regularly necessary. There are many different items on sale here.
Another tip: rotate the games you offer your indoor cat regularly. This also ensures variety in the cat’s life!
Healthy Nutrition for Indoor Cats
A key aspect of healthy and happy indoor cats is nutrition. Indoor cats tend to be overweight due to a lack of exercise. Very treacherous: the always full dry food bowl! Dry food is a real fattener if it is available to the cat constantly and without restrictions.
The Better Alternative: Make your cat work for the kibble by hiding it in an intelligence toy, snuffle pad, or fiddle board. Thereby…
- … the cat eats less.
- … the cat has to make physical and mental efforts to get the food.
- … the cat will be occupied during your absence.
These toys are also very easy to make yourself.
In addition: Of course, the cat must always have fresh water available!
Avoid Loneliness and Boredom in Indoor Cats
Even if you spend a lot of time with your indoor cat every day: If she sits alone in the apartment most of the day, e.g. when you are at work, then she can get lonely. And what’s worse than loneliness or boredom?
To prevent boredom, it is important that you make sure that the cat is entertained even without you. This works through furnishings, intelligent toys, and games that cats don’t need humans to play with.
Also, be sure to check if your indoor cat is showing signs of loneliness. If this is the case, you should consider a cat sitter or a second cat. A conspecific can counteract loneliness, especially in indoor cats.
Of course, regardless of whether one or two cats, the stroking and cuddling units with humans should not be neglected. This is also part of the occupation of (indoor) cats.
Checklist: 7 Tips for More Variety for Indoor Cats
In summary, you should consider the following aspects so that your indoor cat stays busy and happy:
- Play with the cat every day and make sure it gets enough exercise.
- Combine active games (catfishing, ball, etc.) with intelligence games.
- Furnish your apartment in a varied way with opportunities to climb, jump, scratch, and hide.
- Make sure your cat has something to do when it’s home alone (furnishings, intelligence toys filled with food, box, window seat).
- Eat a healthy diet to prevent obesity.
- Make the cat work for the dry food.
- Don’t forget the daily pats, cuddles, and cuddles.