Controlling the weight or ensuring optimum health of an indoor cat can be a challenge. As cats that spend the majority of their time indoors do not get enough exercise, they are not mentally and physically stimulated. This usually leads to obesity, which in turn can trigger serious health concerns.
Keeping your cats active indoors doesn’t have to cost anything. You just have to invest some time and thought to ensure that your cat is mentally and physically active.
Follow these tips to ensure that your cat stays active indoors:
Play with your cat
Your cat requires at least ten minutes of physical activity on a daily basis. Set aside fifteen minutes to play with your cat.
Spending time with your cat can help his behavioral development. This is important, especially for indoor cats. Playing with your cat can also help her develop socializing skills; this can come handy as they are not frequently exposed to other animals or new surroundings.
It will be challenging to entertain older cats. In such cases, consider breaking up the playtime into small intervals.
Activity for meal
You can use treats to keep your cat physically active. Show the treat to your cat and hide them in different locations throughout your house.
Prompting your cat to jump using treats is also another ideal strategy to keep them active. Keep the treats on table tops or furniture above their reach and encourage them to fetch it.
Set up a scratch post
Setting up a tree or scratch post or tree can be an exciting way to keep your cat active. The advantage of this set up can be multifold. It can encourage your cat to climb and scratch. This setup can be a good time pass for felines that are hyperactive.
An ideal cat tree has hiding holes and platforms, which can prompt your cat to keep exploring. Using the scratch post will also help you to keep your feline from scratching the furniture or damaging any other items within the house.
Adopting another cat
When it comes to keeping a feline active, there is nothing like the company of another cat. With a companion, your cat has an excellent opportunity to be social, which will improve her interaction skills.
You just have to care about how to introduce and raise two cats within a household. It can be overwhelming initially. However, once the felines get used to it you do not have much to worry when it comes to keeping them physically active.
Use toys
Toys like roll-out balls, cat wands, and even a laser light are handy when it comes to encouraging your cat to move around the house. Roll out balls can also come with cavities for treats.
Keep your cat in the hunt; ensure that you rotate the toys on a regular basis so that she does not lose interest.
Keeping your cat physically active, especially when she spends most of her time indoors is an absolute necessity. Combine this with routine veterinarian checkups and your cat can enjoy a long, healthy and happy life.