It has been proven that cats who spend their entire lives indoors live longer than those cats that only live outdoors. However, indoor cats need stimulation to keep them healthy and happy. This involves enriching your cat’s environment. Encourage your cat’s natural hunting and foraging instincts and it will do wonders for their well-being.
With a touch of creativity, you can keep your cat interested and stimulated, whether you live in a little apartment or a big house. To keep things interesting, switch out your cat’s toys every couple of weeks. When you reintroduce them, they will be appreciated all over again. Here are a few feline-friendly activities to get you started.
Foraging
Try this trick that will help your cat fulfill their foraging instincts. Separate your cat’s daily food rations into small piles. Place these small piles of food in different locations around the house. Try tossing a few small treats in random places. Doing this will encourage your cat to forage, and will help him or her from eating their food too quickly.
Leave a Scent Trail
Use some old socks to bait for your cat, washing them in between uses. Take a dab of perfume, vanilla extract or peanut butter and mark the socks with it. Then, you can scent it further by rubbing a piece of lunchmeat across the socks. Place these socks around your house, and your cat will enjoy staying on the prowl, being enticed by the variety of scents.
Watching Birds
Start by attaching a suction-cup bird feeder on the outside of your cat’s favorite looking window. When the birdies come to eat, your cat can stay entertained for hours. Be sure to keep the window closed securely. An excited kitty may try to push right through a screen.
Bathroom Fun
Try placing a ping pong ball in your bathtub and watch your kitty have a grand time chasing down this elusive object.
Cardboard Creations
Take pieces of cardboard and turn them into instant cat entertainment. Create beds, tunnels, dens and mazes for your cat.
Try creating a busy box, by taking small lengths of yarn and attaching toys to the bottom. Then suspend them from the ceiling of a large box. Cut a few windows in the sides to entertain him further.