Cats also get bored. Boredom, as humans know, can trigger other negative emotions which will adversely affect the physical health of a cat.
“With a little creativity, you can keep your cat stimulated and interested, even in a small apartment and on a limited budget,” said W.R. Shaw in How to Avoid Kitty Boredom in from petfinder.com.
Shaw added, “There is ample evidence that cats who spend their lives entirely indoors live much longer than their outdoor-only counterparts. But keeping an indoor cat happy as well as healthy means providing more than just good nutrition and regular veterinary care – you must also enrich your kitty’s environment. Eliciting a cat’s natural behaviors with hunting and foraging games can do wonders for your companion’s well-being.”
Keep toys ‘new’ for your cat
Research showed that toys that are removed and then returned after several weeks regain much of their novelty, Shaw said.
This means you can extend your enrichment budget by rotating your cat’s toys regularly, she said.
Get started with a few of the recommended feline-friendly activities below.
Shaw suggested that the furparent begin slowly and be sure to get a thumbs up from the veterinarian.
Shaw also noted you have items in your home you can use as toys for your cats.
Let your cat ‘hunt’ for food
Shaw suggested that the owner separate the food rations in small batches every day.
“Place the clusters around the house and then toss a few small treats in random directions. Not only will this encourage active foraging, it’ll also keep kitty from scarfing down her food too quickly,” Shaw said.
Give your cat pleasurable puzzles
You can toss a few treats into a square bottle, then put on the floor with the lid off. This makes for a great beginner puzzle, said Shaw.
Any plastic container with a secure lid can also be a toy. You can make it into a hanging puzzle, Shaw said.
“Just cut two or three slots around the bottom outer edge of the container and place a few treats in the center. String a cord through the lid and hang this puzzle over a doorknob. Once your cat gets the hang of it, you can encourage exercise by raising it higher, “ Shaw said.
Scent and Search
You can use old socks as washable scent baits, Shaw said.
“Just mark the sock with a dab of perfume, lotion, vanilla extract or even peanut butter, or place a pinch of any aromatic spice inside, then rub it over a slice of lunchmeat to pick up the scent. Scatter the socks throughout the house and your cat will be on the prowl for hours, delighted by the variety of scents. If you’re pressed for time, simply mark a scent trail with a bit of cheese and then hide the cheese at the end of the trail,” Shaw said.
Bird Watching
Let your cat watch birds by his favorite window.
“Attach a suction-cup bird feeder outside your cat’s favorite window. Hungry birds will provide hours of entertainment. Don’t place feeders too close to the ground as it leaves birds vulnerable to enemy attacks, and be sure to keep the window closed – ‘excited cats can push right through screens,” Shaw said.
The mouse trap game
You can leave a ping-pong ball in the bathtub and “watch as your cat makes it sail around the curves during her hunt for the elusive orb,” Shaw said.
The cheap and reliable crafty cardboard
You can use cardboard boxes as beds, dens, tunnels, and mazes.
“Make a ‘busy box’ by attaching small toys to short lengths of cord and suspending them from the ceiling of a large box. Cut window flaps in the den at various heights,” Shaw said.
Shaw added: “Add a ‘Tiger Tug,’ a miniature version of a game popular with both tigers and chimps. Feed both ends of a length of parachute cord into the box through small holes. Tie a toy or a large knot on each end. When the cat tugs at one end, the other end mysteriously comes to life. For multicat households, run the ends into separate boxes.”