By Rob Metras
Cats are wonderfully inquisitive, intelligent animals. In fact, they posses senses that are much more acute than our own, that is why it is important to offer cats that are restricted to living indoors things that are stimulating and interesting. Indoor cats get bored and then stressed when they do not have adequate stimuli. The worse part is that a bored cat will probably start misbehaving and scratching furniture, urinating in different areas of the house, and start meowing a lot. Inactivity in indoor cats also produces a weigh problem in the cat. The following tips will help you make the cats indoor environment more comfortable and give him something to do.
Before finding stimulation for your indoor cat make sure he/she has the basics. Be sure that he/she has fresh water available and you might want to leave a small amount of dry food out for him/her during the day. If you have more than one cat be sure that you have separate litter boxes for them and be sure that your cat has a warm comfortable cat bed.
Next you need to understand the way your cats natural instinct and behavior works, that way you can recreate their natural environment inside, sans mice. Cats love to jump and to climb. They like to be up high, so offer a cat tree that is pretty high, one that will give them climbing opportunities.
Cats also have a natural tendency to want to keep their claws sharp, and they use something to scratch to do this. Outside they usually use trees, but in the home they may go for the furniture, so you want to have a scratching post to avoid having your furniture clawed at.
If you have ever watched a cat at play, then you know that they love to sprint and pounce on moving things. This helps keep their senses sharp, it gives them exercise and keeps them fit. You can provide different toys and activities for your cat, to keep him/her pouncing. A great game to play with him/her is the fishing pole. Get a stick, a pole or an old fishing pole and tie a ribbon, a plush toy or something fluffy to it and move it around for your cat on the floor.
Use paper grocery bags or boxes around the house for your cat to play with. Cats love to hide and pounce on these boxes and bags, and it is a great way for them to get the exercise they need. If your cat does not understand what the paper bag is for, then help him/her out a bit. Set it on the floor and when he/she comes near it scratch the back of the bag, he/she will soon catch on that it is a game.
Use Catnip! Cats love the scent of catnip, it is relaxing to them. It is a safe substance and the cats themselves will moderate the use of it. You can either grow it yourself or buy it in some cat toys or in a spray. Cats truly prefer the fresh grown catnip though.
Indoor cats are generally deprived of contact with other cats and animals, that is why many sit on the windowsill to see if they can watch other animals. In quiet home environments where there are no other animals, the cat could get lonely. Now there are some special cat videos on the market that can be left on as background noise, and as visual stimuli for the cat during the day.
Remember, if indoor cats are left to their own devices, they may find their own entertainment and that could be dangerous for your furniture and house hold items. That is why if you plan out your cats entertainment you can avoid this type of problem and you both can just have fun.
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