Consider it a feline’s personal obligation.
Your cat is constantly monitoring his surroundings. Alert even while napping, he maintains constant surveillance for potential predators and other perceived risks to his safety.
But try though they might, there’s one threat many cats struggle to thwart – that of boredom. Lacking proper enrichment and left home alone for hours on end, too often cats are presented with few alternatives to simply sleeping the day away.
That the typical feline’s quality of life has improved in recent decades is hard to refute. Cats are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. But by always seeking – and rarely finding – adequate sources of stimulation, cats tend to suffer from dullness.
As cat owners, it’s our duty to enrich our felines’ lives. What can be done to alleviate your cat’s boredom and furnish him with daily stimulation opportunities? Here’s our guide to achieving cat enrichment.
Cats Home Alone
Like Kevin McCallister in the classic comedy film, cats often find themselves home alone, especially during daytime hours. There are several notable reasons for this trend.
But try though they might, there’s one threat many cats struggle to thwart – that of boredom. Lacking proper enrichment and left home alone for hours on end, too often cats are presented with few alternatives to simply sleeping the day away.
That the typical feline’s quality of life has improved in recent decades is hard to refute. Cats are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. But by always seeking – and rarely finding – adequate sources of stimulation, cats tend to suffer from dullness.
As cat owners, it’s our duty to enrich our felines’ lives. What can be done to alleviate your cat’s boredom and furnish him with daily stimulation opportunities? Here’s our guide to achieving cat enrichment.
Is Your Indoor Cat Bored?
The combination of three factors – a predominantly indoor cat, that’s left home alone, and lacks adequate enrichment opportunities – often results in feline boredom. But how can you know if your cat is bemoaning his dull life?
Consider your home environment. Is it cat friendly? Are there lots of things for your cat to do, play with, and watch? Consider the things cats enjoy and if you have them in your home. Evaluate your cats’ environment, and you’ll get a strong indication of whether your feline is susceptible to boredom.
When children get bored at home, trouble often ensues, and the same can prove true for your feline friend. Boredom can lead to a variety of problems such as inappropriate urination, destructive behaviors like scratching, aggression, depression, lethargy, over-vocalization/crying, and altered appetite.
What Indoor Cats Need to Be Happy
But even in the event that your cat resides indoors and your family has a dual-career couple scenario, feline happiness is still achievable. Introduce exciting enrichment activities into your cat’s life and the allure of the outdoors may no longer seem so appealing to him.
You can alleviate your indoor cat’s threat of boredom with the following owner-initiated strategie
- Playtime: Cats should be afforded at least 10 minutes of attention each day. This should include both playing and bonding time.
- Toys: Fun toys help enrich a cat’s environment. Ensure your feline has access to toys that roll, something with catnip, and a toy on a string that can be used to entice your cat to pounce.
- Visual Stimulation: Every cat should have the ability to look out a window and be simulated by the outdoor environment. Furnish a window seat or window bed enabling your cat to observe nature.
Important and Simple Ways to Enrich Your Indoor Cat’s Life
Instinctual urges are powerful. In the case of your cat, he experiences natural desires to scratch, perch, hunt, and seek prey. As cat owners, it’s our responsibility to recognize and embrace these instinctual needs to help prevent our cats from becoming bored or frustrated.
Without proper enrichment opportunities, mental health problems can plague your cat. Veterinarians refer to the process of improving a cat’s home life as “environmental enrichment.” A cat’s basic needs include eating and drinking, urinating and defecating, hunting, scratching, sleeping, napping, and playing.
Most cats love to climb and scratch. You can satiate your feline’s climbing appetite with a cat tree. Cats climb and perch in high places because it allows them to survey their environment for “dangers.” As for scratching, it represents a natural activity for most felines. The right scratching post should allow your cat to get up on his back legs and stretch as high as he can.
Selecting the Right Environmental Enrichment for Your Cat
Adopt a creative and diversified approach when it comes to enhancing the stimulation and recreation opportunities available to your cat. A “happy” cat can be achieved by providing an environment with cat trees, perches, beds, toys, and trusted places to sleep, eat, and use a litter box.
A truly enriched cat environment includes the following:
- Refuge: Whether it’s a cardboard box or a dresser drawer, cats need somewhere where they can hide and feel safe. They prefer a high spot where they can constantly assess their surroundings.
- Furniture and Perches: Since cats love to climb to high places that make them feel secure, you should assist with fulfilling this need. If a suitable window perch isn’t available, consider acquiring a cat tree.
- More Toys: You can never have too many enriching cat toys. While toy preferences vary, a feathery flyer, some round crinkle balls, and a laser pointer represent solid options for most felines.
An enriched life is a happy life for your cat. When you supply your indoor feline with ample opportunities for enrichment, boredom doesn’t stand a chance.
Source: PetPlace.com