Bored and Grumpy Indoor Cat? Try yoga!

September 17, 2014

Is your feline friend becoming bored, grumpy and irritated that they have to spend the day indoors? Well here are some tips on how to entertain and help your feline friend completely content and comfortable in their environment. 

Cats naturally enjoy free roaming space, so make sure they have as many roaming possibilities as they can imagine! The higher they can climb the better, and a great way to let your indoor cat enjoy themselves is by creating them a “cat walk.”

This is easier than it sounds and worth the work! All you need are some shelving units and cat condos (homemade or store bought) to create the perfect “cat habitat” for your feline friend! If you are feeling really adventurous and handy-man-ish, then an outdoor cat walk would be the ultimate joy for your cat, but it does take a little hard work and money to create such a thing.

How about a little yoga? At Pounce & Hound Fine Pet Goods, we have yoga mats full of catnip, designed to keep your cat tossing, stretching and turning on their mat.

If these options aren't available or don’t sound like they are up your alley, a few cat posts placed around the house and in front of windows are always a good option as well. Feel free to place some bird feeders outside the windows that your cat post is placed, since cats are natural born predators, they will always be entertained by watching small animals flutter around. And don't forget to spray that cat post or desirable exercising spot with some catnip to get your cat going...

As stated previously, your furry friend is a natural born predator with a high prey drive, and you can put that to use in productive ways if you so choose! The easiest option is to take an old egg carton and cut out each individual piece, then place food into the pieces you’ve cut and place them sporadically around the house. Try to always come up with new hiding places and rotate them frequently, this will make your cats feeding time an interactive, fun and mentally stimulating game! Another stimulating game is “scent trailing.” All you need is an old pair of socks (or a few) and some lunchmeat, now this may sound a little strange, but all you have to do is rub the sock on the meat to get the scent. Then hide a few of these scented socks around the house, and let your cats prey drive go haywire! Just try not to free feed or make feeding times boring and regular. Another option is to use treat puzzles which are available at Pounce & Hound Fine Pet Goods, just keep in mind you don’t want to overfeed with treats!

Another great way to keep your indoor cat entertained and happy is by making sure their toy collection is constantly rotated, you don’t need to put all the toys out at once! Just keep a few out and rotate them throughout the month. Toys that interact with all their senses are the most beneficial to your cat as well as you, that way, your cat stays entertained and your couch stays scratch mark free! A cheap and fun game for your cat is as easy as placing a ping pong ball in a empty bathtub, then get ready to watch your cat have a ball! (no pun intended.) Always make sure to take 10 or so minutes out of your day and have some one on one interaction time with your cat, whether it be more playtime or giving them a good brushing, your cat will appreciate the time you spend with them!

Whether you choose to buy cat grass and make the outdoors come in, or use cat nip spray once in a while to make your cat go crazy, or go the old school but always popular route of cardboard boxes, there are many easy and fun ways to entertain and interact with your cat. If these options aren’t enough, then you can always try cat training as well (yes this does exist!)

Come visit us at Pounce & Hound Fine Pet Goods, and check out all our fabulous, active cat toys.

Share: