We love having quality time with our furry felines, but sometimes they demand our attention at times when we need to focus on other things. To help maintain your cat’s happiness and your own productivity, we came up with 10 ideas you can use to keep your indoor cat entertained while you’re busy working, cleaning, food shopping, socializing, or otherwise living your life (we know – cats don’t understand any of that!).. Entertaining your cat is about more than fun and exercise. We all know our cats have an intelligence that leaves us in awe and a curiosity that leaves us in stitches. All of those aspects of your cat need stimulation! Read on to see how you can give your cat new ways of being entertained all day and every day..
1. Automated Toys:
Cats love to play by chasing and catching things. Try entertaining your cat with a toy they can chase around like a battery operated toy mouse. Your cat will become so enthralled with chasing it around, that you’ll even have fun watching! And who knows – if you ever have a mouse problem in your home, the training may have come in handy!
2. Window Seat:
Cats are people (but really animal) watchers! Having a window seat is a great, simple way to keep your cat entertained. On top of a premium spot to watch what’s going on outside, it provides a nice perch for them to sunbathe.
3. Bird Feeder to Watch:
This is a great accompaniment to the window seat! Place a bird feeder outside within view of the window, and your cat will spend seemingly endless amounts of time bird watching…you may even notice their mouth water!
4. Cat Tree:
There are many benefits to having a cat tree. The size of the cat tree is really up to you, but the more cats you have the more tiers you may want to consider. Felines have a hierarchy and they will demonstrate that by where they place themselves on the tree. The higher up the tree, the higher up the cat is on your home’s pecking order. Another great benefit of a cat tree is that they occupy normally small footprints in your home layout but meet a lot of needs of your furry friends: exercise, isolation when needed, and a multi-level hideaway for multiple cats.
5. Another Cat:
You have one, why not get another? Ok, there may be some valid reasons you wouldn’t want to, but there are a lot of benefits to having a friend for your cat to keep them company when you’re unable to. There are several things to keep in mind though before introducing your cat to another feline.
- Temperament is everything. Before introducing a cat permanently into your home you may want to see if a friend has one that they would let your cat meet first and gauge how that goes. Once you decide you are going to make the move of adding another cat, be aware of how you do that.
- Don’t just bring the new cat in and take them to each other. That first interaction will set the tone, and if it seems aggressive to your first cat it will take time to overcome that.
- Bring the new cat into a separate room with a door that separates them. This will allow them to catch the scent of each other without feeling threatened. Do that for a day or two and then slowly bring them together. This will make it less threatening and they will have already developed a curiosity about the new creature behind the door.
- Keep in mind that you may want to get your cat spayed or neutered first!
6. Hiding Spaces:
Cats love to hide in small, quiet spaces! Whether it’s a cat house, a closet, or a paper bag, cats love to find places to retreat to. Try setting up some special hiding nooks for your cat to curl up in for some quiet nap time!
7. Food Puzzle:
Food puzzles are a great way to keep your cat active and happy! If you’ve never seen or used one, they are toys designed to encourage your cat’s natural foraging desires. They solve a simple puzzle and receive a reward in the form of a meal. Research by the University of California-Davis shows that these games can improve your feline’s overall health and stimulate them mentally. In fact, up to one-third of cat parents use them!
8. Scratching Post:
Cats LOVE to scratch! Getting them a scratching post will not only keep them busy, it’ll save your favorite pieces of furniture too! The best way to keep your furniture intact is to make sure that your cats have a fun alternative that happens to provide a lot of benefits to their health. Scratching posts do more than protect furniture; they help with shedding of loose layers on the claws, help your cat stretch, exercise, and reduce stress. Getting a cat to use the post can be a challenge at first. You can get them to start by using catnip and treats to encourage them andalso by playing with them around the posts with wand-type cat toys.
9. Games on Tablets: “Games for Cats” app and “Laser Pointer” app:
Yep! Now there are games for cats that you can set up for them on your tablet! These games engage cats by enticing them to chase a fish or a laser on the screen. Similar to the automated toys, these games appeal to the cat’s instinct to chase and hunt! And if we are being honest, it’s a lot of fun for we humans to watch! Be careful letting them use your devices so they don’t get damaged.
Simply go to your device’s app store and search “apps for cats” and prepare to be amused and amazed! (Remember they are for the cats, so if your friends catch you playing them, just tell them you’re trying to beat your cat’s high score.)
10. Catnip-infused paper bags:
This is not a drill! Catnip-infused paper bags are a thing! They can be found at many retailers and they provide lots of fun for your furry friends. We’ve all seen a cat hide in a paper bag or cardboard box waiting to paw at an unsuspecting passerby. These bags take that to another level as they can’t get enough of them and will spend hours being the cutest item you’ve ever seen in a paper bag.
Nothing beats quality time with our beloved felines, but it’s nice to know there are a variety of ways we can keep them busy while we’re missing snuggle time with them. Let us know which are your cat’s favorites!
