The Perfect Cat Day: What’s an Ideal Cat Schedule?

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The Perfect Cat Day: What’s an Ideal Cat Schedule?

By: Dr. Debra Primovic

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Daily Schedule

If you could give your cat the schedule he or she wants, what would it be? What schedule would make a cat the happiest? In this article, we will try to answer that by helping you understand the way cats like to eat, sleep, play and live!

Sleep – Cats LOVE to sleep. Cats sleep more than people but wake much more frequently. There are sleep requirement differ slightly from cat to cat, but generally cats like to sleep approximately 13 to 19 hours a day. How much and when they sleep depends on the level of activity in their environment. A cat living as a pet in the home is likely to sleep more than a cat that is outdoors and has to work for their food. Some cats will sleep more due to of boredom.

Play - Cats like to play! You can help your cat be its happiest both mentally and physically by providing plenty of stimulation. This can be in the form of toys, a companion to play with, and/or playtime with you.

A laser pointer is a fun way to play with your cat even while you are watching television. A feathery flyer is also a favorite toy! To better understand your kitty, read How Cats Play.

An Interesting Environment - Indoor only kitties need an interesting environment to stay mentally healthy and happy. An interesting environment includes windows that allow your cat to enjoy watching passersby or the sights and sounds of nature such as birds at a feeder. A window perch is often idea as they can watch what is going on outside! An opened screened window or door and/or a screened-in porch that allows cats look out and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors is very stimulating to cats. Opening the screened door or window in the morning is a favorite time for cats to enjoy the sounds of the outdoors. Music or DVD's for cats can also be stimulating to some cats. For more tips, go to Selecting the Right Environmental Enrichment for Your Cat.

Water - Cats like to have free access to fresh clean water at all times. Make sure your cats bowl is fresh. Change the water daily and wash out the bowl.

Food - Generally, cats like to eat several times a day. They are nibblers and will often eat several small meals. My favorite way to feed a cat that is an ideal body weight is to leave dry food down so they can nibble and offer small amounts of canned food twice daily so I can assess their appetite and behavior. Loss of appetite, or Anorexia in Cats, is one of the first symptoms of disease in many cats. For more information on feeding your cat read
Feeding Your Cat.

A Good Clean Litterbox - Cats like opportunities to urinate and defecate in a clean box that feels good and safe. There should be at least one litter box per cat plus one in every home. If you have two cats, you should have three litter boxes. Clear storage containers that are deep are an inexpensive favorite of cats. Use a litter that your cat likes and clean the box often. If you use scoopable litter – scoop once or twice a day –depending on how many cats you have. Ideally when you scoop, there should be no more than 2 or 3 spots to scoop in the box. If there is more than that, you are not scooping enough. For more tips – go to The Fine Art of Litter Box Care.

General Comfort – Cats like the comfort of a clean environment that is neither too hot nor too cold. Most cats are very happy indoors although some outdoor and indoor-outdoor cats also have a great life. Cats especially enjoy the comfort of the indoors during extreme heat or cold temperatures. If your cat is an outdoor cat, they should have access to warm shelter in the winter and shade in the summer with constant access to fresh clean water. Cats also love a soft comfy bed in a high location where they can watch their environment and feel safe.

Time – Cats love to be fussed over and to spend quality time with their owners. This time makes them feel important and loved, just as you would feel when a loved one gives us undivided attention. This "time" can be just sitting or watching TV. Many cats love it if you also do some petting or brushing!

An ideal schedule through the eyes of a cat might be:

7 am - 8:00 am

Wake up and have a quick snack of canned food. Also, offer fresh dry food. Open the screened window or door and allow the outdoor sounds to stimulate your cat.

Make sure your cat has plenty of fresh clean water. Change the water to make sure the bowl is full and fresh.

Spend about 10 minutes of quality time just talking and petting your cat. Notice anything unusual about his demeanor, attitude, hair coat, look of his eyes, etc.

Scoop the Litter boxes.

Fill the bird or squirrel feeder. Change water in the bird bath.

Open a secure screened window or door and allow your kitty to enjoy the sounds and smells of the outdoors for a little while.

9 am – 12 pm

Nap time!? Or time to follow you around as you do your housework. If you are off to work – then naptime it will be.

12 pm – 1 pm

Ideally, most cats would enjoy some interaction again with the opportunity to play or be stimulated. If you work all day, make sure you have an interesting window, tall perch or some toys around during the day.

1 pm – 5 –pm

Nap time again? Or still nap time? Or another opportunity to observe you working!

5 pm – 7:30 pm

Drinks, dinner, and playtime. Again, change the water and offer dinner. Monitor your cats' appetite. Offer a longer and more extensive playtime than this morning. Let him really play and burn off some of that pent-up energy.

Scoop the litter box again.

7:30 pm – 11 pm

Quiet family time. This may be a good opportunity to brush and groom you cat, brush his teeth and spend some quality time, or even jump on the couch and watch some TV.

Open a secure screened window or door and allow your kitty to enjoy the sounds and smells of the outdoors.

Bedtime!

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1Selecting the Right Environmental Enrichment for Your Cat
Cats, especially indoor cats, need stimulation and recreation to maintain their good mental health. This is often referred to as “environmental enrichment or environmental enhancements”.
Read More
2The Fine Art of Litter Box Care
One of the cat’s most attractive features is that she comes with an automatic waste disposal system; cats need no daily walks in the blinding snow or blistering heat, and no long and sometimes unsuccessful...
Read More
3Why is Water Important for Cats
Living creatures, like young kittens, may go for some considerable time between meals, but not between drinks. Like us, their bodies comprise mainly of water, perhaps as much as 75% water, for an 8-week...
Read More
4How Cats Play
Cats, like all mammals, engage in play as youngsters and continue to do so as adults; play is a complex learning activity that helps kittens develop social relationships and hone their physical and mental...
Read More
5Feeding Your Adult Cat
Is it confusing trying to figure out what to feed your adult cat? As strict carnivores, cats require food of animal origin and generally eat a variety of dry cat food. Here are some tips on how to feed...
Read More

The Perfect Cat Day: What’s an Ideal Cat Schedule?

The Perfect Cat Day: What’s an Ideal Cat Schedule?

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