6 Tips to Ensure Your Indoor Cat Is Not Bored

A few weeks ago, my friend Christine (who is an avid cat lover) called me and said, “I think my cats are bored. Do you know what I can do to make them happy?”

Well, it is pretty easy to keep a cat entertained. I’ll give you some good tips right now on how to deal with that.

• Make sure the environment is stimulating – This means an environment with plenty of things for cats to do – windows to look out of, things to watch, safe toys to play with and places to climb. Climbing trees, scratching posts, cat grass, window perches, window beds and a great outside view to watch the birds or squirrels will all help to enrich your cat’s life and prevent boredom. For some great tips, go to this article: Tips to Enrich your Cat Environment. A stimulating environment is really important for a happy cat.
• Find the right toys – Not every cat likes the same toys. Make sure you know what kind of toys your cat really likes. We have a great article on just that topic. Go to: Finding the right toy for your cat personality type.
• Plenty of toys – Once you know what toys your cats like – make sure you have plenty of them. It is common for them to get “misplaced” (you usually move the sofa and find a dozen).
• Rotate toys – Cats become bored with the same toys after a while. A great tip is to hide a toy for a while and then reintroduce it. Keep a supply of fun toys that you rotate so your cat always has something “new” to hold his attention.
• Catnip – For cats that are sensitive to catnip, offer some catnip periodically for your cat to enjoy. Cats really enjoy it if you marinate their toys in catnip for a while. It is a great way to encourage your cat to enjoy them even more when you reintroduce them.
• Plenty of playtime – Schedule time twice a day to play with your cat. Allow your cat to chase a ball, run after a laser pointer or play with a feathery flyer each day.

For more tips, go to: Is Your Cat Bored? 12 Tips to Prevent Boredom.

Bored cats can sleep more or have behavioral problems. Make sure your cat is happy and enriched.