Top 5 Tips to Keep Your Cat Entertained Indoors

Who’d be a cat? Lazing around at home, having your meals provided, and plenty of loving attention, it all seems so strenuous compared to the non-stop life of their owners. However, whilst it may seem like constant bliss for your feline, all that ‘free time’ means they can become bored easily. Whilst it’s true they do spend a lot of their time napping, when they are awake they do need to have regular mental stimulation, especially if they are an indoor cat.

A bored cat can be an unhappy cat, leading to behavioural problems and them scratching or biting things they shouldn’t. If you are a cat owner, hopefully, you will have already provided them with everything they need, but if not or if being a cat parent is brand new to you, below you will find 5 top ways to help them.

#1 – Interactive Toys for Physical & Mental Stimulation

Great for both their body and mind, there’s nothing like an interactive toy to keep your cat busy and entertained. These can be both toys that you and your cat can interact with as well as those they can explore alone, helping them live out their hunting instincts.

If you don’t have any already, look for toys that you can use with food or treats, for example, puzzle feeders that they have to work out how to get the food from. You can also do this without a physical toy and instead hide kibble or treats in places like boxes or under furniture that will encourage them to follow their nose and seek out the reward. This can be more fun than simply putting the food directly in front of them or in a bowl.

Other toys such as those they can hide in when playing games with you, or they can reach into to grab food are good, whilst soft toys like those with feathers and bells can attract their attention too. To stop them from getting bored, be sure to change these up every now and then and introduce new ones.

#2 – Cat Furniture To Enrich Their Environment

Another reason for your cat to be dissatisfied is not having another enrichment and variety in their home life. Having lots of different things to climb, scratch, and explore can make their day go much quicker and provide more stimulation.

Items like scratching posts in different parts of the home can help them sharpen their claws and stop them from scratching your furniture, carpets and curtains. It can also help them place their scent from their paw pads in more places. Having a variety of different scratching toys is a good idea, from mats that are on the ground to those that are curved or vertical, whilst different textures from cardboard to string-covered posts provide more variation. They’ll be able to scratch as much as they like!

As well as scratching toys, cats love to be in high up locations that help them to oversee a room or be able to look out of windows. Having cat trees not only stops your cat from climbing on furniture, up curtains, and onto window sills and tables (where they may knock things over) but it gives them more options to relax and take themselves away when needing some alone time. These perches can be placed in different rooms and generally help them feel less stressed and comfortable. They’ll even be able to do a spot of bird watching too.

#3 – Regular Playtime Sessions

Whilst cats are generally independent and do sleep most of the day, you’ll need to fit in some quality time with them when they need it. This can be difficult if you have a cat that is more active during the night when you’re trying to sleep. Rather than force them at a time that suits you, try to find a time that they are most interested – they will walk away if they are not in the mood to interact, so try again another time.

It can be difficult if you work regular hours during the week, but find some time in the evening or morning to see if they want to play. If they do interact with you, try to keep a consistent routine that they can look forward to. Regular interaction will help satisfy their need for attention, although it won’t guarantee they’ll stop waking you in the night!

The other important reason to interact regularly with your cat is that it gives you the opportunity to groom them and check their health in general. There are various symptoms of something wrong that you’ll only notice by being up close and interacting with them, such as weight loss, lethargy, or even difficulty breathing, which can all be signs of diseases like Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). If you spot any signs of something unusual, you can then speak to your vet sooner rather than later.

#4 – Let Them Go Outside In a Controlled Manner

Being stuck indoors all day can make anyone feel bored and under-stimulated, so if you have an indoor cat that isn’t allowed to roam the streets like other cats, you can still give them some outside time to give them more variety. Now, rather than just opening the door and letting them out, you’ll want to create a controlled environment for them to explore. This is easier if you have a garden, as you can then secure any gaps in fence panels or under doors, and create a safe space.

One of the ways to do this is to create a ‘catio’ or enclosure which attaches from a door or cat flap, allowing them to freely go outside without the worry of escaping or wandering off. Alternatively, you can look to have an enclosure or cat fencing on a lawn that you can place your cat in. This will allow them to take in the sights and smells outside as well as provide a different environment to explore.

#5 – DIY Toys and Games On a Budget

Whilst having lots of toys, scratching posts, and catios can be great, the costs can add up quickly. However, if you are feeling crafty, you can easily make your own DIY toys that will save money and still be stimulating for your cat. After all, many cat owners may have experienced their cat preferring the box rather than the toy inside!

With this in mind, you can create a DIY sensory box with a good-sized cardboard box. All you have to do is put some of their favourite items inside, even including some treats, and other things like scrunched-up paper or different textures. You can even cut a hole or flap in the box for them to peer out of or to climb in and out. Even simply just having a cardboard box with some bedding in and placed in different rooms will give your cat other options.

Cats aren’t fussy when it comes to getting the latest must-have toys, so see what you have around the house that you can turn into something just as fun for them to use – as long as it is safe for them to do so.

There Are Plenty of Ways To Entertain Your Cat

As our list shows, there are many different ways to keep even the most bored, unsatisfied feline feeling engaged, stimulated and happy indoors. If you have already tried many of the above to no success, or if your cat is showing other signs of unhappiness, you may want to speak to your vet. This will rule out any other issues they may be having such as illness or injury, and they will be able to give further advice to provide enrichment at home.

Good luck and remember you don’t need to spend lots of money – just provide a more enriching environment as best you can.