As adorable as these furballs are, keeping them happy and comfortable can often be a challenge. Being a feline and having the predatorial instincts of its family, cats are susceptible to getting bored fast. Thus, it is necessary to keep them entertained and energetic. But when we humans are incapable of dealing with boredom, how different would a cat be? Therefore, here are some tips on keeping your indoor cat happy and comfortable.

Keep Them Occupied

An indoor life for any animal would be rather dull. Unless you’re willing to allow them to go out, keeping your furry friend satisfied is very vital. The delicacy of cats makes it easy for them to get stressed. People often misunderstand cats for low-maintenance creatures. Every pet or domestic animal requires an indefinite amount of your time and attention.

Studies also indicate that under stress, cats are likely to develop stress-related illnesses, ranging from obesity to different infections. Hence, there is no harm in dedicating some of your time every day for playing with your kitty. It may instead help alleviate some of the stress you may have accumulated.

Litter Box

Similar to us, cats require privacy and proper space for littering. The location of the box is due importance. Most owners place the litter box in their room or outside it, which often results in the cat feeling uncomfortable. Moreover, the location of the litter box concerns us as well. Placing it in a bathroom is considered ideal by most owners, eliminating the chances of spreading the odor of the litter.

Maintaining the litter box is also crucial, as well as the litter. Getting the best cat litter is frequently recommended by owners and veterinarians alike. Furthermore, if not the best, any reputable and high-quality brand of litter are perfectly fine.

Feeding

Underfeeding your feline partner is often not the problem. Our love for our kitties is where the problem stems. Don’t get me wrong! It is vital to shower your cat with love. However, an excess of love can often cause negative results. Overfeeding them is the real culprit.

Nevertheless, a schedule of 2 meals a day with a gap of 8 hours is the recommended standard. Your cat may run to you, purring while doing so, begging for food. But being the parent you are, you must think about your pet’s wellbeing. Another problem commonly seen is owners feeding some of their food to cats. It may cause several issues, such as indigestion and ulcer.

Expanding Their Energy

As mentioned before, cats are energetic and curious creatures. You may have often seen your cat scale up the curtains, or sometimes climb up a tree. It is rather convenient for an outdoor cat to expend its energy. However, indoor cats cannot relate to that. The excess of vigor can often be subject to the irritability of a cat.

Then how do you provide an experience similar to what an outdoor kitty may have? For starters, toys make for great tools to aid the kitty to use its reserves of energy. More importantly, let your pet do whatever it wishes. Of course, there is a limit to how much freedom a pet can have, but ignoring feats similar to scaling curtains is recommended.

Catnip

A safe hack for keeping your cat satisfied and stimulated is getting a catnip plant. The plant produces a particular oil that affects our feline partners quite distinctively. Rubbing or clawing the catnip plant allows the cat to intake the oil, enabling a temporary feeling of pleasure. The nature of the oil is harmless, but it does not affect all cats.

Kittens and cats under the age of 1 year are less susceptible to getting affected. Moreover, if it does affect your cat, it is a great tool to keep your cat and its instincts at bay.

Going Outdoors

Unlike social media and other owners may make it seem, training cats to walk outdoors with you is possible. Going out, even for a short duration, can tremendously affect your cat’s mood and physique. Yes, obesity and stress are not acceptable for animals either. But why is it that most owners are incapable of walking their cats out? It is because developing the habit of walking outdoors with a leash needs to be engrained from a young age.

Numerous factors should be taken into consideration. If your cat is not trained to walk outdoors, practicing indoors is a viable option. Avoid pulling on the leash at any cost when training your cat. The process may take time, but once your cat feels comfortable with the leash, you are ready to take it outdoors. Even walking a dog out was considered bizarre at some point. Therefore, do not give up!

Conclusion

Most owners are not aware of the true nature of cats. Some take cats for authoritative and lazy creatures, while the rest misunderstand them for nimble and stout beings. The crux of the matter, however, is that cats are neither of that. Cats are unique, intelligent creatures that have demands, unlike other animals. Therefore, nurturing and cherishing them is the only viable way to gain their affection.