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Unlike their canine colleagues, cat’s aren’t typically the most hyperactive pets around, so knowing how to entertain a cat isn’t always immediately clear. Keeping indoor cats amused is paramount to their wellbeing – being bored does not make for a happy kitten!
Investing in stimulating toys and spending some time playing with your feline friend every day makes a massive difference to what their daily life feels like. It’s also an important part of the owner/pet dynamic – a toy can work wonders for establishing that special bond and creating trust between you and your kitty.
Whether you’re a new owner or you’ve been caring for your pet for a while – make sure you’re fulfilling their needs and keeping them happy in your home with our expert advice.
How to Tell if Your Cat is Bored
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Some tell-tail signs to look out for should you suspect your cat is getting bored are:
Overgrooming: licking, pulling out fur or chewing their claws – all of which can lead to infections down the line.
Repetitive behaviours: every cat is different, but meowing constantly is a classic symptom of boredom – don’t ignore it!
Overeating: we’re all guilty of it, but if your cat starts regularly eating to excess, it’s time to look into ways to spice up their day.
Inactivity: difficult to spot because cats are notoriously huge fans of sleep, and can generally be found reclined on a soft surface in the house.
Ambushing other pets: we all enjoy the videos on social media of cats attacking their cat housemates – but if you’re seeing your cat attack your other pets a little too often, it’s an indication they’re not getting enough stimulation.
Destroying furniture: is that sofa you spent months saving up for in tatters? It’s time to invest in some toys.
Defecating outside the litter box: or, as we like to think of it, a dirty protest.
How to Keep an Indoor Cat Happy
Keep your cat happy and entertained by following some key tips, so you can become the best owner you can be. It’s vital for their wellbeing, but also, crucially, for the health of your floors and furniture!
Make Sure They’ve Got Plenty of Toys
Cat toys come in all different shapes and sizes, for kittens and cats alike – whether it’s a fluffy mouse, a teaser wand or a catnip toy – you’ll be sure to find something to elevate their spirits on slow days at home.
Playing is a bonding experience that’s fundamental to your relationship with your pet – it’s basically impossible not to laugh when your elderly cat is suddenly gallivanting around the house with an inanimate object – or at a kitten driven into a frenzy by catnip.
The best toys for indoor cats invariably provoke the funniest bursts of feline mania. Keep your furry housemates busy with soft toys like aptly-named Grumpy Cat Catfish cat wand or the Kong Cat Refill Purrsonality Sassy cat toy to entertain your moggie throughout the day. Choose teasers and wands to really inspire bursts of energy – not many cats can resist the lure of a laser like the Zoon Laser Chaser pet cat toy. So, whether you treat them to something with feathers, a tail, or scales, toys are the best way to keep your cat entertained.
Give Them Their Own Space
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Like humans, cats need their space! Just because your cat lives exclusively indoors, doesn’t mean they won’t want to slink off for some me(ow)-time.
Having their own space and time for solo play alleviates any boredom they might be feeling. Placing scratching posts and towers, like the Rufus & Rosie Westwood Cat Scratcher Post, around your home for them to engage with independently is a smart way to keep cats and kittens occupied without crowding them. Plus, it provides alternative targets from furniture and carpets, which can end up looking positively clawful.
A Room with a View
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Cats have demonstrated a predilection for people-watching for millennia (we’re guessing). If your furry friend is a curtain-twitcher, do make sure to leave a few windowsills free for them to get comfortable spying on your neighbours from.
The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery even refers to window-gazing as an essential and enriching activity for cats. Indeed, watching a cat birdwatching is quite a pleasant way to while away a few hours – the relentless twitching, the tail helicoptering, the pawing of the window (ok, scratch that last one) – it really is very entertaining.
Of course, windows also make great vantage points for kitty’s to lord it over local dogs, with zero chances of Number 6’s Jack Russell getting anywhere near them. Cats love to observe everything going on, so ensure the best spots are easily accessible by placing furniture near higher windows, keeping ledges free and even placing food bowls by glass doors to encourage their engagement with the outside world.
It’s notoriously difficult to get cats to drink water in the home – but placing shallow bowls or even water fountains separately from their food helps. A good spot is a bedroom windowsill – and it’s definitely worth trying when the weather is particularly hot.
It will come as no surprise to cat owners that in a recent animal behaviour study, 84.3% of the cats being observed spent 5 hours or less looking out of windows per day. There’s no need to worry if your cat is habitually found looking out onto the street – it’s *science.*
Give Them a CBF (Cat Best Friend)
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Opening your home up to more than one cat might seem daunting, but it almost certainly improves the quality of your kitty’s life by providing them with a furry best pal to hang out with. Whether they’re chasing each other up and down the stairs, snoozing together or settling down for their evening meal tail-by-tail - doing life together is obviously preferable to going solo.
Adding a second (or third, or fourth) feline teammate into the mix prevents loneliness and boredom for the whole household. Consider adopting another cat if you originally became a cat parent over lockdown (when you were able to spend 99% of your time together), but now we’ve returned to normal life, poor puss is being left alone for hours on end.
Whilst it’s certainly true that needs like social interaction, exercise, mental stimulation, play and companionship can be met by humans – it’s not possible if you’re not there! Avoid any potential feelings of guilt by welcoming another cat into the family and watch as they grow into purrrfect pals.
Go for a Stroll
Walkies aren’t just for dogs - cats enjoy exploring too! Make the surrounding area your catwalk, and promenade with your kitten to your heart’s delight by making use of cat collars and leads to ensure they don’t make a mad dash for it. This might feel a little overwhelming at first (for both of you), but good general advice to follow is keeping walks brief, choose quiet areas where you’re unlikely to come across cars, and staying calm if your cat exhibits a bit too much interest in a passing squirrel.
Starting young and in a private outdoor space is also helpful, as your cat will feel much more comfortable on the lead and outdoors with practice. Think about attaching the lead to a harness if your cat’s a wriggler – it’s generally considered to be a more secure option.
Just remember not to panic if you meet a dog, another cat or a bird – keep your voice low and calm and pick up your cat to avoid any confrontation.
Okay, there’s a lot to take in here. The key things to remember are, if your cat starts to exhibit signs of boredom, it’s time to invest in toys, a scratching post, and even a cat best friend. Try to give them their own space and keep window sills clear so they can people watch. Explore our cat range today to find everything you could possibly need to keep your cat happy, healthy and entertained.