Keeping an Indoor Cat Happy
While thinking up ways to create an engaging indoor life for your cat may require a little more thought and consideration than a more hands off outdoor approach, indoor cats can live fulfilling, wholesome lives. I’ve done a fair bit of research in conjunction with watching Juniper sift through my attempts and find what makes her happiest. Research supports what most of us notice with our indoor cats: food and a comfy bed isn't enough.
The best part about creating a stimulating and happy indoor environment for your cat is that it doesn't have to be overly expensive to do. It may even require no construction work to your house! It’s mostly about what motivates your cats behavior. Once you figure that out it becomes a lot easier to create engages your cat each day.
Vertical Space Makes a Big Difference
Cats like to be able to see their surroundings from an elevated position. In nature, they will feel more secure with better vantage points to see threats or prey. This instinct remains even when they are inside.
Cat trees, shelving units that are made for cats, and even shelves and tops of bookcases that are cleared, provide places for cats to climb and observe. You don’t have to spend a lot of money building an elaborate system of vertical spaces for your cats. As long as there is sturdy furniture, cats will be able to climb and make spots their favorites.
Cats like to be able to access more height by climbing, so watch where your cat is trying to climb. They are telling you where they want more access to vertical spaces.
Hunt, Catch, Eat, Sleep
When it come to rhythm, humans and cats are quite different, and while it is possible that living indoors disrupts that rhythm, it is much more likely that having no opportunity to hunt, and living indoors, can cause boredom and anxiety in cats, and having no mice in the house does not mean the behavior will go away.
Hunting type play activities can help fulfill that need. Instincts are usually tapped when prey type wand toys are used and when kibble is placed in puzzle feeders or hidden around the house. Aim to do several short activities throughout the entire day, rather than just one long session.
Windows Are Free Entertainment
Cats can become completely engrossed in watching the outside world. A variety of scenes can keep their minds captivated. Vanishing and reappearing motes, low flying and breezy birds and squirrels, and even moving vehicles all offer varying levels of stimulation.
Try to get or make a bed or perch at a window that is safe for outside viewing all year and has consistent activity outside for growing watching for your cat's enjoyment. Some people with feeder birds viewable from a window have reported mixed success.
Scratching Isn't Just About Claws
Scratching as a behavior is natural in felines and is instinctual. Trying to stop this behavior usually does not work.
Having surfaces with multiple textures and orientations will be beneficial. Some cats may prefer the vertical nature of a post while some may prefer more of a horizontal posed surface and will enjoy cardboard or ramps. Make sure to have a few of these surfaces in the areas where your cat sleeps and in the areas of the house in which your cat will spend more of his time because they will want to mark their space by scratching.
If your cat doesn't seem to be using a scratching post, consider changing the space it is located or changing the texture of the scratch surface. Location and scratch surface more important than one may believe.
Enrichment Through Smells and Sounds
The world exists through different lenses for every species. For cats, their experiences are framed predominantly through smell. New, safe smells can even serve as a form of stimulation. Some owners even claim that their cats respond positively to some of the common safe cat herbs, shuch as catnip and silvervine, in addition to a simple paper bag that has an outdoor fragrance.
If your cat is home alone during the day, leaving a radio on low can also help to calm them and keep them company by creating a more populated feeling environment, similar to playing some soft nature sound.
Rotation Keeps Things Fresh
There is no need to buy new toys all the time. You can rotate the toys you already have. Store half of the toys and put them away for a couple of weeks. When these toys return to play with, they will feel new again.
This is the same for puzzle feeders, cardboard boxes, and even the position of furniture. Small alterations to the environment keep your cat's mind engaged and satisfied their need for routine and predictability.
Social Needs Vary More Than You'd Think
Cats all exhibit different behaviors, and all behaviors are normal. Some cats are extroverted, and want to play and snuggle every single day. Some are more introverted and enjoy being around you, but don't want to interact. Most cats are somewhere in the middle.
Notice what your cat wants. Do they stick with you the whole way when you go to another room? Do they only stay in the same room as you for a bit then move to another? Do they bring you a toy, or do they play by themselves? The best way to make all parties happy is to do the interaction how you think they want you to.
If your cat is starting to seem lonely and you are gone a lot, sometimes it can help to adopt a second cat, but the personality match is extremely important. Not every cat wants a roommate.
From my experience, the happiest indoor cats (including Juniper on her happier days) are the ones whose people take the time to figure out what their cats are gravitating to and built on that. It is the little things that add up, a new perch, a different dangle toy, a bit of focused play time in the evening. It does not take a lot to make indoor life more fulfilling for a cat. It just requires a little bit of effort and the ability to look at things from the cat’s perspective.