Although they occupy houses and apartments rather than jungles and savannas, indoor cats retain the instinctual behaviors their ancestors developed thousands of years ago. Activities that domesticated cats need and want to do bear striking similarities to the habits of lions, tigers, and panthers in the wild. 

Big cats are hunters who chase after prey many times a day with frequent rest breaks in between. Similarly, your indoor whiskered pal punctuates intense activity bursts with frequent cat naps. Big cats and little cats alike love to climb to great heights to view the world from above. Wild cats spend a lot of their time grooming and like to mark their territory, just as your furry friend does. 

To keep your indoor cat happy and healthy, you need to encourage natural self-expression while maintaining control of the household. The Gentle Vet team offers some tips to help you do this in ways that are safe and enjoyable for you as well as your pet. 

Cats need to hunt

Your cat is a carnivore with a powerful instinct to hunt prey. A well-fed pet getting a nutritionally sound, meat-based diet still craves the hunting experience. You can give your cat “prey” in the form of puzzle feeders that stimulate their minds, rewarding them with a treat. 

Other ways to satisfy the hunting instinct include, under supervision, letting your cat chase motorized toys that mimic the motions of scurrying mice or wiggling fish. You can also offer your pet a large paper bag with the open end facing them, then make tapping or scratching noises at the closed end. Doing so encourages your whiskered pal to pounce on the unseen prey. 

Cats need to scratch

This is an instinctive behavior that has several useful purposes. Cats need to scratch to enjoy a good stretch, keep their nails sharp by shedding their outer sheaths, and mark objects with scent from their paws’ glands. 

Don’t expect your cat to view home furnishings as you do. If they think your prized sofa is perfect for scratching, they won’t choose something else unless it has a texture that they like better. Place several different sized and shaped scratching posts around your home to give your cat plenty of scratching choices.

Popular scratching post materials include sisal rope, carpet, cardboard, and wood. Scratching post angle orientation is also important. Some cats prefer to scratch vertical posts, while others would rather sink their claws into horizontal or diagonal surfaces. Give your whiskered pal various options to determine the angle your cat likes best. Rub some catnip or silvervine on the post, and praise your cat when they use it. If you do this frequently, your furry pal is likely to prefer the scratching post, leaving your couch unscathed.

Cats need to climb

All cats, big and small, love to climb high and look down on their surroundings from an elevated perch. This satisfies their natural curiosity and allows them to feel safe. 

Unleash your cat’s inner Sherpa by providing them with a cat tree or two. These trees come in many shapes and sizes, from about three feet tall to ceiling height. Designed to harmonize with various decors and fulfill many feline fantasies, cat trees resemble everything from giant flowering shrubs to modern architecture. Look for features such as perches, nests, trays, and tunnels for lounging in the open or hiding out. Cat trees may also include stairs, scratching posts, and hanging balls or toy birds at which your whiskered pal can bat. To give your cat a place to rest after a long climb, consider a tree topped by a padded bed.

You can also encourage your cat to climb and take in the view from a series of shelves attached to your walls at various heights. If your cat is agile, they will enjoy a catwalk that wraps around a room a couple of feet from the ceiling, with stairs for easy access.

Cats need playtime 

Playing is a necessary and joyful activity for cats as well as for their people. For exercise, fun, and bonding, invite your cat to join you for at least two 10-to-15-minute interactive play sessions every day. Poles with dangling felt birds or long fabric ribbons, and toys shaped like fruit or flowers are popular with many cats. A plastic tower with colorful balls that roll in tracks around the circumference is another classic kitty-pleaser. Your cat may enjoy playing fetch with a ball, too, although some cats expect their owners to do the fetching. Remember to rotate toys periodically to keep your cat interested.

Cats need to connect to the wider world as much as people do. Attach a perch to a high window through which your cat can watch squirrels run up trees and check out the other pets in the neighborhood. Many cats like to watch TV, too. Animal Planet and nature specials on PBS or the Discovery Channel are likely to catch your cat’s eye. If your whiskered pal turns out to be an avid viewer, you can play videos made especially with feline viewers in mind.

Although your cat may never leave home without being enclosed in a carrier or stroller, they still need wellness checks and parasite preventives to keep them going strong. Schedule your whiskered pal’s appointment with The Gentle Vet team.