It has been researched and found by veterinarians in our country that approximately 40% of cats are overweight and a majority of them are indoor only. Even though it has been observed that cats have the evolutionary advantage of having a high metabolism that starts working when they lounge around, they still need to conduct some physical activities to ensure that they do not follow a sedentary life of sloth and get obese.
Dogs can be hitched to the end of a leash and taken for a stroll around the neighborhood, but the same cannot be done with most of the cats. Although there are certain exceptional cats that learn these traits, it requires lots of training and hard work. You can keep your indoor cat healthy by following certain exercise ideas that can be implemented with some trial and error. It can really be encouraging for your feline, if you can utilize some innovative exercise ideas for her.
Tips for Happy & Healthy Indoor Cats
To keep your indoor cat happy and healthy it is important to follow these cat exercise and workout tips:
Conduct some activity that assists her in maintaining a healthy body weight and keeping her muscles toned and strong. The way you exercise your indoor cat will help in building a strong bond with her. Many of the things that you can conduct do not require much of your time, money or effort. First of all, understand the interest of your feline and then determine the activity that you would like her to be involved in. If you are good at tools, create your own cat jungle gym or find one at an online pet store.
Devote at least 10-15 minutes of your time each day engaging your kitty in some sort of activity. Young kittens and cats are full of energy and would take the initiative to engage in the play. They will keep on playing continuously for hours, even after you get tired. The problem is with the older and overweight cats as they do not have the endurance to play for longer times. The best thing to do in this case is to begin by playing with the kitty for a few minutes at the same time everyday. Once she gets habituated to the playing routine, you can change the activity and increase the time gradually.
Let us now focus on different ways to ensure that your indoor cat gets adequate exercise:
1. Laser Pointer
It is the best thing to get for an overweight feline. The bouncing red light will entice her to follow the direction and have a swat at it. This way you can not only keep her weight in check, but also increase her activity level.
2. Keep Food & Water On Elevated Surfaces
If you keep cat food and water on elevated surfaces, it will assist in burning the extra calories of your feline with each leap for every bite of the food or to quench her thirst.
3. Keep Water & Food In Different Rooms Of The House
Try to keep a distance between the places where you keep food and water for your indoor cat. If you live in a multi-storey house, keep the food and water at different levels. Remember, the more the distance between locations, the more calories of your kitty will get burned throughout the day.
4. Get Cat Trees, Cleared Book Cases & Window Sills
Each of these things provide good vertical spaces that assist in burning excessive calories of cats and these things can be used by your kitty 24×7.
5. Homemade Toys
Making a simple paper wadded in the ball can keep your feline busy for 15 minutes. You can even use boxes, tubes, mirrors and bags for the entertainment of your kitty. These toys will not only keep her busy when you are away, but will also work as a daily workout regimen that will keep your kitty fit and healthy.
So, how are you planning to provide adequate exercise to your indoor cat?
