Keep Indoor Cats Entertained

Meeting your indoor cats' needs are basically the same for a cat that is allowed outside, however indoor cats have additional needs. Indoor cats can be quite a handful. Young and energetic or old and lazy, sometimes it's hard to entertain them. This article will give you some tips to keep your indoor cat entertained.

Steps

 * 1) Allow your cat access to as much space in your home as possible. Ideally, the cat should be able to go anywhere in the home at will. Cats love to have different places to sleep or rest, so allow your cat access to a room where he can watch the world go by or just sleep on the floor by a nice warm fire.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 1.jpg|center]]
 * 2) Spend time with your cat. This is a very important step as indoor cats can get bored when left on their own.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 2.jpg|center]]
 * 3) Pay attention to your cat and give him lots of love. This will let him know that you consider him to be 'your family' and he may reward you with little licks to let you know that he considers you are 'his family'. Indoor cats are more comfortable around the person that feeds and pays attention to them the most but it is important that he has the opportunity to interact with other people.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 3.jpg|center]]
 * 4) Get a selection of toys for him to play with.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 4.jpg|center]]
 * 5) Set aside some time to just play around with your cat. Bring out some catnip occasionally because cats love it.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 5.jpg|center]]
 * 6) Play with your cat. Use a piece of string and dangle it, whip it around, or drag it across the house. Be sure to let your cat catch the string every once in a while.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 6.jpg|center]]
 * 7) Get some cat furniture. For instance, a cat bed or a climbing frame. You can get these from a pet store or even make your own.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 7.jpg|center]]
 * 8) Provide scratching posts in several rooms so that your cat can mark territory, strengthen muscles and sharpen claws. Encourage your cat to use it by maybe putting a little treat next to it.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 8.jpg|center]]
 * 9) Provide a cat tray in an area that is not too busy. Clean out the litter tray every day because cats do not like using dirty litter trays.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 9.jpg|center]]
 * 10) Give your cat a variety of different cat food. Do not just provide dry biscuits as his only source of food. Give him a mixture of tinned food and biscuits but be prepared to try out different types of food as he may not like a particular brand.[[Image:Keep Indoor Cats Entertained Step 10.jpg|center]]

Tips

 * Create a feeding schedule so that your cat knows when it's time to eat.
 * Keep a spray bottle handy filled with water to discourage your cat from misbehaving.
 * Every time he uses the scratching post give him a little treat.
 * Do not overfeed your cat or he could become obese which will cause medical problems.
 * Remember that cats are animals and not a child.

Warnings

 * Do not leave your indoor cat on its own for long periods of time.
 * Generally cats who are used to being allowed outside will find it difficult to adapt to being kept indoors.
 * Never shout at your cat if he scratches your furniture. He doesn't know what he is doing wrong! Give a squirt of water in his direction when he does it and he will eventually stop.
 * To declaw a cat is considered by some to be cruel. Think about it: How would you feel without fingernails?