Kitties are naturally curious and active, like this kitty cat, who is probably eyeing a bird and stimulating her hunting instincts 🙂
We know that our cute kitties like to sleep a lot, and I mean a lotttt 🙂
But our kitties also need activity and outlet for their curiosity and creativity. When they do not get the necessary stimulation, they become bored.
Here are some bored kitties:
When they get bored, they may demonstrate destructive behavior, aggression toward our other pets, anxiety, depression, over-eating and weight gain or loss of appetite, compulsive behavior, retreating in isolation, over-grooming, etc. It is therefore very important to keep our cuties appropriately busy, stimulated, enriched, and active.
Here are some depressed kitties:
They can become overly aggressive too, like this cute kitty here:
How Exactly Do We Keep Our Kitties’ Lives Enriched, Happy, and Healthy?
1 – Hunting and Playing
Cats are born to be hunters, on streets and in the wild they hunt for their survival. But hunting also releases dopamine in kitty brains through a feeling of eagerness and anticipation. Your pet kitty can feel the same anticipation and eagerness, excitement and flow of dopamine in her/his brain when you provide her/his with the same stimulation. It can be done in two ways. You can dangle an object in front of your cat and let her/his catch her/his, moving the object interactively. Or you can provide kitty toys, e.g., a kitty ball, or a rubber mouse for the cute kitty to play hunt with. Or you can hide things in a box for the cat to find them, this will be fun! Or you can give them a skateboard to ride on:
2 – Tunneling, Cat Trees, and Hideouts
Cats like to play hide and seek. Cat tunnels and cat trees can provide this fun to your kitties and prevent their boredom. Or you can create such tunnels by joining together a few empty cardboard boxes. This will provide your cat an outlet for her/his curiosity, activity, excitement, and fun that will keep her/his away from boredom. A simple hideout in a box where the kitty can go in and out but with a little challenge, can also provide stimulation and fun for your kitty cat, purr 🙂
3 – Outdoor and Sunshine
Cats like sunshine. Providing them fun and frolic for a little while in your backyard or in a park will keep your cat happy and away from boredom. If the weather does not permit outdoor fun, getting your cat near a window, making her/his comfortable, and allowing her/his opportunity to look through the window while leaning against it vertically will provide the necessary stimulation and prevention from boredom.
4 – Watching Kitty Videos
Cats can get stimulated visually and through sound, just as we do. Find the TV programs that your cat loves and turn the tv on for your kitty on the couch. Or you can search for ‘videos for cats’ to provide the necessary stimulation to your kitty cat, and prevent her/his boredom. You can also hang photos of birds, squirrels, etc. in the room for your cat to stimulate her/his hunting instincts. See how interested this kitty is, in watching a kitty thriller:
We want our kitties to be happy, healthy, active and chilled, like this kitty:
