There comes a time in most indoor cats’ lives when the vet kindly points out that they could do with losing a little weight. Hey, it happens to the best of indoor cats.
However, that doesn’t mean that you, as your cat’s guardian, can’t take your share of the responsibility and step up by adding a few easy, exercise-based activities to the daily routine.
Here are a few exercises your indoor cat can do to stay healthy, lose weight, or just fight off boredom.
Do you have any indoor exercise tips for cats? How do you keep your indoor kitty in shape? Let us know in the comments below!
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Easy Ways To Exercise Your Indoor Cat
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Treat Sprints
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It's trust building and engaging to have a cat eat treats directly out of your hand, but when you're dealing with an indoor cat who could do with slimming down a little, it's best to turn treat time into cardio time.
Find the longest stretch in your house or apartment and slide treats as far as you can along the floor. Do this one by one, shaking the bag in between so that your cat returns to you. This will maximize your cat's running distance.
Also, throw in a few feints as you pretend to throw treats to keep their mind alert. Your cat may even get in a few extra sprints this way.
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Meal Marathon
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Most cats instinctively know when it's meal time, and they'll follow you around as you prepare their feast. So why not use that dedication as a way to get them to up their daily step count?
This works particularly well with wet food: Once you've placed the grub in the cat's dish, walk around your abode, enticing your cat along as they smell the food while engaging in a sneaky little pre-meal walk.
With my own cat, I've currently settled on five laps up and down the living room before she gets to chow down.
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Change Their Toy Placement
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We all know that cats can have finicky relationships with their toys. But if your feline loves to bat a certain type of ball or small toy around, you can up their exercise by strategically placing the toy on higher-up surfaces.
The back of the couch, on the corner of a desk, or perched on a chair are all great spots. Not only will the cat be enticed to hop up and grab the toy once they notice it, but when they bat it onto the floor, your cat has to drop down and continue the play session.
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Use The Cat Tree's Levels
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If you have a cat tree in your home, you can easily exercise your feline by making them climb up and down the carpeted monstrosity as they chase and stalk their favorite toy.
This works best with toys that you can dangle along, like a Cat Dancer or one of those fishing pole-style toys that come with fake birds or feathers on the end of it.
The key here is to get your cat climbing up and down the cat tree as much as possible; although, don't forget to let them "catch" the toy from time to time so that they don't lose interest.
Remember: Cat trees aren't just for lounging.
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Use Smart Furniture Hacks
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Finally, take a look at your furniture setup and see if you can move a few items to create some natural steps and levels that your cat can climb up and down.
An easy hack is to clear some space on a bookcase or shelf to fashion a nook that your cat can spot and aim to check out. Tap into your cat's curiosity to prompt them to exercise while exploring.
