Cats and Exercising: What and How?
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If you have an indoor kitty and there is no yard for her to play in, you need to find amusement for your adorable little friend elsewhere. This means, as a pet owner, you are the one who needs to take initiative and stimulate your cat to work out. Depending on your cat’s temperament, weight and age she will find certain types of games, exercises and overall activities interesting. Don’t expect your older and a bit overweight cat to be as jumpy and ready to play with as a kitten or a younger cat would be. As they age, cats get lazier, so you need to stimulate your cat properly. If the size of your flat allows it, set up an area for your cat to play in. She can climb, romp around and play with scratching posts. If you are much of a handyman/woman, build a cat jungle for your pet or simply look for one at your local pet store. Your cat may be reluctant to play in it at first, which is why you will have to get a bit more engaged in the process until she gets used to it and/or comfortable. Further, here are some ideas to get your cat to get active and burn all the extra calories.
Laser pointer
The bouncing light of a laser pointer will definitely set your cat in the mood to play. As you are splashing that arrow of light on the walls, floor, or even all over your cat’s scratching post, she will be more than willing to paw at it. This sort of ‘exercise technique’ always gets cats intrigued. Don’t abuse and frustrate your cat by pointing the laser in her eyes, though.
Food and Water work-out
If your furry friend is super lazy, pretty overweight and all she does is eat, you need to find a way to make sure she works off all the food she takes in. Put water and food bowls on separate ends of your flat, so that the cat needs to walk from one place to another. You could even knot a more solid piece of food on one end of a rope, play a little and only then let her eat it.
Toys
If you have decided to put your cat on a healthy diet, this means treats are off limits. Don’t feel guilty for not spoiling your cat anymore – she needs to lose weight, and she needs to do it fast! Buy some chewing toys at your local pet store and make sure those items are something that will get your cat moving. Chewing-balls that your cat will run after and chew on once she catches them, stringed feather on a pole that she will swat at, and similar. A cheaper version are non-toys. Cats like to play with bags, boxes and paper. So, leave these somewhere around the house where your cat will notice them but will have to jump to get them. The more she jumps, the more calories she burns. Awesome!
Vertical it up!
Your cat needs some vertical spaces to jump on, so make sure you’ve got a couple in your home. Set up a cat tree, empty some shelves or let it use a window sill or something similar. This will help your cat have fun time even when you are not at home and, of course – burn some calories by jumping!
