Healthy activity requires play
Playtime is key to keeping your cat stimulated, active and at a healthy weight. The amount of exercise varies based on factors such as their age, weight and breed.
Indoor vs outdoor cats – how might this impact activity?
Cats thrive when they can enjoy exercising in short bursts. They are active animals and like to roam throughout the day, making the most of opportunities to run, jump, climb and play. The types of exercise your cat experiences will depend on whether they’re an indoor or outdoor cat. Outdoor cats tend to exercise by themselves, exploring the environment around your home and climbing, hunting and roaming until they're tired.
Indoor cats require more attention from you to stay happy and healthy. They need enough space to exercise, to climb and to play to prevent them from becoming inactive and bored. Indoor cats will need a scratching post, interesting toys to keep them occupied and lots of interaction with you. Cats are intelligent animals and will enjoy hunting and chasing their toys with you in short bursts.
Taking time and care to provide your cat with mental and physical stimulation, whether they’re indoor or outdoor cats, will make sure you’re enriching both their bodies and brains.
Activities for indoor cats
Cats like to sleep for many hours during the day, but when they’re awake, they need plenty of opportunities for exercise. This means making time to interact and play with them, especially if yours is an indoor cat.
Providing a selection of different toys and bringing them out in weekly rotation will both prevent your cat from becoming bored and ensure that both their body and brains are given a fun work out. That being said, cats receive a lot of mental stimulation from interacting with their owners, so play sessions with you are key.
Cats are clever animals and will enjoy activities like working out how a puzzle feeder works or hunting for hidden dried food at meal times. This type of activity can help to replicate the running, jumping, climbing, and stalking they would do in the wild.
Cats have powerful, tightly controlled muscles. Access to a cat tree that’s tall enough for your cat to use fully stretched will also help them to strengthen their muscles and stay happy and healthy.
