You may think of your pampered indoor cat as the benign, domesticated ruler of your household. However, beneath your furry friend’s silky coat beats the heart of a fierce feline in the wild. After 8,000 years of living closely with humans, little cats still have much in common with their big ancestors. The natural behaviors they need to express bear striking similarities to the habits of lions, tigers, and panthers. 

To keep your pet healthy and happy, you need to encourage them to act naturally without wrecking your furniture or shredding your drapes. Our Oriole Road Animal Hospital team offers some tips on how you can let your cat be wild but keep them and your household fixtures safe. 

Cats need to scratch

Cats scratch to enjoy a good stretch, keep their nails sharp by shedding their outer sheaths, and mark objects with scent from the glands in their paws. If you place several differently sized and shaped scratching posts around your home, you’ll be giving your cat plenty of scratching choices and minimizing the temptation to sink their claws into your favorite chair. 

Sisal rope, carpet, cardboard, and wood are some of the most popular scratching post materials. Scratching post angle orientation is also important. Some cats like vertical posts, while others prefer horizontal or diagonal surfaces, so let your cat try them all. Ensure that the vertical post is at least 32 inches tall so your whiskered pal has plenty of room to stretch. Catnip or silvervine rubbed on each post will help ensure your cat uses and enjoys the post—remember to praise your cat when they do. 

Cats need to hunt

A well-fed indoor cat who is fed a nutritionally sound, meat-based diet still craves the experience of hunting for their meals. You can give your cat “prey” in the form of puzzle feeders that stimulate their minds. 

You can also satisfy your cat’s hunting instinct by letting them chase motorized toys that mimic the motions of scurrying mice or wiggling fish, or with a large paper grocery bag. Place the open end in front of them, make tapping or scratching noises at the closed end, and they will go inside to pounce on the unseen prey. 

Cats need to climb

Cats may no longer be worshiped as gods and goddesses, but they still feel at home in high places. 

Unleash your cat’s inner mountaineer with a cat tree or two. Trees come in many shapes and sizes, from about 3 feet tall to ceiling height, and in multiple designs that will not only fit with your home decor but also fulfill many feline fantasies. Look for trees with extra amenities, such as perches, nests, trays, tunnels, stairs, scratching posts, and hanging balls or toy birds. You can even find trees with a pagoda on top, where your cat can rest after their long climb.

Your cat will also enjoy a catwalk (i.e., a series of shelves on your walls at various heights that they can climb and take in the view). 

Cats need to hide

Indoor cats no longer have to worry about predators, but they like solitude and will still seek a hiding place for an undisturbed nap. Favorite feline hideouts include cardboard boxes, paper bags, tunnels, clothes hampers, and under beds or other furniture. Ensure they have several safe choices.

Cats need to play

Playtime is a joyful necessity for cats as well as their people. For exercise, fun, and bonding, you and your cat should play together at least twice a day. Cats love toys that they can hunt, such as poles that dangle birds or fish, long fabric ribbons, or small balls they can chase. Rotate toys periodically to keep your cat interested.

Cats enjoy playing, but they also like to be entertained. Let them safely connect with the outside world by placing a perch near a window where they can watch squirrels, birds, and other neighborhood wildlife and pets. A bird bath outside the window will provide extra entertainment. Many cats are entertained by television, especially animal shows, and videos made for feline viewers.

For more suggestions on providing your indoor cat with some of the joys of the great outdoors,  indoors, contact our Oriole Road Animal Hospital team.