Is Your Cat Bored?

Kitties are unofficial experts at lounging around and looking cute. Your feline friend can spend as much as 18 hours a day napping! However, even with all that sleep, your furball needs stimulation to keep her happy and amused when she is awake. In this article, a Fort Collins vet discusses boredom in cats.

If Fluffy is bored, she might drape herself over the back of the sofa, staring winsomely at nothing. Bored kitties sometimes try to amuse themselves by knocking small items off coffee or end tables. Sometimes our feline friends will bolt and run to another room for no reason, perhaps to see if there is anything interesting going on in there. Your furball may also follow you around, climb up onto your lap, or try to explore a closet or cupboard to amuse herself. Some cats get a bit destructive when they are bored, so Fluffy might pounce on you. Kitties are also prone to snacking when they are bored, so if your cat seems to be eating a lot, she could be bored.

Just like people, pets need stimulation to be truly happy. Playtime is great for kitties, as it engages their instinctual behaviors, and allows them to indulge their inner hunters. Mental stimulation is also good for kitties as they age. Senior kitties often experience cognitive decline, much like people do, and stimulation helps prevent that. Also, kitties that are entertained are less liable to indulge in destructive behavior, or misbehave by play-fighting.

As they say, prevention is much better than a cure. Keep Fluffy entertained by providing lots of kitty toys. Boxes, paper bags, and kitty tunnels all offer fun spots to explore. A cat tower is also a great option, as it provides a sleeping spot, scratching options, exercise, and, if placed in front of a window, live entertainment. Actually, just watching birds, squirrels, and other wildlife can keep your furball interested for hours. Make sure Fluffy has at access to at least one window with a good view. To make this even more fun for your furball, put a bird feeder outside the window. Some kitties even enjoy watching nature DVDs, particularly those about birds.

Do you have questions about your cat’s health, care, or behavior? Contact us, your Fort Collins veterinary clinic, any time!