It seems like an easy life for domestic cats: the possibility to hang out all day, because meals are provided according to the schedule and whenever they want. But what if your cat really is bored? Behavioral problems such as staying awake, jumping off their shelves, pushing objects, and attacking your legs when you walk around the room can all be signs that your kitty needs more work. Here are some tips for revising your cat’s routine and feeding them throughout the day.
1. Space meals throughout the day. Instead of always leaving a big bowl of food, it is better to give the cats several small meals. This is closer to how they feed themselves if they catch a lot of mice to eat. If you are out all day, you can use an automatic feeder to provide lunch, for example. Make one of their meals a dinner before bed to make it less likely that you will wake up because they are hungry at night.
2. Feed in different places. This means they can forage for their food instead of always going to the same place. Also use height by placing some food on a shelf or table so that your cat can use vertical space when searching for food. You can also make a treat hiding spot in different places such as a cat tree, chair or table for them to look for treats. Or you can use small bowls or cupcake holders to hide small pieces of wet food for them to find.
3. Change the taste and texture of the food to give them variety in what they eat (if they are a cat that only likes one particular food).
4. If you have more than one cat, make sure their food bowls (or puzzle toys) are separated from each other. They feel comfortable eating if they don’t have to share a space.
5. Use food puzzle toys to make them work for their food. When you first start using them, make the puzzle toys very simple and include lots of treats to keep your cat interested. Over time, you can make the food puzzles more difficult. Also, think about the type of activity your cat likes to do, and try to get puzzle food toys that involve that behavior, such as pushing a ball or dipping its paw into a container for fishing. You can easily make your own food puzzle toys with a cardboard tube.
6. Make time to play with your cat. Grab a stick toy and move it as a bait. Let them chase, chase and jump as they please. Make a payment attention which toy moves your cat is most interested in, as this will help you improve your play skills over time. Most people need some practice!
7. Offer toys that are scented with catnip, silver, valerian, or tartar honey. You may need to experiment to find out which one your cat prefers, as not all cats respond to catnip, but that doesn’t mean they won’t respond to one of these other substances.
8. Have toys that make sounds and lights and imitate different prey items. Add variety to the toys you offer and pay attention to what your cat likes best. Do they prefer something with feathers, a toy mouse, or a long, thin toy that coils like a snake? You can also put toys away by marinating them in catnip (or similar) or just putting them away for a few weeks. If you keep toys in a box, you can open it occasionally to give your cat a selection of toys – or maybe they can even learn to open the box themselves, especially if you put the lid up a little to make it easier.
9. Do some training with positive reinforcement. You can teach cats to do things like high five, roll over or sit if you want. Provide small food rewards for your cat at each stage of training to keep them interested. Keep sessions short. If you’re not sure where to start, train them to love their cat carrier, as this will make vet visits a lot easier. (There is a plan to teach this in my book Purr: The Science of Keeping Your Cat Happy.)
10. Make your beds better. While it’s important for cats to have plenty to do, they also love to sleep. Make sure they have plenty of comfortable beds, including some where they can sit up high and some where they can hide from view if they want to. The top of a cat tree, a bed on your desk near your workplace, or a little hidden spot behind a wardrobe can all make great places for cats to crawl.
Things are easier to remember when you make them part of the routine, so try to find more ways to enrich your cat at regular times of the day. Providing enrichment for your cat is an important way to help prevent (and sometimes solve) behavior problems. If you ever notice a sudden change in your cat’s behavior, see your vet if there is a medical reason.
