Environment for your Cat – Taking good care of a cat is about more than making sure they have food, shelter and medical care. We can expect to spend a minimum of £64 per month on our moggies and that includes things like toys and environmental upgrades to keep them alert and engaged – because our feline friends are happiest and healthiest when they’re mentally stimulated.
Create a More Enriching Environment for your Cat
Understanding your cat’s natural behaviours
It’s important to understand what kind of behaviour to expect from cats so that you can recognise if they’re not getting what they need. While they’ll spend plenty of their days sleeping, most cats will be naturally inclined to hunt, climb and explore their surroundings – and catering to these instincts is especially important for indoor cats. Of course, every cat is unique, so you can lean into their personality and favourite things to do when picking out toys and activities.
Create a stimulating home
Setting up your space so that your cat has a variety of ways to express themselves goes a long way. Cat trees can encourage their natural climbing behaviour – the taller, the better so that they have room to fully stretch out. Make sure that they have constant access to a couple of good hiding places so they know they have somewhere to go if they get scared; this will give them confidence in their living area. You could also look into building an enclosed patio (or ‘catio’) for your pet so that they can go outside safely.
Interactive play and physical exercise
Regular play is important for keeping your cat physically healthy and mentally engaged, so have options on hand for them to play by themselves or for you to play with them. Toys that mimic prey are good choices, enabling your kitty to practice hunting behaviour in a safe environment. Go for physical toys over laser pointers so they can enjoy the success of catching their prey! Just remember not to overwork them – short sessions three or four times per day for an adult cat will do just fine, so watch out for signs that they are getting tired (like shortness of breath) so that you know when to stop.
Sensory and cognitive stimulation
You can try a few different options to mix things up and engage your cat’s senses. When you buy new toys, look into ones that have different scents and textures from previous choices – changes and new things can keep their mind sharp. Puzzle-based feeders can also help to stimulate your cat’s intellect, introducing some thinking and rewards to mealtimes.
Visual stimulation is also valuable – a good window view during the day goes a long way but you can back it up with occasional videos of things that will catch their interest like prey animals or other cats.
Debz Louise is a plus-size blogger based in Yorkshire. Behind many nationwide campaigns such as #WeaAreTheThey & winner of Best Blogger at the UK Plus Size Awards, she talkas about life as a plus-size 40-something woman in South Yorkshire.
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