Leaving Your Cat Home? 7 Best Ways to Keep Them Busy

If it were possible, we would be taking our beloved cats wherever we go. Unfortunately, in every cat owner’s life, there will be a lot of moments when they have to leave their cats at home alone. Be it going to the office, going for shopping, or visiting faraway places, there will be a lot of situations where we wouldn’t be able to take the cats with us.

However, just because your cats are alone at the house, it doesn’t mean they have to be bored. Here are seven highly useful tips to keep your cats busy while you are away.

• Use Catnip & Plush Toys

One of the best ways to keep your cats busy is by offering them a catnip toy or a plush toy. Catnip is essentially a herb that causes a euphoric and hallucinogenic feeling in cats. They are highly useful to keep the cats calm and relaxed, proving ideal for a situation, when you are not present in the house.

Another option is to offer them a plush toy, which often looks like a cat’s prey. They are one of the best toys for indoor cats since they can chew and carry them around the house. Plush toys keep your cats busy when you are away from the house for a while.

• Cardboard Boxes

Cats just love to play with cardboard boxes. Whether it is jumping in and out of the box, or playing hide and seek, cats find them exciting to play with. Moreover, cardboard is a cheap and easy-to-obtain accessory that can be provided to your cats quickly. Besides, it is safe for all cats and acts as an excellent insulator to offer warmth, especially in winter.

• Provide them With Scratching Posts

Another great accessory to keep your cats busy and happy is a scratching post. A scratching post fulfils your cat’s urge to scratch and also helps them to relieve their stress and anxiety. It also saves your precious furniture, since cats have this natural tendency to scratch and bite things. A scratching post also inculcates a sense of independence in cats, since it gives them their own space to play and explore.

• Create a Spot to Enjoy the View Outside

If you are a cat owner, you might have seen how your cat sits near a door or a window and spends a lot of time gazing outside. This is because cats are curious animals who want to be aware of their territory. It also engages their predatory behaviour, where they look for prey like birds, squirrels, insects etc. This is why you should give them a spot where they can enjoy the view outside. It not only keeps them steady in one place but also reduces destructive behaviour.

The best place to keep your cats would be near the windows where they can stare outside for a long time.

• Get a New Kitty Friend

Nothing can get a cat involved and busy more than interacting with another cat. Having a fellow cat tremendously helps in reducing loneliness and boredom in cats when you are away. Besides, when there are two cats, they engage in activities like pouncing, chasing, playing with toys etc, which also burns off excessive energy in them. Getting a new kitty friend for your beloved cat is also a great way to cure separation anxiety in the feline.

• Cat Proof Your House

It is highly recommended to cat-proof your house, especially the balcony before you leave the house. This is because cats when bored, will try to reach almost anywhere they can. You don’t want them to get into danger in trying to explore things in the house. Before you leave, make sure to cover up all your wires and electric cords. Also, move away any toxic plants that your cats can consume out of curiosity.

You should also keep away all kinds of medications and small objects like needles, thread and rubber bands from their reach.

• Switch On Cat TV

TV is also a great medium to entertain your cats when you are out of the house. This is because films, cartoons, documentaries etc consist of captivating colours, sounds and movements that entice the cats. Besides, there are also a lot of YouTube channels that are exclusively designed to entertain the cats. Their videos feature birds, fish, mice etc that keep the cats focused for a long time.

In Short,

You have seen 7 highly useful ways to keep the cats busy and engaged when you are away from the house. Not only do these tips reduce destructive behaviour in cats, but they also boost their physical and mental health. Having said that, spend a fair amount of time with your cats so that they feel connected and also give them nutritious cat food so that they attain excellent health.