Keeping your cat happy indoors

While many cats enjoy being outside where they can hunt, prey and explore their surroundings, it’s a myth that going outside is a requirement for feline happiness. Playing regularly with a cat easily satisfies her stalking instinct, keeps her stimulated, and provides the exercise she needs to stay healthy and happy. In fact, the indoor cat who gets lots of attention and playtime is likely happier than the indoor-outdoor cat who is generally ignored by her human companions. Here are some tips for safely confining your cat and making the great indoors an interesting, feline-friendly environment that meets all of your cat’s needs.

• Start young. Kittens who are kept indoors usually show no desire to venture outside when they grow up.
• Provide a screened porch or other safe way for your cat to experience the outdoors. Consider building or purchasing a “cat fence” or similar enclosure. Such an enclosure can allow your cat to experience all the pleasures of the great outdoors without risks. However, a fence may not prevent animals from entering your yard, so you should always be present when you allow your cat outside. And be sure to catproof the yard by checking that the fence has no escape routes and by making toxic plants, garden chemicals, and other dangerous objects inaccessible.
• If you live in a peaceful neighbourhood in which you can walk without encountering loose dogs, consider buying a harness and training your cat to walk on a leash. This training takes time and patience, for both you and your cat, and it’s easiest when your cat is young. Some cats can even be trained to sit on your lap while you are on the deck or patio, or harnessed and tied to a stationary object to enjoy the outdoors while you are gardening nearby (but be sure to never leave your cat alone while she is tied to a stationary object).
• Install a perch near a sunny window; padded perches can be purchased from many pet supply stores or through catalogue retailers. Another option is an enclosure that sits in a window frame (much like an air conditioning unit) and provides a secure space in which your kitty can “hang out.” Larger options are available that attach to the side of a house or ground-floor apartment patio. It’s best to allow your cat access to these when someone is at home to supervise.
• Buy a ready-made cat tree (often called a “kitty condo”), or make your own. A cat tree may stretch from floor-to-ceiling or be shorter. It provides great climbing opportunities and, in multi-cat households, creates more play and rest areas by taking advantage of vertical space.
• Play with your cat each day. Try different types of toys that recreate “fishing,” “chasing,” and “flying” prey. And leave “toys” such as paper bags and cardboard boxes out when you are not at home.
• Give your cat a feline friend—they can provide one another with companionship and entertainment.
• Plant cat grass (available from pet supply stores) in indoor pots so that your feline can graze.
• Clean the litter box regularly.

Even cats who are protected from roaming free should still be outfitted with a collar and visible identification. The occasional open window (make sure your windows have secure screens) or door offers a tempting opportunity for your cat to explore the outdoors. And your cat may become frightened and make her way outside, if strangers come to work on your house or if there is a fire or similar disaster. The collar and visible ID could help someone get your pet back to you. For extra insurance, consider your cat microchipped. If you do lose your cat, contact your local animal shelter immediately to file a report. Shelter workers can give you tips on getting your pet back home safely.

(Reprinted with permission from The Humane Society of the United States, www.hsus.org)