You love your cat. He is the center of your world. You would do anything for him. It’s a good idea to keep cats occupied when you’re away. Keeping cats busy 
will prevent them from creating their own entertainment.
How can you help keep cats occupied for eight to 10 hours? Napping that long is not an option, especially for younger cats. According to petmd.com, here are a few ideas to alleviate boredom and put some fun time into you cat’s day while you are away:
- Create a fun zone! When your cat is ready to fire up his engine, have a special place set up just for him that is designed for the purpose of play and fun. If you don’t have a spare room, reserve a corner of a room or a window. Set up a cat tree or scratching post that is made for climbing and claw exercises. Perches that allow for overlooking the yard will give him a dazzling “reality” show of what is going on outside. If you place a bird feeder just outside the window, your cat will be mesmerized for hours…if not a bit frustrated, too! For cats that like catnip, keep a few catnip-infused toys around for him to stalk and bat around.
- Get your cat a buddy! If your cat is the only pet in the house, consider adopting a brother or sister for him…the feline kind, of course. It can be challenging initially, especially if your cat is older and used to being alone, but once they warm up to each other, playtime can be productive and fun. They might even invent new games to play together! (Better set up a hidden camera to capture the fun you will miss out on!)
- Snack time! Puzzle time! A food puzzle toy is a great way to keep your cat occupied. There are some ball shaped toys on the market that are designed to be stuffed with small pieces of food (treats), which are released once your cat figures out how to undo the catch or turn it just the right way to make the treat fall out!
- Create an ambiance of soothing sounds. Music has a way of taming us all, and once you discover what types of sounds to which your cat responds, you can set up your stereo/iPod to play quietly while you are away. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with classical music or meditation tunes.
While most cats truly do not mind being alone, if you keep cats occupied when you’re away, they have fun during the day and your guilt is alleviated, or, at the very least, somewhat lessened!
This post originally appeared on our sister site, myjoyofliving.com
Written by Karen
