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I think any pet lover will agree with me when I say that I try and make Christmas time special for my furry friend as well. Pets are part of the family, as we know and they certainly should be part of the festive celebrations too. Whether that’s a cute jumper for your dog, festive tinsel around your fish tank or Christmas tree shaped treats for your cat. It’s all about the little things!
Photo by José Alejandro Cuffia on Unsplash
But today we’re talking about indoor cats, one of the most popular pet choices in the UK. Whether you’re a dog or a cat person, all indoor animals need love and care to ensure they’re safe and healthy. Just because they’re inside, doesn’t mean they’re living a better quality of life.
In fact, indoor cats need particular stimulation because some indoor environments can be boring and predictable. Which unfortunately can lead to an abundance of health problems in your indoor cat, such as stress and obesity as well as obesity related issues such as irritability and inactivity.
So today we’re looking at how to care for indoor cats plus some great equipment to buy them this Christmas to ensure that they’re healthy and happy!
Give them time and space
Indoor cats will need a lot of your time and attention. If you’re keeping your cat inside, leading an extremely busy lifestyle where you’re rarely at home just will not work for their needs. You need to ensure they’re loved and occupied and not constricted to one room. You’ll need to give them access to a lot of the house.
Invest in stimulating equipment
I think anyone who’s ever seen a cat will be aware that they rarely like to stay on the same level. Wall-mounted cat climbing frames can be an amazing option to keep your cat occupied and happy as well as giving them something different to do than climbing on the sofa. They’re incredibly sturdy and fit safely to your wall, which is also handy for those who don’t have a huge amount of space!
As well as climbing equipment, cats need somewhere to scratch. And it doesn’t matter how much you love your cat, you don’t want it to be clawing at your furniture every day. Wall-mounted cat scratchers could again, be a great option. The modern designs will work well in most apartments and not take up any extra space. As well as giving your furry friend a dedicated space to scratch!
Create a cat-safe environment
All Catipilla wall-mounted equipment is sturdy and safe to use. But you need to ensure the rest of your house is safe for your indoor cat too. This means making sure it can’t jump onto anything that might fall down, ensuring all toxic products are out of reach of your cat and removing anything unsafe that you cat might reach for when you’re not supervising, such as string or shoelaces.
Allow them dedicated, quiet areas
Cats prefer quiet areas to use the toilet, so creating a quiet and dedicated space for them for that reason is really important. Making sure it’s tray is in a quiet area where it’s unlikely to be disturbed or frightened by unexpected noises. And don’t forget to clean it’s tray every day!
Consider what food you’re giving it
Indoor cats might be prone to weight gain a little more easier than outdoor cats who spend a large majority of their time roaming. So this is something you might want to consider when choosing it’s food. Food designed for indoor cats often contains less calories to compensate for this.
Ensure it’s receiving adequate exercise
Just because your cat is napping doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t want to play or get active! Your indoor cat need to have enough exercise throughout the day and sometimes it’s going to be up to you to give it to them. Have regular play sessions throughout the day, in shorter bursts rather than a longer session. Also provide toys and fun things for it to play with on it’s own when it feels like it.
Well I am going to get an indoor cat in a few days so this is really good for me so thanks for writing it ✍🏼😃😁
Laff it. I own 25 cats… 😀
I really want a cat, but living in central London I’d really want it to be an indoor cat! but having grown up with farm cats who roam about all the time and just come in when they want something, I feel so guilty! but thanks for making it sound easy(ier)! x
I like these tips! My mother-in-law has 8 outdoor cats as she lives in a village. And whenever we visit her we take so much care of the cats because they are just so freaking adorable hehe
Awh bless! 8 cats! That’s a lot!
Ah this is so lovely! I miss having a cat although we’ve always had ones that go outside so they can explore etc – I think it’s really important to have outside time! xx
I honestly believe that cats should ONLY be indoors. Too many dangers outdoors. I am so glad to see more cat owners providing enrichment and proper diet to their cats and finding ways to give them outside time safely as well. This is a great article Jenny, thanks for sharing ways in which cat owners can give more back to their purry friend.
Good point, there really are so many dangers for cats.
This is great!! Thanks for sharing. I recently got a cat so this is super helpful. There are are many things I am learning about cats, I loving it!
Awh cute! What’s it’s name?
Her name is lucie 😍😍
Aww this is lovely!! Perfect for new cat owners xx
http://www.dellalovesnutella.co.uk/
Indeed 🙂 Thank you!
These are great tips! My parents cat definitely prefers to be indoors but as long as he’s got space to go and do what ever he pleases he’s happy haha xx
Awh bless him!
Such wonderful tips on looking after an indoor cat, I have an indoor cat called Salem. He has his own space and he has an indoor cat food.
Salem! Such a great name!
These are all super important. Especially toys, exercise, and grooming. I have a 5 y/o chunky cat who needs specific attention to those areas. It’s also important to note that cat need attention too. Whether it’s cuddles or playtime they love quality time with you.
Great post!
Karen | Pet Blogger
wildrosehealer.com
For sure! Although they seem to have a reputation, they still need attention!
Great points! I wish we had a cat!! x
I wish we could have a cat! Unfortunately we just don’t have the space here, so I feel like it wouldn’t be fair. One day I’ll adopt a cat though, I can’t wait. x
I think that’s sensible!
My current cat is more of an indoors cats, she used to love the outdoors now she prefers the indoors, she goes under my Mum’s bed when she wants to sleep and then comes down to join us in the evening! A great post Jenny x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Awh what a cutie!
These are some good points! I keep thinking about getting a pet when I’m more financially stable and I would love to get a cat. But due to being in a maisonette it would have to be kept indoors. These are some helpful bits of advice that I’ll definitely consider in the future 🙂
Coralle x
https://justcoralle.com
A maisonette would be ideal for an indoor cat!
I’m sharing this post with my sister now, she’s just got a new cat and he’ll be indoors!
Rosie
https://www.loverosiee.co.uk
Aww really? That’s lovely!
I have both indoor and outdoor cats, they decide what they want to do and they have more toys than the average toddler!
Oh my goodness!
I bought Flippity Fish for our cats! I know they’ll love it! I just adore our cats x
Beautylymin
I’ve seen those!
As a furmom myself, these are very good points to consider before adopting or getting a cat. thank you for sharing these! 🙂
Thank you for commenting 🙂
Our Tj loves a good scratching post and is obsessed with every paper bag you bring in the house as well as a good box! I bought a fancy storage box for my room that ended up being his favourite napping spot! Thank you for sharing xx
Awh how cute!
My meeko is an indoor cat and he absolutely loves his Catipilla scratch post it’s such good quality
Ah that’s great to hear!
All good ideas. I have a mostly indoor cat but he is also trained on our invisible fence outside. We didn’t know that was possible, but the trainer actually did it. So between his scratching post, his toys, his outdoor roaming, and a puppy for a best friend, our indoor cat is living his best life for sure.
Wow that sounds like a GREAT life for your cat!
I’ve never had cats before but I do like the thought of a house full of animals so this may come in useful for the future! Thanks for sharing Jenny xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
Awh same. I’d love to have a puppy and kitten at the same time!
My grandma has cats and I love seeing them every time I visit her! This was a fab post thank you for sharing!
Amber | The Unpredicted Page
So lucky!
These are some really helpful tips. I’ve never had an indoor cat before but I can imagine keeping them occupied is hard work.
Definitely! You need the time with them!
What an amazing post, with so many helpful points. It’s so important that we don’t allow our pets to become bored, as like you say it can lead to so many issues. The cat frames and scratchers sound like they’d be great xx
Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/
I know right. Nothing sadder than thinking of a bored pet.
My kitty loves to play with little toy mice that I get her. She’s only indoor, but she can go crazy running around when she’s got one of her toys 😂. It usually happens when I’m trying to sleep.
Ahh bless!
The cat climbing trees are fab, we have one for our cats and they love it. It’s near the windows so they can watch the world go by on it. We have four indoor cats and we try to provide as much play time and stimulation as we can. We can tell when they start getting bored so we play with them. They’ve been fab company whilst we’ve been working from home. Thanks for sharing!
Ah that sounds great. Some cat climbing trees are amazing!
I think especially things that prevent boredom are so often forgotten when caring for any pet. They need to be stimulated as well! These tips are great though and I think it’ll help a lot of cat owners!
I totally agree!
Sadly our old cat is now an outdoor cat. He can’t control his toileting habits these days and with children around its not really safe for that to be a daily issue.
That said he is the most pampered outdoor cat in the world, even the next door neighbour has started leaving freshly cooked meat out for him! And he has a lovely sheltered area when the weather is bad (Gosh I feel like a terrible Cat Step-Mumma!)
This is great advice though, we would definitely go for the house cat approach if we got another x
Awh that’s sad but I totally understand, especially with children around. He’s clearly well looked after though, so that’s all that matters!
We lived in a flat in Bath for nearly 15 years and during that time had indoor cats. We had them from kittens so they didn’t know any different but wow, keeping them occupied was a full on job when they were kittens! I wish the cat frames and scratchers had been around back then, it would have made life a lot easier and saved our sofas 🙂 These tips are spot on, Jenny, thank you for sharing xx
Oh I bet! Thank you 🙂 x