Watching the world from the safety of indoors.
Domestic cats that are kept inside are normally healthier than outdoor cats. While inside, there is little risk of catching diseases from other cats and no risk of being caught in a fight or run over by a car. This means that indoor cats should live nearly twice as long as outdoor cats. You therefore need to keep him happy about staying and playing inside and not playing with the cars outside.
Spend as much time as you can playing with your cat. Not only will it make him feel loved, it will be fun for you both and a great bonding experience. It will give you both some exercise and help work off any extra energy he may have. Try to make it a regular occurrence and aim for the same time each day to give your cat a routine.
Cats like to eat green things. Because your lawn and garden are probably treated with pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers, you need to make sure your cat doesn’t eat any of them as they will be poisonous and if they don’t kill him, they could certainly make him very sick. As more and more pet owners are becoming converts to keeping their cats indoors and therefore healthier, they have found it beneficial to bring some of the outdoors in and have some cat grass growing in pots around the house. Growing cat grass indoors is a great way to give your pet something green to eat and should also save your more expensive indoor plants. An excellent mixture can include wheat grass, rye, oats, and barley seeds, all of which are quick growing. Check your local pet store to see if they carry pots or packets of cat grass.
Why not leave a window (with a secure screen) open. This will allow your indoor cat to have fresh air and a constantly changing view. If you place a bird bath nearby, your cat will stay entertained and happy for hours as he watches the birds come and go.
If your cat is leash trained, you can leave him outside on the patio with enough leash length to enable him to walk around on the grass, dig in some dirt or move into the shade. The leash will keep him from roaming too far and minimizes the risk of him getting lost or hurt. Being outside in the fresh air will also be beneficial and will help build up his immunity to various germs.
Your cat is like a member of your family. These suggestions will help ensure your indoor cat stays happy, healthy and lives a long and loving life. Those lucky enough to own a cat will agree that a happy cat makes for a happy home.
For those of you who wish to learn more about cats and how to keep them happy and content, I recommend *Cat Secrets Revealed and *Complete Cat Training as excellent resources. Another excellent book written recently is *How to Make Your Cat Adore You. Remember, the more love you show your cat, the more love it will give in return.
Tags: cat grass, cat toys, cats, domestic cat, entertaining your cat, indoor cats, outdoor cats
Great tips! I love cats and have always firmly believed cats should be kept indoors. There are just too many dangers outside, from getting ran over, attacked by other animals, to dragging a disease ridden rodent out of the dump and getting sick.
Hi Veronica
My cats are allowed outside, they have plenty of room. The only things I hate is when they find a rat and bring it inside, or bring in a live mouse then ‘accidentally’ let it go!
Kathy
[...] cat as the requirements are different for each. If you have decided to keep your cat inside, read Keeping Your Indoor Domestic Cat Happy for more information and [...]
my cats live outside for the most part they are cats other people did not want anymore. i feed them and do the best i can most of them i can’t even touch. what i need to know is how to keep them from using my driveway for a litterbox
Hi Sherry,
This depends on what type of surface your driveway has. If it’s concrete or asphalt you will need to have something that has a smell that would discourage the cats. I would try the cheapest options first. Try spraying some vinegar on the driveway as cats don’t like that smell. You can also try some strong smelling garden fertilizers, especially those that have blood as a component. In Australia we can use a product called ‘Blood and Bone’. This is excellent as it stinks! You could also try sprinkling mustard or cayenne powder on the driveway and that would only cost you a couple of tins of powder. They hate the smell of citrus so spraying some citrus oil/water around could help but this is a more expensive option. There are also commercial repellents available from pet stores but that is getting expensive. If they are strays and you don’t want to scare them off then stay away from spraying them with water. Cats hate walking on uneven or rough surfaces so you could try putting some gravel or bluemetal on it. Even chicken wire would do the trick and once they have be retrained, you can take it away.
I hope this helps and I’m so glad you are looking after cats that others have abandoned. Given enough time, they could become quite tame.
Kathy