Keep Your Cat Fit and Healthy Indoors

If your cat doesn’t venture outdoors, then he’s in good company – there are over 33.2m house cats in the US alone. While most house cats can live a happy and healthy life indoors, it’s easy for them to miss out on day-to-day exercise and become bored or sedentary which can trigger overeating and weight gain. The key to maintaining a healthy weight is to keep an eye on their calorie intake vs their energy output – in short, make sure they’re moving more than they eat and you’ll be a pro pet parent when it comes to healthy weight management. 

So how can you get your house cat moving more?

EXERCISE THROUGH PLAY

We all know exercise burns fat and builds lean muscle mass – and it’s the same for our cats. It not only helps manage their weight but it’s great for their overall wellbeing. And don’t forget to exercise the mind muscle – cats are intelligent creatures who need their body and their mind stimulated frequently.

Initiating play sessions will get them moving and up their energy output whilst bonding with your furry loved one. 

Indoor cats are typically more sedentary and may need a little more encouragement, so here’s some play ideas to get them moving:

Indulge their natural hunting skills – throw a ping pong ball for them to chase or a fishing line to claw at.

Keep them interested – try a variety of toys on rotation to stop cats getting bored.

Play a little, but often – cats prefer short bursts of activity rather than prolonged periods of play. 

Mimic the outdoors – get them a play post for climbing and scratching (and save your furniture!)

Be economical – cats love a roll of toilet paper and boxes to play with, so playtime doesn’t have to cost much.