4 Signs Your Cat is Bored and How to Easily Fix it!
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In the wild, cats spend their mornings and evenings hunting for small prey to feast on. They then devote their days and nights to avoid becoming some larger animal’s prey themselves.
What about the cats who dine on canned food, curl up in comfy cat beds, and snack on an endless supply of treats from their doting humans?
Actually, yes! An unstimulating environment paired with a lot of time alone can result in a bored cat.
The 4 Signs Your Cat Is Bored
1. Over-Grooming
Picking out hair due to boredom is called psychogenic alopecia. At the best of times, cats are prone to be picky when grooming. They spend 25% of their waking hours tidying up. But when obsessive cleaning creates bald patches or skin sores, it’s time to take action.
Related Read: 10 Best Cat Grooming Tools – Reviews & Top Picks
2. Excessive Sleeping
If sleep were a sport, cats would be Olympic champions. The average house cat sleeps 17-18 hours a day, consistent with cat behavior in the wild. Keep an eye out for oversleep, though. A healthy cat who regularly sleeps longer than 18 hours a day or who appears sluggish when awake could be bored.
3. Overeating
Like a bored human, an under-stimulated cat will turn to food to drive away monotony. Boredom-induced hunger may be part of what’s causing America’s feline obesity epidemic in which more than 50% of cats are now overweight or obese.
- Related Read: Reasons Why Cats Bite and How to Stop Them
4. Inordinate Meowing
Some cats just love to chat. Others may be saying they are hungry, sick, or confused. Still, meowing that goes on and on could be a sign your cat is bored. While you don’t want to reward your cat for meowing too often, you do want to make sure she’s properly engaged and stimulated
Is your cat bored, Lazy, or just napping?
Cats love to nap. It comes from their genetic makeup, their diet, and their living conditions. Cats’ biology adapted to their role as both predator and prey. Their bodies need a lot of sleep, but when they’re awake, they tend to be fully alert and on the move.
Some people see cats as lazy because they often don’t chase and retrieve objects as many dogs do. It’s not a fair comparison, though, since cats and dogs have different domestication histories.
A lazy cat could just be an elderly, overweight, or bored cat. Plus, some breeds such as Ragdolls and Persians tend to have less energy than others like the Abyssinian, Bengal, and Siamese.
Ways to Keep Your Indoor Cat Entertained
Sitting inside a locked house all day is certainly safer than dodging predators in the desert, but it’s also much less exciting. The life of an indoor cat could spawn a case of ennui in the most energetic of us.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Show your cat some love with toys, gadgets, games, puzzles, and cat-friendly apps on the tablet.
The best toys will give your cat hours and hours of exercise and entertainment. Our Hepper Catnip Stick Toys are packed with 100% organic catnip and shaped like prey to give your cat both mental and physical stimulation. Plus, they're as nice to look at as they are sturdy and fun!
Cats get bored when left alone indoors all day with nothing to do. Rest assured, though, there are plenty of solutions for bored cats!
Keep your cat is safe and happy at home with these five activities for cats who are home alone.
Activities to Help Eliminate Boredom for Your Cat
Here are a few thoughtful activities you could set out for your feline:
1. Bird Watching/ A Bird Feeder
An unobstructed view of a birdfeeder can provide hours of entertainment for cats. It’s their version of “Netflix and Chill”! Set up a cat tree or a hanging cat bed in the window, and your friend is set for a long afternoon. Popcorn not included.
2. A Cat Stimulation Video
Meghan Koley created a YouTube channel that’s just for cats. It features streaming videos of birds, fish, squirrels, and other animals. Dial-in the channel on your TV, and give your cat a chance to watch an enticing nature video.
3. A Scratching Post
To protect your furniture, you’ll want one of these. Scratching posts are made from a variety of materials like cardboard or wood and sisal or carpet. Scratching relieves stress, strengthens the back, and keeps claws healthy.
4. A Puzzle Toy
Engage your cat’s mind and body with a strategy game. Food puzzle toys mimic some of the challenges a cat faces in the wild – namely, finding food. These gadgets have even proven to be helpful as part of a vet-approved weight loss program for overweight cats.
5. A Cat Garden
Cats love to sniff and nibble on vegetation. You can plant a low-sided pot with catnip, mint, rosemary, wheatgrass, or another non-toxic plant. Check the ASPCA list to make sure you choose cat-safe plants for your DIY garden.
Toys
Cats get bored with toys that don’t stimulate their brains, challenge their bodies, or give them a handy place to curl up and hide. These are a few our favorite toy selections:
- Purrfect Feline Titan’s Tower | Which entertains your cat with balls on leveled tracks.
- Yeowww! Catnip Toy, Yellow Banana | For the actnip lover
- SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy | If your kitty is more intrigued with electronics
Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Consider using simple household items to fashion your own cat toys. Don’t forget that most cats, like most toddlers, prefer the boxes to the toys inside. So you may want to hang on to the boxes.
- Also see: Reasons Why Cats are Better Than Dogs
How Can I Entertain a Cat in a Small Apartment?
Do cats get bored more quickly in small spaces than they do in large ones?
They can. If you’re sharing a tiny apartment with your feline roommate, make sure to give her:
- plenty of high places to climb
- a window to see out of
- a scratching post
- and a great bed to snooze in
You can enjoy the companionship of a healthy, happy cat in no time!
Lately, Hepper (the namesake of this company) likes to jump on top of her toy box and meow until one of us comes to brush her. She then will flop over and fight with the brush! I don’t know what she’s playing at, but as long as it’s fun for her!
Do you take time in the day to play with your cat? What activities do they like?
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Featured image credit: Pxhere
