Exercise is essential to keep your pet healthy. It not only prevents some diseases, like obesity – which may lead to diabetes, arthritis, or breathing problems – but also helps to control behavioral problems, like scratching or aggressiveness. Besides that, regular exercise keeps your cat happier and promotes a stronger bond between owner and pet.
Different exercise needs
Healthy cats that spend a lot of time outdoors will get plenty of exercise by hunting, playing and exploring. Everything from stalking natural prey to pouncing on fallen leaves will help keep them active and provide them with the exercise needed for a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, indoor cats often suffer from lack of exercise and consequently are overweight.
Planning your fitness routine
If you want to successfully increase your cat’s daily activity, you just have to be realistic and plan a doable playtime routine.
It is important to adapt the kind of exercise to your lifestyle, your schedule and your pet’s age and body condition. Kittens, for example, have more energy as compared to older cats and exercise will need to be adjusted accordingly.
The best way to keep your cat active is to encourage playtime and to provide a naturally stimulating environment where they can express their natural behavior.
Toys, Toys, Toys
Cats love to express their hunting instincts. For that, you can play with feathers hung on a stick, which mimics the movement of small prey, or you can play with a ball, as it promotes running, chancing and pouncing.
Try to create a cat-friendly environment with a scratching post and different places to hide and climb. This will help your pet engage in some active behaviors, instead of spending all afternoon on sleeping mode.
To increase your cat’s curiosity and avoid boredom, keep in mind to give them toys with different shapes and textures and to rotate them. The more interested they are in their toys, the more likely they are to stay active by playing with them.
Safety First
Since exercise has a huge role in your pet’s well-being, you should make sure the kind of activity you choose suits their particular profile. If you need help with this, you can ask our Pet Specialist via Findster Care or, alternatively, your veterinarian.
In addition, if one of the goals is for the cat to lose weight, it is mandatory to coordinate the exercise with a balanced diet. Once again, should you require help with this, ask our Pet Specialist or your veterinarian to determine the best option.
To be successful you just have to create a suitable and diversified environment and set aside small amounts of time every day to interact with your cat. Nothing is more fun for them than to play with someone else!
