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5 Ways to Engage a Bored Cat

Published by Annie Anderson
Last updated: December 14, 2023

It is easy to tell if a cat is happy and just the same, bored cats are easy to spot. You can instantly realize that your cat is bored if you come home and find out that your house has been almost destroyed. If your kitty or cat is bored, it may become aggressive or depressed. Surprisingly, even if your house is filled with toys they may seem uninteresting to your furry friend, therefore this guide will offer suggestions on how to entertain a bored cat with the right environmental tweaks.

How to Recognize a Bored Cat

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Is my cat bored? There are telltale signs that a cat can’t have fun while you are away and gets bored. Here are the most common ones:

  • The cat destroys the house. A toyless home can quickly turn into a messy home because your cat will turn to the furniture, curtains, carpets and other accessories to play with. Such type of destructive behavior can be eliminated by keeping the cat busy. The right interactive and rewarding toys can keep your cat occupied for hours and consume their energy. If you want to choose appropriate toys for your cat for a quality solo playtime while you are away, check the linked article for a list of the best chew toys for cats based on dozens of user and expert reviews.
  • Food no longer disappears. Some cats stop eating when they get bored. A chronically bored cat will eat less and less until their diet becomes an unhealthy one. You can change the cat’s diet and include some canned treats to make them interested in food again. However, a cat that overeats can be also bored. Such cats seem obsessed with their food, which disappears once you pour it into the bowl. After they are done eating, this type of bored cats will just lie next to their bowl, looking underfed.
  • Too much sleeping or inactivity You may wonder this while trying not to disturb a catnap. Kitties tend to sleep more when they are bored. So, expect longer and more frequent naps from a bored cat.

In severe cases of boredom, your cat will urinate all over the house, begin to lose fur because of excessive grooming, and may potentially begin destroying your couch, bed, shower curtain…

Boredom In Cats: How To Entertain Your Kitty

1. Give Your Cat Space. Vertical Space

In their natural biological construct, cats love to climb and enjoy looking down at dogs and other critters. A cat that climbs and jumps from one place to another is exercising and having fun.

There are vertical spaces you can use for your cats, such as window sills, sets of empty shelves, or cat trees/towers which are perfect for your house or apartment.

As long as you keep her safe, your cat has a fresh opportunity to burn some energy. There are cat condos that mentally stimulate cats by making them feel safer and more relaxed. These types of condos and trees come with scratch-resistant surfaces that can handle your cat’s claws.

2. Show Your Cat The World

Cats love to watch life taking its course. This translates into birds flying, dogs running, children playing, and so forth.

For example, by equipping your outdoor window space with a bird feeder, flocks of birds will gather and entertain your cat. Your furry friend will stand still and watch their hypothetical prey.

Note: You only need to make sure that the windowpane is closed and the window curtain doesn’t have a wire. If the window is easy to open, adjust it for cat usage.

Windows with an interesting view are TV for cats. They can watch through the window for hours – unless the prey gets too close, which then means only one thing: the hunt begins…

3. Bring Nature Home

There are plants you should not have in your home as they might be dangerous for your beloved kitty. Tulips, azaleas, lilies, and Sago Palm are just a few of the toxic plants for pets, according to the Animal Poison Control Center.

There are cat-friendly plants that cats just love, like catnip, grass shots, and valerian. Still, keep your favorite decorative houseplants out of your cat’s reach by hanging them as high as possible or pave the soil with stones.

4. Make Her Play for Food

You can make a bored cat’s eating a fun activity. Feeding times can turn into stimulating entertainment if you use puzzle feeders. Your cat will play, solve a simple feline-targeted puzzle, and get food. You can also hide food around the house so that the cat can find it during the day.

The DIY version of puzzle feeders is the empty plastic bottle that you cut holes through, add food and a cardboard tube.

5. Two Cats is Better Than One

If you have a cat, you may have room for a second one. A bored cat desperately needs a play partner. You will soon see that two cats even groom each other. Consider your budget and think about adopting a second cat. Besides saving a little soul from a shelter, you can also introduce your current cat to new concepts such as socialization and sharing. Introduce the new pet to her slowly and then let the two entertain each other.

You Can Engage a Bored Cat

Some people falsely believe that having a bored cat is the sole result of having a full-time job and leaving your favorite pet alone at home. But cats usually get bored due to the lack of activity and possibilities around the house. If you optimize the environment, instead of blaming yourself, you will have a happy and fit pet.

Summary:

Symptoms of a Bored Cat:

  • Repetitive behaviors
  • Over-eating
  • Lack of activity or excessive sleeping
  • Attacking other pets or destroying the house.

Solutions to Entertain a Bored Cat:

  1. Improve the home environment by adding cat condos, cat towers, cat caves, etc. to mimic a cat’s primitive environment.
  2. Make your cat play for food to incite your cat’s natural competitiveness.
  3. Give your cat an additional companion to play with.

Related: Is Your Cat Meowking A Lot? 7 Surprising Reasons Why

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Cat Boredom:

Is My Cat Bored?

Symptoms of a bored cat include repetitive behaviors, mood swings, over-eating, lack of activity or excessive sleeping, attacking other pets, and much more. Read here to learn how to identify odd behaviors in your cat.

How To Fix Cat Boredom?

Improve your home environment by adding cat condos, cat towers, cat caves, etc. to mimic a cat’s primitive environment.

If you have any questions or would like to share your reviews on the bored cats, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.

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