10 Tips for a Happy Indoor Cat

原创 Stephane 猫妈咪CATATOMYOURCATSNANNY 2024年07月18日 湖南

Living with a cat and sharing your environment with them is a great source of happiness but making them happy requires knowing their basic needs and how to facilitate the expression of their natural behaviors indoors, especially for apartment cats.

 

Here are 10 tips that will make you the perfect feline guardian and help you understand cat behavior so you can purr in unison!

 

Tip 1: Feeding Behavior in Accordance with the Cat's Nature

 

The cat is a strict carnivore. It is a "nibbler" that consumes many small meals throughout the day (more than 10 meals on average), which means it needs to have food available at all times, self-service throughout the day. However, self-service does not mean "at will" and the quantities will be recommended by your veterinarian who knows your cat's nutritional needs. The most common mistake is rationing the cat's food, feeding it only once in the morning and once in the evening is not appropriate in terms of the cat's diet. In addition, rationing prevents the cat from self-regulating and can increase the obsession with the food resource: the rarer a resource is, the more value it has and this risk pushing your cat to consume its ration faster and therefore gain weight or even vomit its kibble as soon as it is ingested.

 

In the wild, the cat is a hunter and 60% of its activity time is spent satisfying its feeding behavior. This hunting activity therefore takes time and consumes a lot of energy (physical and cognitive), which implies that to eat, the cat must make an effort (as in the wild) which will thus prevent weight gain which would induce, over time, a number of pathologies.

 

Puzzle feeders for kibble

 

In order to reconcile self-service feeding with physical and cognitive investment, it is therefore important to distribute its food in puzzle feeders rather than in a traditional bowl. These puzzle feeders allow the cat to delay the ingestion of its ration and therefore to bring it satiety faster (anti-glutton, anti-vomiting). In addition, these devices require physical (locomotion, paw movements) and cognitive effort (thinking about how to get its ration) which consumes energy just like a hunting activity.

 

There are various models of puzzle feeders, and it is important to offer several to your cat, as they have different preferences for the existing systems. They are increasingly available in pet stores or online.

For cats with a specific diet (medical diet or when there are several cats of different ages in the same household), there are also feeders with microchip recognition that can complement the systems mentioned above.

 

Licking mats for wet food

 

Just like the anti-glutton systems that exist for kibble, licking mats can be offered so that the cat does not gobble up its ration of wet food out of greed. These are non-slip mats in the shape of a rug, most often made of food-grade silicone, i.e. non-toxic, and guaranteed BPA-free (Bisphenol A), on which there is a relief: the aim is to spread the wet food on this mat, the cat can therefore no longer gobble it up, but must lick its ration with its tongue. This has the effect of delaying its ingestion and bringing satiety, but also of avoiding regurgitation due to too rapid ingestion.

 

Tip 2: Making Sure Your Cat Hydrates and Drinks Well

 

The cat is an animal that drinks little and only drinks what it needs, therefore the balance of its "water balance" is fragile and it can easily be subject to dehydration. Even if the cat has a high-performance urinary system, it remains fragile from a urinary and renal point of view, which is why it is necessary to make sure that it hydrates regularly.

To meet its daily water needs, it is important to offer it a portion of wet food in its daily ration (wet food generally contain about 80% water). You can also increase its water intake by providing it with a water fountain. This allows it to better see and locate the water, whereas in a bowl, the water is static, and its freshness deteriorates over the hours. Of course, this should not prevent you from offering it water in small bowls distributed around the environment, the contents of which you should be sure to renew several times a day especially during summertime. The bowls or cups should also be cleaned every day.

 

Tip 3 : A Litter Environment Adapted to the Cat's Needs

 

The rules that make up a good litter environment are numerous and specific to each cat, however if you want to avoid eliminations outside the litter box, often wrongly called "dirtiness", you must observe certain rules:

 

What litter box for my cat? The right number of litter boxes

 

The right number of boxes is "1 more than the number of cats" (1 cat = 2 boxes, 2 cats = 3 boxes, etc.), some cats not liking to do it where there is already feces, others when they live with several, not liking to do it where the other cat has done it. We will also make sure to put at least one box per level if your home has several floors.

 

The type of box and the location of the litter box

 

The cat is a prey and even if there is no predator at home this information is transmitted genetically in the species, therefore the cat instinctively feels more vulnerable when it is on the ground and doing its needs. For this reason, it is best to choose your litter box carefully and generally to put uncovered boxes in places where the cat can see and flee. Indeed, many litter box elimination problems are due to covered boxes, this being accentuated by doors that create real aversions to entering or leaving the box.

 

What type of litter to choose?

 

Each cat has its preferences, so the choice of litter substrate is crucial and there are various materials such as vegetable litter or mineral litter. What is important is the "technology" of the substrate. You will also make sure to fill your litter box to a third of its content because your cat does not like to scratch the bottom of the box.

 

Finally, it is very important not to use scented substrates and to choose an olfactively neutral substrate so as not to disturb the olfactory and chemical environment of its elimination site.

 

How and when to clean the litter box?

 

The litter box cleaning process is also an important point of vigilance. Stools and urine should be removed daily, twice a day.

 

For the same reasons of olfactory neutrality mentioned above, it is important to clean your box with neutral products (ph and odor). The bleach commonly used should therefore be banned (if the cat is attracted to bleach it is because it contains ammonia as does urine, but recent scientific studies on rodents show that it disrupts and damages olfactory neurons, so it may be the same for the cat). Clean your box with hot water and baking soda or unscented soap, rinse thoroughly and then dry your box.

 

Before cleaning your litter box, always keep some of the old substrate (unsoiled) to put back in once the box is dry, then top up with new substrate. The purpose of this operation is to keep a stable and clean olfactory and chemical environment specific to your cat.

 

In addition, it is advisable to change the litter box at least every year, as the plastic erodes with urine.

 

Tip 4 : The Importance of Play for Our Domestic Felines

 

Play is at the basis of the behavioral development of our feline friends. It is through play that they acquire the skills they will need to hunt and fend for themselves when food weaning is complete (at around 8 weeks, which is to be differentiated from behavioral weaning which occurs at 12 to 14 weeks). They therefore first learn to play with their mother and siblings, then they perfect this education and their fine motor skills with object play. Cats therefore love to play throughout their lives, even if the energy they invest in it can vary depending on their age. We will therefore think, both for their physical and psychological well-being, to provide them with daily activities and stimulation through play. In all circumstances, we will make sure to never play with our hands, the body should be reserved for gentle interactions (cuddling!) at the risk of your cat attacking your hands, forearms or ankles (behavior that people wrongly describe as aggressiveness).

 

Why play with your cat?

 

Playing with humans is essential for their pleasure and physical exertion, it is important to set aside time each day to play with your cat. The best games are fishing rod games, feather games, and chasing balls or thrown objects.

 

The playtime can vary according to the needs of each cat, some are satisfied with a single game while others require 3 or 4 sessions during the day. Each session lasts an average of 15 minutes.

 

Tip 5 : Creating an Environment that Allows Cats to Express Their Natural Behaviors

 

Why add height to my cat's environment?

 

Cats are animals that appreciate height. In the wild, it allows them to see their prey to hunt them, but also to see predators coming so they can anticipate flight rather than fight and risk injury that could condemn them.

 

Height therefore allows them predictability and controllability of their environment, thus reducing stressful situations and offering them the possibility of extracting themselves from situations that they find anxiety-provoking.

 

Your interior must therefore take this aspect into account by offering your cat heights such as cat trees (which will be more valuable if they are located opposite windows or viewpoints outside). You can also use the furniture in your house or apartment and position shelves where the cat can circulate in height and go to take refuge at the top of the furniture present in the environment (a bookcase for example). This is called "catification" or the art of interior design for a cat.

 

Why provide scratching posts for my cat?

 

Cat communication is multimodal, meaning that it uses multiple channels to communicate:auditory communication with vocalizations, visual communication with body postures and markings, tactile communication and by far the most important, olfactory and chemical communication. This olfactory, chemical and visual communication is expressed in particular through the scratching and rubbing behavior which thus conditions the development of its environment so that it can express this normal behavior, but which could become annoying if it is expressed on your furniture.

 

Indeed, when your cat scratches, it is primarily a visual communication (the lacerations made on the substrate) and a chemical (and olfactory) communication with the deposit of semiochemical molecules via sweat or sebaceous glands located on its pads, cheeks or chin in particular. The cat must therefore be able to scratch on suitable supports, so it is important that its environment contains vertical and horizontal scratching posts which should be placed in passage areas, rest areas or not far from its food resources. Scratching is also a way to maintain its claws and, for vertical scratching more specifically, a way to relax its muscles and spine (stretching). Adding scratching posts and a cat tree prevents unwanted behaviors like scratching the couch!

 

Each cat has its preferences, some like sisal, others like cardboard, etc. You should therefore test several materials to determine what your cat likes.

 

Why provide hiding places for my cat?

 

Hiding places are a good way for the cat to rest or take refuge if there are occasional stressful elements or events in its environment (noise, congeners, other species, children, etc.). As for humans, a cat that sleeps peacefully is a more serene and relaxed cat. Similarly, a cat that hides is a cat that recovers from stress or chooses to be quiet: it is therefore important to allow it to retreat to places that it considers safe and calm in order to be able to calm down.

 

Tip 6 : Cat Care and Hygiene

Even if cats use their claws and groom themselves carefully, it is important to take care of their body regularly.

 

For example, you can help them wear down their claws by blunting them (just cut the tip of the claw). They will finish wearing them down by scratching the supports made available to them. We will pay particular attention to doing this for older cats, because their claws can grow towards the inside of the pad and injure them. On the other hand, we will avoid doing it for a cat that goes outside in order to leave them their weapons to face possible dangers (congeners, predators, to be able to flee and climb easily).

 

In the same way, we will brush them regularly to help them with their grooming (less hair ingested when they lick themselves) and to get rid of dead hair or undercoat (during moulting periods, spring and summer) which can cause itching or dermatological problems if the skin cannot breathe properly.

 

For some breeds, we will take special care of the eyes and ears with a soft cotton pad soaked in water or a suitable solution, removing impurities that could bother them or cause medical problems.

 

Tip 7 : Making Sure You Have the Right Ways to Interact with Your Cat

 

The ways we interact with our little balls of fur are often overlooked, even though they are the basis of a good relationship. We never force a cat to be picked up or petted (especially if it doesn't like petting). Also, some cats are not particularly affectionate, and this usually comes from the quality of the interactions they had during their sensitive period (from the 2nd to the 8th week of their life). Generally speaking, we will favor a gentle and slow approach with our cat, and we will prefer to gently approach the hand by letting it do the rest of the way towards your hand. The closed hand, palm down, is preferable to an open hand that comes to forcefully caress the head of kitty, it is less frightening and less restrictive.

 

If some cats appreciate being touched on certain parts of the body (belly, paws, etc.) most on the contrary do not like it, we will therefore try to identify their preferences as soon as possible and we will suppress the solicitations of the zones that make it react negatively/defensively.

 

Each animal has what is called a flight distance and a critical distance. The flight distance is the one that the cat keeps if it does not want to be approached (it moves back that much when you approach), the critical distance is the distance beyond which the cat puts in place a defense strategy to make you back down (most of the time an aggressive behavior). It is therefore always more rewarding to let the cat reduce its distance on its own rather than forcing it to be close by breaking its safety distances. Reward it with a treat when it reduces these distances on its own and approaches you, it will quickly see an interest in it and will be more likely to approach you than to run away from you or even ask for a cuddle.

 

Tip 8 : Think About Securing Your Cat's Environment

 

Cats are adventurous and curious, which can lead them into dangerous situations that you need to manage before an unfortunate accident occurs. The home and the outdoors are full of potential traps for your little feline.

 

Securing the outdoors to prevent falls from balconies or windows

 

Even if you often hear that a cat "always lands on its feet," this phrase is completely false. No, cats do not have experience with heights, and there are many cats that are hospitalized or die after falling from a window or balcony. You must therefore secure your balconies and windows to avoid an accident. There are many solutions available, some of which you can do yourself, and others that professionals can do for you.

 

Preventing the risk of poisoning

 

Just like for children and dogs, you should keep household products and medications locked away so that they are never accessible to your cat. On this subject, you should NEVERgive your cat medication intended for humans. You should consult your veterinarian, who is the only competent reference point for your cat's health.

 

It is also important to note that many plants and foods are toxic to cats. You should therefore find out about the plants that grow in your home in order to eliminate them or make them inaccessible, and thus avoid possible ingestion that could poison your cat. Also, if you are given flowers, think about checking the internet for their possible toxicity.

 

Hiding and sheathing electrical cables

 

Cats, sometimes to keep themselves occupied when their environment is not very stimulating or sometimes simply out of curiosity, may nibble on and cut through the electrical cables of the appliances we have at home (hi-fi, internet cable, charger wires for example). It is very easy to overcome this problem and danger by buying sheaths online to put your cables in to protect them from your cat.

 

Tip 9 : Getting Your Cat Neutered or Spayed

 

Spaying (for females) or neutering (for males), which can be done as early as the average age of 4-6 months (depending on the cat), is mandatory in many countries but not yet in China. Here are the reasons why it is important to spay or neuter your cat:

 

First, for birth control: It helps to limit the number of unwanted litters and therefore the number of cats to be adopted or rescued a few weeks after the breeding season. Most cats born this way are left to fend for themselves, are poorly or not fed at all, are run over by a car, or are even preyed upon by predators, depending on your environment.

 

Second, because neutering reduces the risk of contracting infectious and sexually transmitted diseases (cat "AIDS") or cancers (mammary cancer in females, prostate cancer in males, for example).

 

Neutering also has some effects on certain behaviors that can be annoying for humans, even if they love cats:

 

Neutering a cat will first prevent sexual urine marking behavior. This urine marking, when it is sexual, is linked to the production of testosterone, and neutering will decrease the production of this hormone, which will have the effect of reducing urine spraying behavior (there is also a urinary marking, called reactive, which reveals a stress situation and for which neutering will have no effect, it will then be necessary to consult a feline behaviorist to understand and limit this inconvenience).

 

Neutering, by reducing the size of the cats' vital areas (by 60 to 80% according to studies), reduces the risk of running away (to find sexual partners) which has the direct consequence of reducing confrontations and therefore conflicts or fights directly responsible (by bites and scratches) for infections or virus transmissions (Felv-Fiv). It therefore contributes to a lower mortality rate.

 

Neutering or spaying will also reduce some of the vocalizations (meowing), especially those emitted during heat periods (which should not be confused with certain untimely meowing whose cause is quite different).

 

Be careful, it is common to observe a decrease in the general activity of the neutered cat, which can increase weight gain. This is why it will be essential to put in place puzzle feeders to allow it to reach satiety more quickly and make its eating behavior more stimulating and enrich the rest of its activities.

 

Tip 10: Respecting the Weaning Process of Domestic Cats

 

Unfortunately, many kittens are adopted before they are fully weaned, which can lead to a number of behavioral problems in adulthood (often wrongly called "behavioral disorders" when they are rather annoying behaviors).

 

First of all, it is important to distinguish between "food weaning" and "behavioral weaning". Food weaning begins on average at 4-5 weeks of age and is usually complete by 8 weeks. Behavioral weaning, on the other hand, is later and complete by the average age of 12-14 weeks.

 

It is during behavioral weaning that the kitten will learn the behavioral repertoire necessary for good communication with its congeners, but it is especially thanks to behavioral weaning that it will acquire (thanks to its mother and siblings) the self-controls or adjustments of controls (inhibition of biting, retraction of claws, proprioception and adjustment of motor skills) that will make it a more balanced cat. Moreover, studies show that a kitten weaned at the average age of 12-14 weeks exhibits fewer annoying behaviors as an adult and better emotional management in the face of its environment and the stimuli it encounters. It is therefore valuable to know the conditions of its early life in order to better understand your cat.

 

It is therefore recommended to leave the kitten with its mother and siblings for as long as possible, or if it does not have a mother, to be able to entrust it to another cat who has just had a litter so that she can take care of its education!

 

 

What to do if you lose your cat?

 

First recommendation: Get your cat microchipped/identified.This will greatly increase the chances of finding it if it is identified by a veterinarian if someone brings it to them.

 

Second recommendation: Do not clean its litter box and place it outside. Cats have olfactory and chemical skills that help them locate their scent and therefore the way home.

 

Third recommendation: If you go looking for it, prefer the late hours when the outside noises are fewer and allow it to hear your voice better. If it is disoriented and scared, it will be easier for it to come out of its shell in a time when the environment is calmer.

 

Fourth recommendation: People who go looking for their cat make a fundamental mistake: they walk away from their house calling their cat. The opposite is what you should do: you should walk away and start calling it back to its home, this way you will bring it closer to its house and not the other way around. Moreover, if a cat lives in an apartment building, it is very likely that it is hiding somewhere in the building. Finally, if it is outside the building, it is likely that it is still in the residence. Look near walls, hedges, trees, but also in underground car parks.

 

Last recommendation: Don't hesitate to report its loss with a photo onsocial networks and print posters with its photo to distribute and display around your home. Also notify the animal shelters and veterinarians in your area, this can greatly facilitate a happy outcome.