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Many indoor cats are sedentary, overfed, stressed, bored, and neutered. They often exhibit undesirable behaviours such as aggression, clawing, climbing, escaping, territorial marking, inappropriate elimination (urine and stool), love biting, wailing in the night, and waking up early in the morning, as an expression of their restricted lifestyles. It is up to us, as caregivers, to keep our cats active, lean, mentally stimulated, and emotionally balanced. If we succeed in giving our cats a healthy indoor lifestyle, we will be rewarded with a positive relationship for many, many years.

 

 

Adaptable Cats, Adaptable Humans – A Fine Balance

by Jeff Grognet, DVM, BSc (Agr) and Louise Janes, BSc(Agr), DVM

You want to give your cats the best care possible. To protect them, you keep them indoors so they won’t be hurt by cars, get into fights, wander off, nor pick up infectious diseases. There is no doubt they are safer indoors, but by containing our feline friends, are we just replacing outdoor hazards with emotional and physical health problems?

Indoor cats may live longer, but they are not always the picture of health. Most are under-exercised, over-fed, and many exhibit unwanted behaviours brought on by emotional stress. To understand how we can help our indoor cats, we have to appreciate their natural behaviours.

Cats are territorial, solitary, nocturnal, and predatory, and they’ve been that way for over 10,000 years. When cats are active at night, when they urinate on objects to stake territory, and when they exhibit predatory behaviour towards other cats and people, their human caregivers get angry. These normal feline traits are intolerable to people who want their cats to adapt to their personal lifestyles.

When problematic behaviours arise, feline owners want them resolved instantly. For this reason, many cats are put on anti-anxiety drugs (Kitty Prozac). These medications may help reduce objectionable behaviour, but they are not a long-term solution. Indoor cats must be allowed to exhibit normal behaviours in ways that are healthy for them and unoffensive to their humans.

 

Besides affecting their mental and emotional state, indoor life can also have a deleterious effect on physical health. A cat that is sedentary gains weight, especially if he is eating a high carbohydrate diet. Obesity leads to joint problems, which reduces the cat’s ability to exercise, which in turn, promotes further weight gain. Overweight cats are also at high risk for developing diabetes.

Your indoor cat needs environmental enrichment to promote his natural behaviours. You need to ignore toys and furnishings that are fun to buy (yet do little for your cat) and look for ways to stimulate him and keep him active.

Daily play sessions are extremely important to your cat’s well being. It is easy to train a young cat to play, but cats of any age can be stimulated by capitalizing on their natural tendency to hunt. In the wild, cats go after mice, birds, and insects. Make or buy toys that resemble these kinds of prey. To simulate rodent hunting, simply tie a cord to a “mouse” and drag it over the carpet. A cat that prefers to launch in the air after birds can be entertained for hours by waving a feather at the end of a string tied to a stick.

You can further stimulate your cat’s hunting behaviour by hiding food around the house. Of course, don’t give him too many extra calories! Scratching and climbing should always be encouraged. If you don’t want your furniture destroyed, train your cat to use a scratching post. He might want to scratch on a vertical pole covered in sisal rope, or he might prefer to stretch out on a cardboard scratching pad laid on the floor. A tall scratch tree is also an excellent place for your cat to perch. Encourage your cat to go up his tree by putting treats on the top.

Through play, your cat will be able to express his natural behaviours which will help him maintain both mental and emotional balance. Exercise also has a positive effect on the well being of his body – it helps him maintain good muscle mass and helps keep the fat off.

If you want to expand your cat’s physical environment without exposing him to the threats of street roaming, you can build him a freestanding outdoor cat enclosure. A shelter on your balcony or deck gives your cat an opportunity to be outside, in safety.

Nutrition plays an enormous role in keeping cats lean and healthy. Numerous diets have been designed specifically for indoor cats. As well, there are higher protein/lower carbohydrate foods known to promote weight loss. Most canned foods have significantly fewer carbohydrates than dry kibble. Meal feeding also helps prevent obesity in your cat – never leave the food bowl full for your convenience. A full bowl does not equal love – attention is much healthier for your cat.

To help blend your life with your cat’s, you can try to adjust his sleep patterns to better match yours. Cats sleep about 90 percent of the day, and their awake times are divided into short periods. Unfortunately, their most active moments often occur during the night. To change your cat’s “clock”, play and stimulate him during the day. By keeping him awake and tiring him out, his nocturnal outbursts will subside.

If you have several cats in your house, the stress of overcrowding can make some individuals resort to pulling their hair out while others feel compelled to urinate on objects to mark territory. To help cats cope in a multicat environment, each individual should have his own private, defensible space. This can be a pet crate or even just a cardboard box with a small entry/exit hole cut in the side. You will need to observe your cats closely to determine the optimal placement of each private “condo”. Each cat should also have its own litterbox.

 

If you are going to keep your cat indoors, it is up to you to nurture him properly. Feed him so he does not get fat, make sure he gets enough physical activity (through toys, scratching posts, and enclosures), and spend enough time with him to keep him stimulated. A fully entertained, lean, well adapted cat will live longer.

For more information contact Dr. Jeff Grognet or Dr. Louise Janes at

Mid-Isle Veterinary Hospital
5-161 Fern Road West
Qualicum Beach, B.C
Tel (250) 752-8969

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