by Lisa Belle

Created on: March 11, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Cats who live indoors will have a much longer, healthier, and safer life than cats who brave the streets. However, indoor cats often become bored, mopey, unhappy, and fat without anything to do. Here are some ways to stimulate your indoor cat's mind while keeping her safe.

#1: Get your Cat a Leash!
Surprisingly, about 25% of cats absolutely love going outside on leashes (my cat included). You can buy harnesses especially made for cats at your local pet store or Pets-Mart. In doing this, though, understand that a cat on a leash is a whole different story than a dog on a leash. While humans take dogs for walks, understand that cats will take you for walks-they decide where to go, what to do, and when to go home. Advantages to taking your cat outside include safely giving your cat a priceless outside experience, stimulating your cat's imagination, and giving your cat some much-needed exercise.

#2:Talk to your Cat
It may seem a little silly, but talking to your cat is stimulating and entertaining for your feline and can even be therapeutic for you. Studies show animals love hearing their owner's voices, and even though animals don't understand most words you say, they understand the tones and emotions behind them. Letting off steam about school, your boss, or your friends to your cat can be very good for you, too, because you will have expressed yourself fully and comfortably. Talking to your cat will make her feel more included and important to you, especially when you tell your feline how wonderful she is.

#3:Get your Cat a Huge Variety of Toys and Play with your Cat
Buy lots of different, strange, and interesting toys for your cat- ping-pong balls, stuffed catnip toys, treat-dispensing toys, and feather toys are a few ideas. Even if your cat is old and not very playful, she will most likely be curious enough to check her new toys out. My cat sort of adopted one of her toys- a plush trout- and carries it around wherever she goes, not playing with it but babying it.

#4: Gone a Lot? Introduce your Cat to TV
There are many movies especially made for bored cats- some are videos of aquarium fish, some are recordings of different animal noises- and all of them will stimulate and interest your cat while you're gone from the house. These movies are most useful for cat owners who work long hours away from home, and can be found at your local pet store.

These tips greatly improved my indoor cat's quality of life, and I hope these methods have given you some good ideas to making your indoor cat happy, too.

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