How to keep your indoor cat happy and healthy

Do you live in an apartment or along a busy road? Are you worried your cat will be exposed to too many dangers if let outside? The good news is that with a little effort from its owner, an indoor cat can be perfectly happy.

What makes for a good indoor cat?

It is difficult to predict which cats will be well-suited to a life within four walls. If you choose to buy a cat from a shelter, ask the employees if they have a cat they think is a good fit for indoor life.
Some breeds are also naturally calmer. Think of Persian cats, the British and American Shorthair, the Siamese and of course the Sphinx, the indoor cat par excellence.

The younger the cat, the easier it is to train the animal to become an indoor cat. Word to the wise: males can often adapt better as they are more solitary than females.

What do you need for your indoor cat?

To keep your indoor cat fit and healthy, it’s absolutely necessary your pet gets plenty of exercise. And while an outdoor cat has the option to chase a mouse, an indoor cat has far fewer things to stimulate it, and therefore less reason to move around...unless your house has a mouse, of course, in which case...no need for mouse traps!

So play with it and take care of its higher education by making sure it stays active. You don't have to look too far to find things to keep it entertained: with a wicker ball, a paper bag or a cardboard box, a cat can keep busy for hours.

To keep your indoor cat fit and healthy, it’s absolutely necessary your pet gets plenty of exercise

Furthermore, a scratching post is a wise investment to keep your indoor cat happy. Some larger models offer spectacular climbing opportunities. If you have several cats, a climbing pole also offers them the necessary places to play together and rest apart from each other. If possible, place the climbing pole next to a window so your cat can spy on the outside world.

Finally, make sure its litter box stays clean, because an indoor cat is also very clean. Read even more about litter boxes, how to choose them and maintain them.

Adapt your indoor cat’s diet

Even if you play with your cat often, it’s almost inevitable that it will get less exercise than a cat with a habitat of several thousand square feet. The consequence? In addition to taking more cat naps, your cat is more likely to be overweight. Feed your mini house tiger an adapted diet with easily digestible ingredients and added fiber to avoid obesity and prevent hairballs.

Speaking of hairballs, an outdoor cat regularly eats grass to help any built-up swallowed hair pass more easily through its intestinal tract. You will make your indoor cat happy if you keep a bowl of cat grass on the windowsill.

Share this article

Selected for you