Help: How to keep indoor cats entertained

carli_h

Thanks for your comments- I was expecting someone to say that I shouldn't have got them, but it was recommended by a rescue centre to get kittens and keep them in. I wanted to re-home an indoor cat but apparently there's no such thing as they assume that the cats gifted to them are all outdoor cats. We even suggested re-homing a cat with FIV but was told they are put down.

I will definitely try the tips mentioned as I spent an hour running around this afternoon like a crazy person with a piece of string and only one fell asleep the other one just wanted to play some more!

dmg24- I too am woken in the night to the sound of one of the cats eating my hair.

At least you have given me the confidence that they will grown out of it.

libra10

Although our cat is allowed out, when indoors he loves playing with a ball of knitting wool. He tangles it all over the place and loves chasing it.

[Deleted User]

You cat is behaving perfectly normally.

My cat is also an indoor one - although in nice weather she can go out into a secure back garden. But this time of year she doesn't want to.

She also has toys -which she sometimes plays with - but she prefers other things. She also wakes us up when SHE wants to play! She is quite a bit older than your cats - but still races about the house for a mad 10 mins or so - then settles down.

Most people make the mistake of thinking you can get a cat and it will take care of itself and that will be that. (Unlike a dog).

I'm not saying you think like this as it's obvious from your post you care a great deal about yours - but cats MUST have a certain amount of interaction from their owners too - or they can become bored and destructive. And contrary to popular belief they don't always spend all their time asleep! As you are already doing all the right things - it's down to the cats really to slow down a bit in their own time - and they will.

I think your cat is just more active than the other one - possibly more intelligent and therefore becomes bored more easily. As the cats are so young it will be a while before they slow down yet so it looks like you'll either have to shut your bedroom door to avoid them waking you - or put up with being owned by 2 cats!

mishkanorman

we have four house cats, for the same reason you do, and we have built what we call a cat run. Its basically a lean-to that is on the back of our house accessed via the kitchen. It has a polycarbonate roof and wooden struts with chicken wire so they cant escape. It sounds a bit un-sightly but it is very nice. It covers our patio and this is the second house we have built it on for them. The supplies all came from wickes and it was constructed in about a day, costing £180. It can be more cheaply but we preferred the more expensive gate etc


Our cats sit out there all day in summer and its lovely sat in it during a big storm ! It also means i can let the kids out to play and not worry that they have wondered off


mishka

tigs78

How about the ultimate lazy cat owner toy... a laser pen, you can buy cat 'toy' ones from places like pets at home or you could get a proper laser pointer (more intense beam) from somewhere like staples. They will go mad chasing the little red dot around and wear themselves out and this can all be achieved from the comfort of your settee!

Also if you have stairs in your home then gently pushing a ping pong ball down the stairs, my cat is an OAP now and although was indoor/outdoor in her younger days is completely indoors now, she loved her ping pong balls

If you have a garden you may want to consider 'cat proofing' it, this involves putting up unobtrusive mesh fencing against an existing fence. If you are interested I know of a very reputable company that sells the kits and would happily PM you their info (nothing to do with me whatsoever).

poppielia

Hi. I am in the same position as you and have 2 male cats age 7 months that have been indoor only cats since we got them from cats protection. I have found that the game they like best of all is when i put a newspaper on the floor (pages all seperated) for them to pounce on and skid about on. They play like this for anything up to an hour at a time and it really tires them out.
If you dont want black newspaper pprint all over your carpet/laminate ect then a magaizine works well too although my 2 boys do prefer the newspaper.
And as it has been mentioned before, a cardboard box is always a great toy for them. Also my 2 have got loads of toys we have collected for them but the absoluye fave has to be their toy mouses. Get the really little fleece feel ones (for some reason they are not as keen on the larger ones) and if your two are anything like mine they will spend ages commando rolling round the floor throwing them up in the air and then catching them. (it is hysterical to watch) Good luck and hope the ideas are helpful in some way.

Mrs_Supersaver_1

Hi, my rescue cat Socks is a 7 month old female and very nervous. She spends most of her time indoors sitting on front window sill watching traffic and people. She does go into a secure garden where we have conifer and holly trees she climbs!

When I want to go on the computer and she wants to play I tie my dressing gown belt to bedroom door handle and she goes bonkers.

During the summer I put a mouse on a piece of elastic and a wind chime on my washing line outside and she had so much fun.She also has ping pong and cat bell balls, but is as happy with a page of newspaper screwed up.:j

In the kitchen I tied a thin cord to my vegetable rack that she loves to chew on. When I am desparate to have some space I give her a potatoe to play with. The fridge magnets on the freezer she loves to knock onto floor and chase them around.

Socks used to sleep on computer chair at night, totally refused a new basket, but kept meowing at 4-5am to go out/play, so now its top of the stairs and the bedroom door is closed until 6am each morning. Our cat was 10 weeks old when I got her and we were her third home during that time, I wouldn't be without her.:rotfl:

Glad

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Kimberley

Cats love cat trees, try one

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/scratching_posts/large/36488

Kimberley

My kittens are driving me barmy at the moment and i can't wait until they start going out after they have been neutured. Cat trees help because the kittens play on them all day