Physical activity is good for all creatures – humans, dogs and cats alike. There are many activities you can do to keep your fur-baby active. But before we talk about what to do with your adorable feline; let’s start with why should you do it?
It’s important to keep your cat active to maintain a healthy weight as well as avoiding boredom and the behavior issues that accompanies it. Being active helps combat symptoms brought on by the joint disease known as osteoarthritis (OA), which can also be found in people and dogs, as well as cats.
People and dogs can simply go outside when they want to be active. For those of us with felines, we need easy-to-implement indoor tactics to maintain physical and mental well-being. So what can you do to keep your furry friend active? Here are some ideas:
1. Use a laser pointer
A classic for cat owners, there is no doubt lasers will get your cat running through the house. Cats will be forever mystified on why they can’t seem to catch the beam of light. Be sure to avoid aiming the laser directly towards the cat’s (or any human’s) eyes, but rather down on the floor or always ahead of where you want the cat to be. Then you may want to switch to a toy they can catch eventually, so they don’t get overly frustrated that they cannot catch their prey.
2. Create innovative cat toys
This can be a piece of string strategically pulled on the floor or a shiny new toy dangling from above. Cats love to hunt, and many toys give them the feeling they are. Get creative and explore your inventive soul.
3. Think inside the box
Set boxes around the house. Cats love getting themselves into all different shapes and sizes of boxes. This mental and physical challenge is quite adorable to watch. For more fun, did you know that if you used tape to create the shape of a box on the floor, most cats will try and get inside it?
4. Bring the outdoors in
Set up a birdfeeder near a window so your cat can watch the wildlife outside. This will keep them mentally alert and curious about wildlife behavior as they enjoy the view from inside. Oh to catch one of those birds!
5. Try a scavenger hunt
On occasion, make your cat hunt for their food by strategically putting it in different parts of your home. You can hide it for them to find or make an obstacle course with a trail of treats. There are also special toys for purchase to hide the food in for a true hunting experience for your cat.
Also try the natural ingredients in Glyde Mobility ™ Chews to bring your cat’s inner kitten out to play. It contains the same proven levels of active ingredients as Glyde for Dogs: New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate. But Glyde for Cats is specifically formulated with your fur-baby in mind. It comes in a smaller heart-shape chew and it has additional flavoring ingredients to make it extra appealing for your feline friend. Together with healthy lifestyle changes, Glyde promotes joint health and cartilage development. Only one chew a day can help keep the signs of OA away.
Just as every person is different, every cat is too. Try different activities to see what your feline enjoys more. If your cat doesn’t pay attention to something with feathers, they might not care about bird-like toys. Then try mouse-shaped toys. No matter what you try, here’s to making sure they are as healthy, happy and mobile as they can be!
