Newbie Cat Owner Needs Advice About Bored Cats

[Noelle_W]

I have been a dog lover & owner my entire life. Then one day, I heard about a wayward kitten in my local park, set up a trap to catch him, and wound up not only catching the wayward kitten, but his feral older brother, too. The feral bit me pretty hard when I brought him into my home, but my vet worked with him for about two months, and now he is a sweet guy, but never lets me pick him up and very rarely wants me to pet him. The kitten, on the other hand, is Mr. Personality. Anyway, I thought I could find homes for them, but I tried and tried and no one was interested in two black cats--one of which had a bite history, lol.

So, now they are my cats. I love them, but having them around made me remember why I am not a cat person. I honestly am out of ideas on how to enrich their lives. The younger one (he is now 2 years old) seems really bored. He sometimes plays the his older, formal feral brother, and I see them snuggling together often. But, just as I hate seeing wild animals in captivity at the zoo, I am feeling the same way about my strictly indoor cats. I don't want to allow them to go outside because I think it is unsafe and because I'm afraid they will kill wildlife. I do take the more social guy outside on a tether a few hours on weekends, weather permitting. I buy toys, but they never play with them. I do have a Da Bird wand that they like, but I really do not have a lot of time to play with them, b/c I work full time. For me, it is so much easier to own dogs, because I love to take my dog on long hikes. Then, she is tuckered out and I can leave and meet friend and not feel guilty. But I feel so guilty b/c my cats seem so bored. I've tried laser tag, cat nip, and I even added shelves to a room so they could climb more. Not sure if this is all in my head, or if there is something else I can do for them. As I said, these are my first cats, and I have no idea how to enrich their lives. Any advice is welcome!

 

[abyeb]

Do you have catnip mice and ping pong balls? You can leave these around the house for your kitties to play with. If you feed kibble, you can set up food puzzles with toys like these, to give your kitties something to keep their mind and body active while you're away:

PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Cat Feeder

KONG Kitty KONG Cat Toy

You can even hide kibble around the house (including on the perches) for the cats to "hunt"!

Also, cats love cardboard boxes and paper bags, so if you leave some of these around, that can create endless fun! Just be sure to take the handles off of the paper bags first.

This book has tons of more fun ideas:

 

[5starcathotel]

Great ideas from abyeb, but I'm going to ask...why do you think the younger kitty is bored? Is he doing something?

I ask because bored cats tend to let you know with unwanted, even destructive, behaviors. They will pull things out of cabinets, knock things off of tables/counters, keep you up at night, etc. And your cats seem to have a pretty rich life from what you describe - they've got a bonded sibling to play with, toys to hide/find later, access to windows (you didn't mention this specifically, but since you've installed shelves, I'm guessing this is the case).

 

[Artistwolf]

Maybe you could train at least the kitten to walk on a harness and leash? Then you could safely take them outside like you can with the dogs.

Edit: never mind, just realized that you mentioned that in your original response.

 

[Noelle_W]

Okay, thank you for your responses. The reason I think they are bored is because the younger one walks around the house and he just has a look on his face like he is bored! A friend told me to put pipe cleaners out, and I did...they played with them for a day, then no more. I have gone broke buying bird seed, and now have so many squirrels in my backyard that I had a fox come the other day and pick out his dinner! I hated seeing it, but I know the fox has to eat, too. It is like the Serengeti plain in my backyard, lol. Here is the view from my bedroom window...but they also have windows in the garage that the can look out. Some are on the ground, some are high up.

 

[susanm9006]

Your cats don't sound bored to me, frankly, they sound like average cats. The outdoor viewing is itself major entertainment, but you want to switch to whole corn, it's much cheaper. One game your cats may enjoy is hunt and find. Just take some healthy treats, like freeze dried chicken and hide pieces around the house near their hangouts so they need to sniff them out. And switch out their toys every couple of weeks, putting some away and taking others out. Favorite toys at my house are cat springs, sparkle balls, golf balls, little mice and crinkle balls.

 

[Elfilou]

It doesn't really sound like your cats are bored! They're obviously glued to their "cat-tv" (the description you gave was hilarious lol, Serengeti ), they're playing with eachother, you play with them at least once a day? Do you have them on a bit of a routine? As for the toys, well, cats do get bored of toys pretty quick in my expierence so you have to rotate them. Pick em up, hide them and put em back down in a few weeks. That way they become "new toys" again. Same with catnip. Pick it up and put it in an airtight container, otherwise they develop a resistance. The best toys are of course the ones on fishing rods, which stimulate their need to hunt, catch, kill.

As long as they aren't sleeping 20 out of 24 hours, aren't excessively grooming, have a good appetite, aren't over-eating, are playing, aren't overly vocal and if they aren't destroying the place and breaking things, it's safe to assume (in my eyes) that they probably aren't bored.

 

[Noelle_W]

Well, they have destroyed my couch. One of the cats is front declawed, and the younger one is not. But I witnessed both ruining my couch--and, to be honest, my dog joined in the fun, too. Now, I'm afraid to buy a new couch But I honestly do not have time to play with them everyday. I work full time, get home, walk the dog, cook dinner, clean a little, and then it is time for bed. I do brush them for about 20 minutes every other night. I also cook for them...but they do not seem to enjoy it! I've made them salmon fillets, cod fillets, etc...I also have about 10 different brands of wet food, and they split a can each night for dinner. But they don't seem to enjoy that either! Sometimes, they barely touch the wet food. They do like the dry food I give them in the morning. I think it comes down to me wishing I could exercise them--I am a big believer in exercise and getting out to smell things. I hate the idea of inside cats.

 

[susanm9006]

The average life of an outdoor cat is substantially less than an indoor cat. They are killed by predators, hit by cars, accidentally locked in garages, picked up by animal control, injured or infected by other cats or just mysteriously disappear. They also bring home fleas that can infest your house if the cats aren't regularly treated. Indoor cats especially when they have a companion are not bored nor do they damage furniture out of boredom. If one of your cats is scratching your furniture try different types of scratching posts until you find one with the kind of material they like to scratch.

 

[Noelle_W]

Okay, thank you. I guess I just have to stop thinking they're bored b/c it sounds like I'm doing everything I can. I only take the younger one outside, and only on a tether when I am out with him. I do not take the former feral outside--it is too risky b/c I'm afraid I'd lose him.

 

[Elfilou]

I'm also believe in excersize and do take mine out every day, but you don't have to. Twice a week for 30 minutes though? If you stick to it it's achievable. If you do not want to go through the ordeal of leash training, get a fishing-rod toy and give them excersize that way. Play with them, let them catch the toy, and feed them afterwards. That's all that their brains want, to hunt. If you're doing the best you can, you're doing enough. I've struggled with this too and since I don't have a yard yet I leash-trained. You have to find a routine with them that you're comfortable with. The indoors are what is safest for them, but giving them some fresh air a few times a week can be very enriching.

Oh and RIP your couch lol. Do they have a scratching post though?

 

[sargon]

Window ledge perches can often provide a lot of enrichment for cats, doubly so if you can put a bid feeder outside for them to watch the show, although you seem to have something like that already.

Another option, though it does involve some time from you is that many cats can learn to play fetch. it is very similar to a dog playing ( though you'll want to use something like a stuffed mouse, kitty boink, or, my cat's favorite, a chirping bird toy for your cat instead of a tennis ball)

 

[ileen]

I was in your situation back in December, always a dog person, never had a cat. I only have one, and also work full time outside the home. It's not always easy, but I play with da bird and/or mouse on wire toys with him for at least 15 min in the morning and when I get home (either evening or night). On the weekends if I'm home, he gets more attention that just has to last him for the week. He does play with toys sometimes on his own, but not that often. Do you have a roomba? If so, he might start stalking that if you turn it on for him.

 

[amazingdrummer]

Same here but worse. I know my cat's bored but don't know what to do. I live in a condo (floor 13) in a busy city so I could not let the cat out in balcony. She is kept strictly inside. She doesn't like food so hunting game is not an option, she sleeps wholeday, she didn't touch any toys I bought. She didn't react to cat nip so I can't use it to seduce her to use tít. The poor thing just feels so bored and Im worried. She's the sweetest and easiest cat ever, never ruin furniture, let me bathe and dry her, never bite or hurt me, and just never refuse when I hug or pet her. But that's why I feel guilty for letting her being bored. :-((

 

[Elfilou]

Same here but worse. I know my cat's bored but don't know what to do. I live in a condo (floor 13) in a busy city so I could not let the cat out in balcony. She is kept strictly inside. She doesn't like food so hunting game is not an option, she sleeps wholeday, she didn't touch any toys I bought. She didn't react to cat nip so I can't use it to seduce her to use tít. The poor thing just feels so bored and Im worried. She's the sweetest and easiest cat ever, never ruin furniture, let me bathe and dry her, never bite or hurt me, and just never refuse when I hug or pet her. But that's why I feel guilty for letting her being bored. :-((

Hey there, you are very sweet for caring about your animal's mental state and wanting for her to be happy. And there is no shame in asking for help to make life a little more entertaining for her. Don't feel sad! But just do not give up trying to make her a little more active. Here is things (just suggestions, you have to see what she likes) you can try:

• Window perch for looking out the window
• Type "cat TV" into YouTube and see if she enjoys watching birds
• Play "hunt" every day with a wand toy so she can fill her natural instincts
• Hide treats around the house so she can use her nose to find
• A scheduled food routine, just changing away from free-feeding can make a cat more active. It makes cats more food motivated if they don't have access to food 24/7
• Wet food instead of dry can make cats more active
• A friend if possible
• Leash access to the balcony if u have one
• High quality cat nip or valerian root (only once a week so they don't develop resistance)
• A routine so she feels secure knowing what happens every day

I could probably think of a few more but I have to run. I hope this gives you some ideas