Indoor Cats

sambuka41

I know there has been a lot of discussion here lately about keeping cats indoors, I decided about 6 months ago to do just that. Im looking for advice about this new lifestyle for him

My little guy,Jack, is 4. He was a stray for at least 8 months before I took him in as a pet. He was always out doors. I feed him dry food (Go Cat) for indoor cats, and he gets 1-1.5 pouches a day but he's still putting on weight.

What games/toys/ activities do you guys have for your indoor cats??? He has a big cat tree that my dad built for him, but he has little interest in it. He likes hiding in boxes so we have a few scattered around that house. He plays with the mice for a few minutes, he likes running up the stairs after them but looses interest quickly. I'm kind of running out of ideas to keep him active and stimulated.

He's not the most friendly cat and he is starting to get a bit more aggressive the last week or two, he's fine, checked at vet recently, i'm putting it down to lack of stimulation.

Any advice or ideas for games very welcome

FloatingVoter

Mine plays with little balls - the kind you find in the kids section of pound / euro shops. They've a little thing inside that rattles. Tires the pest pet out in double quick time. Another trick is make the cat think he found the toy. They won't display interest in anything that is obviously meant for them.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

My 2 love those 'tickle sticks'. They're sticks that you shake with string attached and little fluffy catnip filled toys at the end of the string. You'll have him doing somersaults in no time You can also get little balls that you can fit a treat inside and the cat has to figure out how to get it out. Also, you can get catnip spray to attract him to the tree

Kali_Kalika

The cheapest and best toys that my indoor guy loves are:

A laser pointer - picked it up in the 2 euro shop - best investment ever! Hours of entertainment for us both! It really highlights their hunting skills he loves when it moves just under the edge of the couch and then zooms out into the hall and up the stairs - he's hilarious with it - I think the household watches him with that laser pointer longer than the telly most nights! It came with a little key chain attachment to it so no matter where he is in the house and what he's doing if he hears that jingle - even if you've accidently bumped it he's there like a flash!

His 2nd favourite toy is nearly free and he can just play with it himself - you know the little plastic ring that seals the caps of 2 litre milk bottles - take that off when you open a new bottle of milk and hours of entertainment - I tend to find them in crazy places - I was cleaning the kitchen and pulled out the fridge to clean around/under that and I unearthed about 20 of them! :eek: So they do get lost and stuck a bit! And every night before I go to bed I have to flip back the duvet and remove a few - he crawls up under the duvet with one in his mouth and has a "play cave" to hunt it in - I've also woken up in the morning to find one on my pillow next to my head! :rolleyes:

And his last favourite toy of all - crumpled up receipts! Bus tickets are especially coveted! Anytime I'm cleaning out my bag and getting rid of them all and he hears me crumple them up again he comes running at full blast to demand his time with them, he deems them far too nice for the green bin! My OH will play "football" with him with those receipts! He flicks it off the edge of the couch and the cat gets to be goalie :rolleyes: And then the match really kicks off as the OH will flick the paper ball with his finger and try and score "goals" past the cat into the dog bed :rolleyes: (*seriously, I'm not sure which one is worse! The OH for making the cat play paper ball football or the cat for humouring him!* )

Blissy

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread but was just wondering would people also have any advice on toning down the smell of their litter boxes. I've two indoor kittens and no matter what I do they still seems to be a fairly strong smell from the box. Its an enclosed box with a carbon filter. I clean it daily, use good quality cat litter, have a special kitty poo bin, specialised cleaner and even odourised powder for the litter, all to no avail . Getting desperate now

Themadhouse

Personally I woul look at changing his food and try to push for a higher quality. I feed mine twice a day. Suits mine but might not suit yours. All of mine get their weighty monitored and none of them get the recommended amount as they pile on weight! Even cut back to 1 pouch of food too. My coon at a healthy 10 kgs eats less than my British shorthair who is half his weight. The coon is lazy so doesn't burn the food, the bsh bounces off the Walls and just doesn't put on any weight! They are so different.
As someone said I find a laser the best toy ever or if you can get a da bird from eBay, they love it! Tin foil balls are also a hit here!

KittyMcM

that's funny, i thought i was the only one giving the cat the ring of plastic off the milk carton, the floor is covered in them! those little plastic covers like the ones you get on the top of a bottle of Riverrock water are great, something he can shuffle around with his feet and move them from corner to corner. tin foil is also good crumpled in a ball. my cat tends not to bother with shop bought mouse etc but he will follow that fake bird with feathers on the end of a stick for hours. it also is great because you can be quite lazy and multitask like watching tv at the same time. also, he loves those circular body scrubs for the shower although you will keep finding pieces in it around the house, hope that helps:). the vet makes me feel really guilty everytime i go to her about the cat not being left to roam outside but when i do he just goes for the fence and rarely comes back without a lot of shouting and searching. like you, i don't want to feel like he is completely bored in the house, hard to tell with cats..:(

KittyMcM

Blissy wrote: »

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread but was just wondering would people also have any advice on toning down the smell of their litter boxes. I've two indoor kittens and no matter what I do they still seems to be a fairly strong smell from the box. Its an enclosed box with a carbon filter. I clean it daily, use good quality cat litter, have a special kitty poo bin, specialised cleaner and even odourised powder for the litter, all to no avail . Getting desperate now

I have the same problem, would love some advice also. I thought that once he got neutered it would be fine but it gets worse. Also, can anyone tell me how do you get a cat to use the covered litter box with the flap closed? I have the flap taped back so he can run in and out but tried to make him open the flap himself and he was having none of it. Will he just figure it out if he can get his scent when he is close to it? thanks:cool:

scaryfairy

sambuka41 wrote: »

My little guy,Jack, is 4. He was a stray for at least 8 months before I took him in as a pet. He was always out doors. I feed him dry food (Go Cat) for indoor cats, and he gets 1-1.5 pouches a day but he's still putting on weight.

What games/toys/ activities do you guys have for your indoor cats???

hi,

both are cats are fully indoors, but have always been so it was not really a problem for them to get used to it...

they both go mental over these cat teasing toys - both from zooplus:
- "cat dangler" - their eyes light up immediately when I remove it from its hiding place
- another one of these, cannot find it now: basically a piece of metal wire, with some bits at both ends, and it wriggles as you move it - sure you can make it

One of them is completely into the tunnel I got her - went for a slightly more expensive one "Rustle tunnel swish", because I like the colours more. She/we are inventing new games, and this is where she wants to get attention - so sweet and funny. + balls and crumpled kitchen foil, plastic rings from bottles (my one steals them I think ), anything really

re litter: we use one of the clumping ones - Husse - and I find that after you remove the clumps etc, it's not so bad. + of course wash their tray regularly.

KittyMcM

is there any cleaning product that works best? that cat tunnel looks great..

sambuka41

FloatingVoter wrote: »

They won't display interest in anything that is obviously meant for them.

Thats soooooo true!! We stopped him getting in the box a few times and now he loves it (cause he thinks he's not supposed to be in there!!:P )

KittyMcM wrote: »

the vet makes me feel really guilty everytime i go to her about the cat not being left to roam outside but when i do he just goes for the fence and rarely comes back without a lot of shouting and searching. like you, i don't want to feel like he is completely bored in the house, hard to tell with cats..:(

Its so hard isn't it,I dont think keeping them in is an easy choice if they have been outdoors all their lives. The main reason I'm keeping him in is because he fights with every other cat he comes in contact with!! He was treated for so many bites, it just got to be too much and I put my foot down. I feel like Nicole Kidman in the Others checking the windows and doors before opening the door to the next room for him!!!

Now I cant imagine letting him out. But there is no doubt about it, he gets frustrated being kept in, so just trying my best to help him with that.

I've got some great ideas from this thanks!! I'll definitely try improvise more with the bits and pieces around the house!!

sambuka41

Themadhouse wrote: »

Personally I woul look at changing his food and try to push for a higher quality. I feed mine twice a day. Suits mine but might not suit yours.

Tin foil balls are also a hit here!

Yeah I feed him in morning and evening. He's never left his stray roots, he wont eat Royal Canine, or IAMS (eukanuba or whatever they are calling it these days) He really likes the cheap stuff!!! Mad for KiteKat but I haven't seen indoor stuff by them.

I wouldn't have thought of tin foil balls, he knocks them off the table but usually the dog then steals them from him I'll keep her back in future, let him at it!!

planetX

A cardboard box, upside down, with lots of doors and windows cut in it. Then use cat tickler at the windows - that's how I entertained mine when she was stuck indoors. Doesn't beat hunting for real though.

Gran Hermano

Another vote for 'milk rings', tinfoil balls, ping pong balls, cardboard boxes.
You could also pickup one of those play tunnels, perfect for the cat to ambush people walking past in the hallway.

Cherry Blossom

The best cat toy in my house is an accidental one, it's a rolled up bit of leftover carpet that was propped against the wall, the kitten climbs up the outside of it, inside of it, leaps off the top of it, uses it as a scratching post and has naps curled up inside it. It's not adding much to the décor of the living room now that it has moved in there though.

ohmfg

One of ours loves playing with the dogs kibble!
He's the fussiest eater you ever came across so zero chance of him eating any but he gets hours of fun chasing and playing with it.
He waits outside the mudroom when I go in to get the dogs bowls ready and whines the place down if I don't drop one nut on the floor for him.
Like others, he has zero interest in the proper cat toys.

lilsis

Hey basically going to say all the same stuff as everyone else. Those plastic rings and rolled up tinfoil or receipts. My guy loves hair bobbles too and plays with them for ages but then he gets a bit thick and eats it and pukes so he's not allowed them (although he can get the drawer to them open). Any kinda of small things though he gets fun out off. He loves hunting my earplugs aswell and then he jumps up on the back of the couch and drops it on my shoulder and I've to throw it (I like to think of it as him bringing me a present). I'm loving the look of the Da Bird though, think I found his christmas present! It looks like something that would be brilliant for exercise, something I worry about aswell.

I just wanted to add my two cents about the laser pointer. I know it wasn't mentioned much but if you do use one maybe keep an eye on your cats behaviour. I got one for Giz thinking it would be great exercise and it was but he got sorta depressed when it went away. He'd lie on the floor waiting for it to come back, he wouldn't eat or drink or nearly even sleep cos he wanted to watch for it. He wouldn't let you pick him up or pet him in case it came back and he just kept starring around the floor looking for it. It was very strange and horrible to see him like that and he was like that for days even though I didn't use it once I saw his behaviour. Maybe it's just him but just in case, best to keep an eye out. Anybody else ever notice that with their cats and the laser pointer?

Kali_Kalika

lilsis wrote: »

Hey basically going to say all the same stuff as everyone else. Those plastic rings and rolled up tinfoil or receipts. My guy loves hair bobbles too and plays with them for ages but then he gets a bit thick and eats it and pukes so he's not allowed them (although he can get the drawer to them open). Any kinda of small things though he gets fun out off. He loves hunting my earplugs aswell and then he jumps up on the back of the couch and drops it on my shoulder and I've to throw it (I like to think of it as him bringing me a present). I'm loving the look of the Da Bird though, think I found his christmas present! It looks like something that would be brilliant for exercise, something I worry about aswell.

I just wanted to add my two cents about the laser pointer. I know it wasn't mentioned much but if you do use one maybe keep an eye on your cats behaviour. I got one for Giz thinking it would be great exercise and it was but he got sorta depressed when it went away. He'd lie on the floor waiting for it to come back, he wouldn't eat or drink or nearly even sleep cos he wanted to watch for it. He wouldn't let you pick him up or pet him in case it came back and he just kept starring around the floor looking for it. It was very strange and horrible to see him like that and he was like that for days even though I didn't use it once I saw his behaviour. Maybe it's just him but just in case, best to keep an eye out. Anybody else ever notice that with their cats and the laser pointer?

Once you put the laser away and it isn't jingling anymore - he will sorta look around a for a little while - just to be sure it really isn't there - but nothing extreme or anything I'd worry about - at least with my guy - he just sorta needs to be sure the fun and games are over and that pesky dot has gone away. He usually heads straight off for a feed after running around - so it doesn't bother him that its gone - he doesn't obsess about it - just sorta pokes around briefly to make sure he chased it away!

I've heard about dogs getting obsessed over them and getting a little freaked out when they vanish - but I hadn't heard of a cat getting the same way. I guess it all depends on the cat and how they react to hunting. Mines a lazy fat arse :rolleyes: who thinks he's the worlds deadliest hunter so I'm sure he's convinced he showed that red dot what's for! And it vamoosed on him! :rolleyes::D

Whispered

Funny the obsession thing was mentioned, I only said to my husband yesterday that I had to stop asking Harley to catch spiders for me because I can't look at a corner of the room in a certain way without him going flying around looking for it. It's like he's constantly hunting them now. Which is ok most of the time, but I've often ended up with him perched on the couch with his ass on my shoulder hunting for a spider behind the painting.

Not good! (and not strictly on topic - apologies)

Kali_Kalika

Whispered wrote: »

Funny the obsession thing was mentioned, I only said to my husband yesterday that I had to stop asking Harley to catch spiders for me because I can't look at a corner of the room in a certain way without him going flying around looking for it. It's like he's constantly hunting them now. Which is ok most of the time, but I've often ended up with him perched on the couch with his ass on my shoulder hunting for a spider behind the painting.

Not good! (and not strictly on topic - apologies)

:D Not good - but funny! :D

All I need to say in my house is "where's the bug?" and both cat and pup start hunting around - cat wins most of the spiders and woodlice - pup suprisingly wins most of the moths! Cat more likes to jump and torture the moths where the pup just snaps them in her mouth and they're gone :rolleyes:

lilsis

Kali_Kalika wrote: »

I've heard about dogs getting obsessed over them and getting a little freaked out when they vanish - but I hadn't heard of a cat getting the same way. I guess it all depends on the cat and how they react to hunting.

Well Giz is a bit weird in general. He was really little when I had it though so maybe that was it. And he does search the walls for spiders and flies and he'll jump at little scuff marks on the wall thinking they're bugs (funniest thing is he'll jump at the same marks everyday - think he'd learn). But he definitely has the obsession thing going. Although when he's jumping all the time at marks on the wall at least he's getting exercise!!!

MaryK666

+1 on the laser pointer. We have one for our tribe (all indoor cats) and they absolutely adore it. Sometimes I feel a bit mean as there's nothing to catch and kill at the end of the chase but that doesn't appear to deter them in the least.

I don't know what the cat tree/scratching post is like but if you haven't already done this, it's worth wrapping the legs in sisal rope as every cat seems to adore scratching sisal. You can also buy screw-in additions with a mouse or toy on an elastic bungee for attaching to the tree, thus giving it an added fascination. I bought a huge tree from zooplus for my four and when the sisal started to move, we just glued it in place and - hey presto! - good as new. Another trick is to rub some catnip into any covering or scratching area of the tree to encourage your cat to play and enjoy it. Two of mine are completely unaffected by catnip but still feel the need to join in when the others are going nuts.

I don't know what sort of pouches you feed your little man but a cats behaviour is very much affected by what they eat. My advice would be to feed the best you can possibly afford to any pet you have. We feed ours a mix of Applaws kibble and Royal Canin light kibble supplimented with Cosma pouches and cooked chicken, fish and raw chicken necks for their teeth. Our original two started to get a bit tubby so when the kittens matured, we added the Royal Canin to their food to ensure we didn't end up with a family of lardo's. Sometimes the chemicals in wet food can act a bit like msg does on humans so try and feed chemical-free food as you can.

As with other replies, our cats appear to get most enjoyment from cheap and cheerful things and although we've invested a fortune in expensive toys, they always go for the household rubbish to play with instead. Milk carton tops, cardboard boxes, paper bags with the handles cut off(to prevent nasty accidents), scrunched up paper, toilet roll centre tubes and washing liquid dozing balls are all put to good use by being chased and killed with monotonous regularity. Another favourite are their crinkle tunnels that they use to hide and for ambush games.

Cat's can get bored if they have to play with the same toys all the time so it's a good idea to keep a toy box and put all the toys in it when not being used and keep it out of sight. Just leave out one or two toys at a time and when he appears to get bored, swap them for two different toys and that should pique his interest again. Also, you can't spend enough time interacting with your cat, especially if he's an only and indoor cat. Left to his own devices he can become bored and cranky but the more time you spend playing with him and talking to him, the happier he'll be.

And if you can stretch to some Feliway, we've found it to be a great help with calming the cats down. Just plug in the diffuser and let it get to work. It's fantastic for helping new additions to settle in and calms them all down to the point of being almost stoned on the pheremones.

KittyMcM

Happy Hallowee'n cat lovers;).my cat is obsessed with monkey nuts at the minute! From a e1 bag we have had hours of fun from him trying to crack them open with his teeth to shuffling the used shells with his feet. if you don't mind clearing up the mess, its a good indoor game:D

woodchuck

We've bought our guy loads of toys, but his favourite by far is a straw! Just a regular drinking straw that he robbed out of a glass one day... he loves it!

goodsquisheee

you could try just running and hiding yourself (if you have time)? when the mood strikes her my cat loves nothing more than a good game of chasing (her chasing me, me chasing her back, both of us hiding and jumping out), then a big cuddle when we catch each other. it's so much fun although others tend not to enjoy it so much when she tries to get them involved :P

sambuka41

Just to say thanks to everyone who gave advice. I got a laser pointer and oh my god he is mental for it!!!!!!!!!!!!:D:D It was the best couple of euro spent. He can play with it for hours.

Thanks again

Wexford1988

I used to use a cardboard box nd cut little holes and bigger holes in it and my cat got more enjoyment out of that than anything else... Until the christmas tree came out and she loved the decorations on it!!!!!!