Tending to your cat’s wellbeing – ways to keep your feline fit to maintain a healthy and happy mind

Cats are one of Australia’s favourite household pets, and as awareness increases around the benefits of caring for felines indoors – so too do a range of health and wellness considerations. Outdoor cats pose a significant threat to both themselves and other species, so creating an indoor environment that’s enriched and stimulating can lengthen your pet’s life significantly.

Food bowls, a litter box and a scratching post are a common sight in the shopping trolley of those preparing to welcome a kitten or cat to their household. The truth is, these are just the basics for keeping your pet’s instincts engaged for them to achieve their daily exercise and prevent them from being destructive. Cats suffering from boredom may take out their dissatisfaction on couches or curtains, and even on the ankle of their unwitting owner to replicate natural hunting behaviours. Not only this, cats lacking adequate daily activity can become obese, develop joint mobility issues and experience depression and anxiety.

So how can we keep our furry friends happy and healthy?

Active Play

Cats love to chase and pounce, as this is how their ancestors hunted for food. One of the easiest ways to provoke this high energy behaviour, is with toys that imitate prey or prey movement. There are plenty of automated options such as windup toy mice and butterfly spinners, however, often the best are the simplest such as a long piece of thick soft cord which can be towed along the floor. This can be dragged up and down stairs, as well as on and off furniture that will have your cat leaping for joy and working on those muscles and endorphins. Soft small balls, pompoms and scrunched up balls of foil make great pretend prey too!

Scratching

Scratching posts are an absolute essential in cat living spaces, to allow them a healthy outlet for another natural behaviour which is claw sharpening. You may have observed that during this process, your cat will also assume stances that resemble yoga poses. This is a vital element in physical wellbeing as well as promotes stretching of tendons and blood flow to joints. Scratching posts must be reviewed and upgraded from time to time if your cat outgrows it and cannot assume these postures correctly for lack of stability, or it may be worn out and ineffective. Stumps of wood with some old carpet or coiled rope can be DIY’d to make sturdy scratching posts – with endless creative prospects to match home decor.

Diet

Cats can greatly benefit from a diet containing ‘raw foods’ such as chicken necks, other small carcass portions and whole sardines. Working to chew and digest their food over an elongated period mimics the way cats would feed in the wild and is said to release endorphins and naturally promote teeth and gum health. They also contain higher levels of protein and omegas and less fat than many processed pet food options.