Category Archives: Living with cats

How to occupy your cat and improve his well-being : how to increase the available space to your cat ?

Here is the last part of what we want to share with you after the training followed by Claire two weeks ago (part 1 : how to put food available in a way which increases the cat’s level of activity ? ; part 2 : which games and activities offer to your cat ?).

Reminder : according to a study of Bonnie Beaver (Feline Behavior, 2003), the approximate time dedicated to various activities by a free cat is the following one : sleeping 9 hours, resting 4-5 hours, bathing 3-4 hours, hunting 4 à 9 hours, moving and feeding 1 hour, other activities (game, marking, elimination) 1 hour. Numerous indoor cats are sub-occupied and spend their days sleeping to pass the time.

How to increase the available space to your cat ?

In an apartment, the available space is 10 to 50 times as small as the space that a cat would occupy in nature. Thus it’s necessary to increase it at the most by using the vertical space in various places of the house, by multiplying the accessible locations in height for the cat as well as the observation posts on the outside.

You can do it by adapting your existing furniture : summits of shelves or cupboard cleared, furnish near windows, wall shelves reserved for your cat, …

You can also invest in one or several cat trees placed in places where there is something interesting to observe.

An old or overweight cat will need additional landings, a banister, or a staircase to reach the various points in height, but will be very happy being able to do it thanks to these arrangements.

A free access to an edge of window, or even better, to a terrace or a balcony, is also ideal, provided that the window or the balcony is secured.

No, a cat doesn’t have a perfect sense of balance.
Yes, he risks to have a fall, even if he is skillful.
No, a cat doesn’t always come out from a fall unscathed : he is in a state of shock, he can break itself the members, but he can especially suffer from sometimes fatal internal injuries: bleeding, fracture of the palate (palatine crack), pneumothorax, bladder break, diaphragm break, heart and lungs compression, …

Thus it is strongly recommended to install or to make install a anti-falls net.

We live in paradise : we have a home designed for us, and a secured garden. If you want ideas, “Catification” from Jackson Galaxy is Claire’s favorite book : he is abundantly illustrated, and presents many easily practicable ideas for catifying your home.

You can also find other ideas here if you like Ikea.

How to occupy your cat and improve his well-being : which games and activities can you offer to your cat ?

Here is the continuation of what we want to share with you after the training followed by Claire ten days ago (part 1 : how to put food available in a way which increases the cat’s level of activity ?).

Which games and activities can you offer to your cat ?

Learning activities

Contrary to a preconceived idea, cats can learn many things : patience and encouragements will make miracles (and treats also !). Our best example is our friend Summer : in this video, she shows that she knows how to stay, shake hands, high, sit up, and wave her paw to say goodbye.

Games and toys which mime hunting

Toys which make a noise of prey (squeak, little sharp sound, …) are more interesting for us than the silent toys. If they move, it’s still better, because the movement makes us react. The movement given to the toy must be choppy, and go away from the cat, stand still from time to time, as a prey would do it.

But with what toys to play ? Small balls, corks, plushy mice, crumpled paper, … can be thrown or shaken at the end of a string ; a feather toy which moves within reach of paw is irresistible ; a simple string to be pursued entertains us.

A word on bright points (laser or reflection of watch for example) : first, warning for our eyes ! Then, this little point makes us often totally mad, to the point that we can injure ourselves by jumping everywhere to try to catch it. Finally, this game is extremely frustrating, because we never catch anything. Use it with moderation in a clear space, and don’t forget to give us treats as compensation at the end of the session of game.

No toy is unbreakable, and the risk of ingestion is real : check regularly the state of our toys. Ribbons or strings must be never used unattended, and must be carefully tidied up out of our reach after every play session.

Claire plays every day with us ; she has decided now to teach us small tricks, like Summer. We’ll tell you more about it when we’ll have learnt a trick !

How to occupy your cat and improve his well-being : how to put food available in a way which increases the cat’s level of activity ?

Last Caturday, Claire followed a training about cats again ; this time, the course was given by Philippe Bocion, behavioristic veterinarian. There were so many interesting things that’s we’re going to need 3 articles to tell you everything !

According to a study of Bonnie Beaver (Feline Behavior, 2003), the approximate time dedicated to various activities by a free cat is the following one :

sleeping : 40% (9 hours)
resting : 20% (4-5 hours)
bathing : 15% (3-4 hours)
hunting : 15 à 40% (4 à 9 hours)
moving and feeding : 5% (1 hour)
other activities (game, marking, elimination) : 5%

Unfortunately, numerous indoor cats are sub-occupied and spend their days sleeping to pass the time, while they would need at least 4 hours of activities a day (hunting, feeding, playing, interactions), according to a personal estimation of Mr Bocion, to respect their natural needs.

For example, we eat between 7 and 15 times a day when we are free ; it is thus essential to split our meals. Besides, the zoos staff knows that having to make an effort to obtain his food is generally appreciated by animals : we call it contrafreeloading. Hey yeah, looking for his food, it takes time !

How to put food available in a way which increases the cat’s level of activity ?

You can realize this very easily :

by tinkering a device by means of cardboard rollers, egg boxes, plastic cups,… (warning on the used glue!)
ADVANTAGE : it does not cost anything ; INCONVENIENCE : it’s little hygienic

by buying a device in a store
ADVANTAGE : it’s hygienic ; INCONVENIENCE : that costs between 20 and 70 CHF

by hiding food in various places of the apartment

Any device must be presented to the cat at its lowest level of difficulty (open drawers or open lids, food effortlessly accessible). The level of difficulty will then be gradually increased : closed lids or closed drawers, food more difficult to reach,… At the beginning, the cat must be helped and encouraged.

Claire had never perceived the importance of this phenomenon, then necessarily, it gave her ideas.

Without particular device, the food can be hidden in places where we don’t see it at first glance, or in places where it will be necessary to catch it before being able to eat it (under a piece of furniture, between a piece of furniture and a wall, …). Obviously, as you eat kibbles, canned food, or raw meat, certain devices will suit better than on others !