Do you feel guilty leaving your cat all alone while you’re away at work? Cats love to interact with their human friends, but you can help your cat to be happy while you’re gone by making some changes around your home. Cats that are bored often exhibit antisocial behavior, and providing some stimulation will help keep your cat occupied when you’re not there to supervise. Here are some tips that will help you keep your cat happy.
Make sure your cat has a clean litter box. If the litter box is not changed frequently, your cat may start soiling other areas of your house. You may have to try several different types of litter to find the one your cat prefers, but keeping the box clean is very important if you want him to always use it. If you have more than one cat, having more than one litter box is a good idea; if you use only one box for several cats it will quickly become smelly and require very frequent cleaning. Keep your cat happy with a clean litter box.
Cats that go outdoors often snack on grasses and edible plants, which aid their digestion by providing roughage that helps eliminate hairballs. Planting wheat or oat grass, catnip, bird seed, or other edible grasses in a container allows your cat to have a little of the outdoors at hand. These grasses grow up to about a foot tall, and cats love to rub their chins on the blades as well as eat the tips. The grasses are also quite decorative if you plant them in a nice container. Kits are available for growing grasses and are often marketed as “cat grass,” or you can purchase just the seed and use your own container. Kits usually contain a container, soil, and enough grass seed for a couple of plantings and are available online, at pet stores, and at some supermarkets and discount stores.
Cats that are not declawed need something to scratch on if you don’t want them using your leather sofa or new boots. Scratching posts made of sisal are excellent, and the more scratched up they are, the more the cat likes them. Make sure the post is sturdy and doesn’t move around when the cat is scratching. Cats also like to scratch their claws on tree bark, so if you have room for a log your cat will love it. I have an old chair with a straw seat in a corner of the utility room; my cats love to hop on the seat and scratch their claws. If your cats are scratching somewhere undesirable, try using double-sided tape or citrus odors to make that place unattractive to them. Trimming their claws can also help.
Cats love to look out of the windows of a home. If you have blinds on the windows, put them up a bit so your cat will be able to see what’s going on outside. Most cats want to look out of the window, and if you don’t raise the blinds the cat will find a way to get through them; usually he will stick his paws through the blinds and ruin them. I raise the blinds on a bay window and a bedroom window each morning so my cats can look out at the birds and squirrels and touch noses with neighboring cats who visit from outdoors. Many cats will gravitate to one window as a favorite, and putting a cat perch on that window will allow the cat a good seat for his viewing pleasure. Perches can be purchased at pet supply stores; they resemble a hammock or sling and attach to the windowsill. All cats love a good nap, and putting the cat’s bed near a window that gets sun will be a treat for your cat. Looking out of the window allows your cat to get stimulation from outdoors without the dangers of actually being outside, so make sure your cat has a good view to keep him happy.
Make sure your home is safe for your cat if he is alone often. Watch your cat while you’re home to see if you can observe any dangerous behavior that you want to stop. Collars can be dangerous for active cats; dangling objects on a collar such as bells or vet tags can get caught on mini blind cords or other objects. Cats that go outdoors can get collars caught on fences. “Breakaway” collars that come loose when the cat gets caught on something are available at pet stores; your cat will be much safer wearing this type of collar around the house. If you have sewing supplies, cats love to play with thread, which can get wrapped around his tongue, and pins with colored balls on top, which can be very dangerous if swallowed or left on the floor for your bare feet. Keep sewing supplies secure so your cat will not play with them. Fishing lures and line can also be dangerous to cats, as well as dental floss, twist ties, rubber bands, plastic bags, hot stoves, toxic substances, dryer sheets and other things commonly found around the home. Anything your cat can swallow is potentially dangerous, so make sure small, sharp objects or harmful objects in which your cat seems interested are put away when he’s alone. Also make sure the dryer door is always shut, and check your laundry load before putting it into the washer if your cat likes to nap in the laundry hamper.
You should provide many different types of toys with which your cat can play while you’re away. Your cat probably likes to play with things you already have around the house, such as small stuffed animals, balls, and empty paper bags and boxes, and you can purchase all kinds of stimulating toys designed especially for cats. Some toys have added catnip to make them attractive to your cat. Finding a catnip toy that you’ve hidden can be fun for your cat; put it in a different place each day. Cat condos, large carpeted structures on which your cat can climb and nap, are nice if you have the room, and smaller fleece-lined beds can keep your cat warm during naps.
If your cat seems really bored, adding another feline to the household could be a good idea. If you have more than one cat, they can play and provide companionship for each other while you’re gone, although if your cat is mischievous and likes to play chase, sometimes two cats can wreck your house. Some cats also get along with and learn to play with dogs, especially when they grow up together. If you get a dog later, make sure he gets along with the cat before leaving them alone together.
Spending time with and interacting with your cat while you’re home can make him feel secure and loved. Feeding him nutritious food, making sure he’s healthy and up-to-date with his medical care, and keeping your house comfortable and safe can help your cat to get along fine and be happy and content while you’re away.
