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How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Happy  
INFORMATIVE 

Tags: cats, indoor cat, pets, cat care

How much have you thought about the issue of indoor vs. outdoor cats? For many people, it is habit to assume that cats should roam outdoors. But as with toddlers and puppies, cats cannot defend themselves from teenagers and adults, other roaming animals and strays, and wildlife. They do not know that antifreeze, pesticides, and certain plants are poisonous. They do not understand traffic signals or crosswalks. For these and other reasons, many people keep their cats indoors, assuming it is better for their cats this way. Some indoor cats, however, become neurotic, obese, and/or out of shape, leading to unnecessary problems.

	Probably the most important thing is to allow your cat to interact with friends of his/her own kind. While the main distance ancestor of domestic cats, the African Wild Cat, is a solitary animal, domestic cats are a different species and are social animals. No matter how much your cat loves you, you can't completely read or mimic feline body language involving their ears, tails, whiskers, etc. Imagine living among aliens who not only don't speak English, but have nothing else in common with you as far as communication goes! They don't smile to indicate happiness, they don't understand the concepts of crying, teeth gritting, or hugging at all. Wouldn't you be relieved to have a human friend around who you can relate to on a different level? Wouldn't you go at least a little nuts without any other humans around?
	If you decide to adopt another friend for your indoor cat, do it the right way. Keep in mind that the new cat will be your family member as well as your cat's, and you will be the one responsible for another life. With good care, cats usually live to at least 20 years old, so this will be another commitment of two decades. Two cats instead of one means twice the risk of large veterinary bills, cleaning up vomit and diarrhea, and someone deciding to use your couch instead of a litterbox. When you decide you're ready, check out animal shelters and rescues in the area. A good one will offer adoption counseling to help match the right cat to your family. Just like you don't get along with all humans, your cat probably won't get along with all cats. They should include services for the adoption fee, for cheaper than if you paid a vet for them, such as spay/neuter, vaccinations, deworming, and microchip. With millions of homeless cats dying each year because no one wants them, any ca
	When you bring the new cat home, maximize chances of friendship by using a methodical introduction process. Too many people dump the cats together in a room, which works out about as well as your cat dragging a stranger into your home and announcing that s/he will live there with you forever. Examples of introduction programs are as follows: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_tomgeri , http://www.sfspca.org/behavior/cat_library/cat2cat-intro.pdf , and http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/catintro.pdf
	Now give your cats chances to play! You can give them toys, from fancy electronic store-bought ones, to simple things like crumpled up paper. Just remember, safety first. You don't want your cats to choke on anything or have intestinal blockage.
	Cats still have tree-dwelling instincts. Especially for stressful times, such as moving, a new cat entering the family, or being parted from his or her human, a refuge up high is a huge relief. Invest in one or more high-quality, carpet-covered wooden cat trees, such as at http://www.catcondoheaven.com/ . You can try making some yourself; there are plenty of plans online and offline. Cat furniture that lets your cats run and jump along the walls, such as http://www.katwallks.com/ , are wonderful too. Try installing some between two cat trees! (Note: I am not affiliated with either company. I am just aware of their products and think they're great.)
	Give your cat something interesting to look at. Windows showing areas where people and animals move through are great. You can also put on some TV. Did you know there are videos made specifically to entertain cats?
	Train your cat! If you do it the right way, both you and the cat will have lots of fun and mental exercise. Check out http://www.clickertraining.com/cattraining for details.
	Food can be great entertainment. For health reasons, you should not freefeed (leave food out all the time). Measure your cat's food and stick to the right amount. There should be 2 - 4 regular mealtimes every day. But instead of setting the meal down in a bowl, why not make it more fun? Along with clicker training, you can hide food around the room so the cat can play hide and seek; another option is to put food in toys for cats to extract out of--a simple example is the Play N Treat Cat Toy. (Note: I am not affiliated with the manufacturer.)
	Some cats appreciate gardens. These can easily be grown in pots indoors. Along with store-bought dried catnip, some cats like or prefer fresh catnip plants. Several types of grasses, such as wheat grass, might be delicious to your cat. You should keep in mind that some cats enjoy eating fresh grass and vomiting afterwards!
	Cats have biological and psychological needs to scratch. http://www.topcatproducts.com/ makes top quality woven-sisal scratching posts. (Note: I am not affiliated with TopCat.) Several brands use corrugated cardboard for scratching pads. See what type of surface and shape your cat prefers. If you use carpet, it is best to use the back side, as carpet is usually too soft for a cat to really dig his/her claws into and may train the cat into using all carpet surfaces for scratching on.
	Your cat may enjoy exploring the outdoors with your supervision--inside a catproofed fence such as with http://www.catfencein.com/ , or on a leash attached to a safe cat harness such as http://metpet.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/walkingjacket.html . (Note: Yup, not affiliated with either.)
	Finally, give your cat a lot of loving playtime and cuddles (on your cat's terms, not yours!) while you're home and have the time.

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