Keeping cats happy

June 27, 2024

Keeping cats happy with a safe and enriching environment is as important to their mental and physical wellbeing as it is for our dogs, to help keep their brains and bodies active, as well as reducing stress and anxiety.

Dr Keshuan Chow, a Feline Medicine Specialist explains what this looks like for cats.

Cats are less domesticated than many other pets or domestic species, therefore, they retain the behavioural needs and features of their wild counterparts and can have difficulty adapting to situations that don’t serve those needs.

They are also unique, because in the wild they are both predator and prey, which affects how they behave. So, the key to keeping cats happy is understanding this.

Urge to hunt despite being well fed

Contrary to what some people think, a cat’s urge to hunt isn’t linked to how much they are fed – even a well-fed cat will still have a strong predator drive. So, when we have a cat in an indoors home environment, we still need to allow them to fulfill that need.

This includes the opportunity for structured play, which mimics their normal pattern of brief explosive activity interspersed with rest.

It is important for cats to be able to complete the whole hunting sequence with their toys where they need to watch, stalk, catch, and play with their targets.

Catching the prey is important

Keeping cats happy then means avoiding using toys that cats cannot catch, including laser pointers, as this can lead to frustration and they might need an outlet for that frustration, like your leg, which is obviously something we want to avoid.

Make them work for food

As with dogs, making them work for their food is also great way to fulfill their instinctual needs.

A large amount of cats’ natural awake time is devoted to the procurement of food. In the wild they tend to eat many small meals a day. The normal routine of feeding cats twice daily in bowls doesn’t approximate that situation at all.

Active feeding using things like food puzzles, toys, treat balls and the like to feed cats, instead of the usual bowls is a way of keeping cats happy and fulfilled.

There are so many interactive toys and puzzes for dogs and cats these days, but it can be as simple as scattering dry food or placing small plates of wet food around the home, or using things like toilet rolls, cardboard boxes, shoe boxes and so on to make simple and cheap food puzzles.

Editor’s Note: This is the same for dogs – ditch the bowl and make them work for to help prevent boredom and other problem behaviours. Plus, it adds exercise into their daily routine. This is also especially good to do when you are leaving your dog or cat alone, so they have something to do.

Start enrichment when they are young

Introduce the feeding challenges when dogs and cats are young, as they may be less adaptable when older. However, you may just need to use really high value treats such as liver treats or freeze dried meats to begin with, as encouragement.

Keep kitty litter away from food and water

Cats tend to prefer their food and water sources are kept separate, and away from designated toileting areas.

Scratching is important

Scratching is really important as well, which is why we should provide them with plenty of scratching posts to avoid them choosing your couch or favourite chair.

Cats like routine

As cats are also a prey species, cats are prone to fear, anxiety, and hypervigilance and are wired to hide and flee from danger.

Cats generally like routine, and are easily stressed when faced with new environments, people, other cats, or changes in routine. We call them “neophobic”, which means they are scared of anything which is unfamiliar.

Of course, there are exceptions, but this means the majority of cats will only display aggression when they are cornered and have no ability to escape so they need the right sort of approach and sensitive handling.