Thanks for stopping by! Get The Way of Cats, delivered, by asking for my RSS feed. Get my free cat advice newsletter by signing up here and get the FREE eBook, Ten Cat Tricks (Every Human Should Know.)Kittens always find ways to keep themselves amused, bless their busy little hearts. But, just like us, mature cats are not so easy. They have bright and active brains that often do not get the level of stimulation that they want and need.
How can we tell if our cats are bored?
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A bored cat does not lie around and sigh. Frantic activity and misbehavior are the signs of a bored cat. A cat with natural high energy, with few outlets for expressing it, will demonstrate that bad attention is better than none. They can’t help playing with whatever appears, even things they know they shouldn’t, if they are left too much to their own, inadequate, devices.
A young cat left alone in the house all day, with us finding mayhem when we get home, is probably begging for a playmate and companion. Don’t think this will mean there will be twice as much mayhem. Having two cats, and things for them to play with, will result in less mayhem. Having another living creature to relax with will often result in the frantic cat being able to calm down and relax.
Older, less energetic cats will express boredom in less dramatic, but no less worrisome, ways. They can start scratching where they shouldn’t, knock over things they’ve always left alone, or pace and wail, especially at bedtime, when the prospect of a long, lonely night is looming.
We shouldn’t get exasperated with a cat who is, from our point of view, suddenly acting unhappy. The cat doesn’t feel that they are doing anything suddenly. It’s just reached a point where they can’t handle it anymore.
Usually, these are ways a cat will complain of neglect. After all, what do mature cats find to be the most interesting toy around?
That… would be us.
They aren’t the little balls of fire they used to be. Too often, this means the people in the house concluded they don’t want to play anymore, so they don’t. While pulling out the wand toy will certainly be appreciated, the best way to keep the adult cat from getting bored is to come up with ways to interact with them when we are home.
Consulting them about their care, sharing our activities, and seeking them out will not only keep us invested in our evolving relationship, but give them things to think about while we are not around.
This keeps everyone happy.
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