The Animal Advocate
Enriching the lives of indoor cats
(All articles have been written by myself unless otherwise noted)
Feline Enrichment for shelter cats and indoor cats
Indoor cats vs. Outdoor cats
Most cats love to go outside and explore the world. They like to eat grass, lay in the sun and chase butterflies. As serene as this sounds, there are dangers lurking around every bush. Cats need protection from the dangers they find, or those that find them, when they are outside. Many people feel that by keeping a cat indoors, they are not able to lead a full life. However, one must consider that according to the Humane Society of the United States, HSUS, the average life span of an outdoor-only cat is less than three years—compared to 15–18 years for the average indoor-only cat. While living outdoors may appeal to your feline, pet parents beware. There are many dangers awaiting your cat outside. Speeding cars, wild animals, other cats and dogs, cruel humans and diseases all threaten a cat's safety and possibly their life.
Some owners feel that their cat would be happier to live outdoors, some or all of the time. The fact is that there are more life threatening dangers outdoors, such as unaware drivers, wild animals, other cats, cruel humans and diseases. In the safety of your home, these dangers do not exist. There are many ways to provide stimulation for an indoor cat, although some require more energy than others.
One of the safest ways to offer your cat a taste of the outdoors is to train it to walk on a harness, such as an H-type harness, found in the small dog section of many pet stores. Although it is best to start this training when your cat is a kitten, the training can be done at anytime during their life. The cat will not walk like a dog on a leash. The cat will be content with leading you where she wants to go, smelling the surroundings and observing her world. There are many beneficial sources online or at your local library to show you the steps to teaching your feline to accept a harness. Another very safe way to allow your cat outdoors is to provide an outdoor enclosure. A screened in porch is ideal. Whether you choose a free standing outdoor enclosure or prefer to add cat-proof netting to the top of traditional fencing, your cat will get the outdoor stimulation she craves and the safety only you can provide for her. The most enjoyed enclosures include furniture for resting and climbing inside. A shaded area complete with a water bowl is a necessity for warm or hot days. It is not recommended that cats stay in enclosures for long periods of time. These enclosures or fencing are not always animal proof and your cat may try to escape or another animal may try to come in. For your pet's safety, always be close-by while she is enjoying her time "outdoors."
An additional way to help your feline with the outdoor stimulation she craves is to provide cat grass and running water. Try planting alfalfa, catnip, wheat, or oat grass (sold in pet supply stores) in small indoor pots for this purpose. Experiment with different types and brands until you find the right one for your cat. There are many water fountains that provide filtered, fully oxygenated water for your thirsty feline. Many pet owners find that their cat drinks more water with a fountain as opposed to the traditional bowl of sitting water. Water is a very important aspect of good feline nutrition.
There are many inexpensive ways to entertain your cat, either while playing together or while you are away. Provide objects for your cat to explore, such as a cardboard box, a paper shopping bag, or toys that encourage the cat to investigate various holes with her paws. An aquarium with real fish can be similarly fascinating. Rotate these items frequently so the cat does not become bored. In addition, some pet parents find that DVDs catered specifically for cats are beneficial, especially at night when less stimuli appears outside. There are many new types of cat toys that cater to the stimulation your cat craves. Cats like to lounge around up high, whether it is a basket on a piece of sturdy furniture or a shelf put on the wall specifically for your cat, she will appreciate it. There are cheap ways to provide the height kitty desires rather than spending $200 on a cat tree. Shelving units, such as for storage or for use in the garage, double as a kitty cat jungle gym. There are two highly recommended books, Pads for Pets: Fabulous Projects for Your Furry, Feathered and 'phibious Friends by Elizabeth Quinn and The Cats' House by Bob Walker for ideas and inspiration on how to keep your cat entertained.
Before changing your feline's activities, always speak to your vet and get his or her recommendations.
Harness training your cat
Never leave your cat unattended with the harness on, outside or inside, it is very easy to choke if they jump on or off something or run too fast.
Always assume the cat can get out of the harness. Be watchful because cats are very sneaky!
My cats, Gaby and Ashtyn (shown above in her harness) are indoor cats. They are never outside without myself or my boyfriend. We have a balcony that they go outside on many times a day with us. I also take them for “walks”. Ashtyn walks around quite a bit but Gaby just stands around and smells stuff, moving very little. I normally take them out separately because Ashtyn would rather spend more time outside than Gaby.
Here, I will tell you how I trained my cats to walk around with a harness on.
It is definitely best to train your cat as young as possible to walk on a harness. Most, if not all cats, despise anything on their back. They move around as if they are carrying a 10-pound saddle rather than a 5-ounce harness. Do not take your cat out with just a collar on. Always use a harness for her safety.
I highly recommend an “H harness”. This type of harness allows for much more movement than the other types. It also slides around less when the cat is moving around. I will never use another type of harness because of dangers that could occur.
An “H” harness |
Figure 8 harness |
Figure 8 harness |
|---|
There are two types of Figure 8 harnesses. As you can see above, one has plastic to join the straps. One has a nylon strap (the one in the middle is definitely the worst choice of the three)
I have used the figure 8 harnesses with my cats and they did not like them. The red harness, with the plastic part on their back, was too “heavy” for them and they didn’t like to walk in them. The middle harness, was able to move around too much on their bodies. The small piece of harness in the middle is not attached so the straps of the harness can be moved around and loosened so the cats can get themselves out of it or hurt themselves if one of the straps gets caught on something. For example, a cat may walk near something such as an old swingset. The part that goes around the body could get caught on a screw, which would pull on it and make that section larger. While that section gets larger, the part around their neck would get smaller! They could suffocate themselves.
The process of training your cat:
The entire process should be supervised. Be aware that this may take a week or two.
Step 1: Leave their regular collar on and put the harness on them. Keep the harness on for 5 minutes. Give your cat one or two treats while she has the harness on. (Commerical cat treats are quite large, break them into half or quarters to keep your kitty's weight down) Take off the harness and praise her for a good job. If your cat refuses to move or stand up with the harness on, that is okay. Cats generally do not like anything on their back and may take awhile to accept it. Give them a treat anyway. All you are trying to do at this point is get her used to the feeling of the harness on her body, nothing else.
Continue the previous step, increasing the time with the harness on, up to 15 or 20 minutes. Once she is comfortable for at least 15 minutes or so, you are ready for the next step.
Step 2: Put the harness on and attach a short leash. This does not need to be the same leash you will be using. Obviously, you can't let her drag around one of those compact leashes that are similar to a measuring tape. I use these but would never teach a cat with one of them. Buy a short leash or find a makeshift one, for example, a rope or heavy ribbon would work. Let your cat walk around with the leash attached to the harness for up to 20 minutes. Give treats during this time. Praise her for doing a good job.
Step 3: Practice, inside your home, walking with her, holding the leash. To teach her to walk with you, break up some treats and put them in a straight line, where you want her to walk, about 6 inches apart. As she eats the treats, praise her.
Step 4: Take your cat outside to a quiet place. If you take your cat out on a busy street, this will not be successful. Try to find a corner of your yard that is far from cars, barking dogs, kids, etc. You want her first time(s) outside to be calm. Be sure to carry some treats with you. If something scary happens and she didn't run, give her a treat. If she is walking for you, give her a treat. Giving her a treat is positive reinforcement, this tells her that she is doing the right thing and that you are satisfied with her behavior.
I trained 2 cats to walk on a leash. One of my cats, Gaby used to be very skittish. At first, we only spent 2 minutes or so outside. It took a lot of patience to get her comfortable outside. Now, she jumps up whenever she sees her harness and is ready to go outside and is not afraid. I taught her nearly 9 years ago and she still only wants to be outside about 10 minutes. Ashtyn would stay outside for hours if I'd let her. I had hardly any problems with her. The only problem was that she wanted to climb the trees! I give her enough of the leash so that she can climb up about 3 feet, then she just jumps back down. I want to provide them both with activities they would naturally do in nature but safety is the first priority.
Feline Enrichment for shelter cats and indoor cats
This is called the Turbo Scratcher. It has a ball that goes around the outside and an inner cardboard scratcher. My cats especially love it when I put some dried catnip leaves in the middle.
This cat tree is one of my best purchases for my cats. They both instantly loved it and they both use it frequently. It is 6 foot tall and has 5 places to lounge around. It was pretty expensive but my cats love to scratch on it...that alone is worth the money. I bought it at PetSmart for about $250. This is one of the tallest freestanding cat trees. If it were any taller, it would probably need some sort of attachment to the ceiling.
Cat Sitter is a wonderful dvd for cats who like to watch birds, squirrels, fish, butterflies, etc. I put this dvd on at night so my cats can watch it without distractions. You don’t necessarily need to buy this DVD, Animal Planet or any nature show should work too.
The FURminator is by far the best cat brush I have ever used. It is fairly expensive but it is really the only brush you will ever need. It gets undergrowth hair without pulling it out. My cats love it.
