Cat Behavior: Can Your Cat's Boredom Lead to Illness?
by Marika Ray
Imagine being a cat sitting home all day with the curtains closed with nothing to do and no one to interact with. If you lived in the wild your natural cat behavior would lead you to watch birds and bugs, roam, chase, jump, hide, pounce and spend half a day happily looking for a mouse to eat. You also could defend your territory and flex your muscles. Indoor cats that don't get exercise, stimulation and good food can suffer from boredom that can lead to depression or illness.
Watch for Signs of Boredom:
If your cat's behavior is not what you hoped it would be, it might be because he or she is bored or lonely. Here are some common cat behavior signs you may notice.
1. Moving small items or objects of clothing around the house while you're gone.
2. Pulling out clumps of its hair or obsessively over-grooming.
3. Knocking things off countertops.
4. Spraying or squatting to mark territory with deposits of urine or stool.
5. Expressing with excessive vocalization, most likely to let you know its bored or lonely.
6. Displaying aggressive behavior or acting out, especially when you leave.
7. Overeating when there's nothing else to do that's comforting.
Boredom and Depression Can Be Serious
Boredom can lead to depression in cats. If let go for too long, it can also lead to illness and other cat health challenges. Lack of exercise and stimulation can lead to unhappiness, weak muscles, a sluggish immune system and eventually depression or adrenal stress and disease. In fact, cat behavior related issues are also reportedly the most common reason for euthanasia and abandonment of otherwise healthy animals. Don't let your cat be put away or become bored!
Try these Healthy Cat Behavior Solutions:
* If you have only one cat, consider getting your cat a feline companion.
According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive® and commissioned by ARM & HAMMER Multi-Cat Strength Cat Litter, animal experts now agree that cats are by nature social--not solitary--animals. When asked, more than 8 out of 10 vets agree that cats DO NOT prefer to be left alone. (It's almost as easy to take care of two cats as one.)
* Offer to play with your cat around the same time every day. Cats love routine.
Buy or make toys that simulate hunting, chasing, pouncing, jumping and hiding fun. Spend 20-30 minutes playing once or twice a day with your cats.
* Establish some regular grooming time several days a week.
Keep some brushes, combs and slickers handy. A good time to do this is after your cat has played and used up some its frustrated energy because they are ready to be mellow and cuddle up.
* Before you leave your home every day, hide some favorite toys and treats.
Rotate their favorite toys to different spots every day. Get a plastic whiffle ball and put in some healthy treats that take a little work to come out the slots. This provides exercise and challenge and the good cat behavior reward is welcome.
* Give your cat some freedom to roam. Minimize confinement as much as possible.
If you don't already have one, get a climbing tree or tower. Vertical space is as important to cat health as horizontal space for exercise and dexterity. You might also want to get a cat harness and leash and take your cat outdoors to explore, get some fresh air and sunshine.
* Make a comfy place near a window.
Cats love to look out windows and watch birds, bugs and any number of interesting things. If you can put up a bird feeder outside a window, where the birds will be safe and your cat can observe, it will provide hours of entertainment, mental stimulation and emotional satisfaction for your cat.
* Give your cat a scratcher.
This gives them a place to remove old nail sheaths plus it lets them exercise and tone their muscles to stay strong. Scratching also relieves stress, frustration and boredom or helps them "warm up" for some playful romping. But best of all, it gives them an appropriate way to mark their territory with the pads on their paws. (This is much better than inappropriate spraying or other marking or furniture damage!)
* Most important of all, feed your cat high quality food with real meat, NOT meat by-products.
It may cost more but it can can help prevent disease and promote better health so it will save you in the long run. Besides, cats will eat less and get better nutrition.
Do all these things and your cat's health and behavior will transform in to being calmer and happier. In all likelihood, you'll both develop a closer bond, too.
SOURCES: Dr. Stefanie Schwartz, DVM, MSc, DACVB (a leading veterinary behaviorist and author) plus the experts at ARM & HAMMER Multi-Cat Strength Litter, who commissioned a CAT-PANION Crusade Study (http://www.armhammerpets.com/catpan_press.aspx).
About the Author
Researcher and writer Marika Ray at Natural Cat Lovers (http://www.naturalcatlovers.com/index.html) makes it easy and fast to learn nature's simple healing secrets from top veterinarians and cat experts. Claim a free lifetime subscription to 3-minute tips about natural and cat behavior solutions. You have permission to post this article, just include the author's name & link.
Cat Health Secrets
How to Have Happy, Healthy, Long-Living Cats... Without Spending a Penny on Vets, Medicines or Special Foods!
Here's a quick glimpse of what you'll discover in Cat Health Secrets...
What type of food cats MUST eat!
- The physical differences (inside) between cats and dogs so you undertand why you can’t feed your cat like your dog.
- That cats are ”hardwired“ differently than dogs. This explains why they behave the way they do. And why any attempt to train them the same way you train a dog will fail miserably!
- The 6 most important considerations when choosing your vet.
- What NEVER to do to your cat’s food…doing this could cause you to literally ”starve“ them even though they are eating!
- Are supplements right for your kitty ... or are they actually harmful?
- 8 quick and easy monthly duties that prevent health disasters in the future!
- The TRUTH about declawing.
- Why cats don’t suffer from separation anxiety (dogs do!)
- How you cat’s instincts can be harmful ... even fatal ... and what you can do to protect her.
- What food NEVER to feed because of harmful pathogens!
- What food almost always leads to urinary tract infections and diseases. This point alone may save you some vet bills.
- 6 critical precautions to make your home safe for your cat. Some of them may surprise you.
- Which house plants could poison your cat.
- Over 50 outdoor plants and trees that are TOXIC if your cat nibbles on them.
- How to recognize and deal with geriatric health issues.
- Exactly what items you need to bring when you travel with your cat and stay in a hotel.
- How to recognize kitty senility--yep it happens in cats too!
- What NEVER to do when travelling by car with your cat.
- 15 essential items to consider when hiring a pet sitter.
- And that’s just a fraction of what you get with "Cat Health Secrets"!
Well with Cat Health Secrets you now have your very own Cat Medical Encyclopedia!
For each ailment there is a section that covers:
- What it looks like...
- What to look for...and
- How to treat it.
In the "How to Treat it" portion you'll not only learn the "traditional way" but also (if available) an "alternative or holistic" treatment!
Cat Health Secrets isn't pretending to replace veterinarian services. If they are warranted, please take your cat to the vet. What you learn here is what you may expect to hear as a diagnosis and a treatment from the vet. Then you can converse and ask intelligent questions from a point of knowledge!
"Cat Health Secrets" is one of those rare purchases that you actually find more valuable as time goes on and you continue to use it year after year.
Download This Amazing E-Book Now!
| 
