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My 2 House Cats are Bored

Posted: Jan 2, 2012

Soon I will be working 3 jobs, and my 2 house kitties are already bored (they can't stand each other so don't play together, etc.).

They already have a TON of toys (both interactive and not) as well as a tall cat tree and multiple scratching posts, but I need something else to help alleviate their boredom.

Artificial aquarium? Videos of birds, fish, etc.? Your ideas would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

;

I used to hide treats around the house for my - kitty to "hunt" for. (nm)

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.

Good idea! - FelineOwner

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Along that line I bought a plastic ball that "dispenses" treats as the cat rolls it. Unfortunately, my cat never did roll the ball; he just looked at me and cried for treats.

I will give your method a shot. Thanks!

Don't make it too hard at first... maybe let him - see you hide a couple in - (sm)

[ In Reply To ..]
rather obvious places. Then let him see you hide a couple in not-so-obvious places. Then, once he's "found" those, try hiding a couple without letting him see you do it, in a couple places where you know he's sure to find them. From there, you can expand the difficulty and frequency of the game depending on your cat's interest, "hunting" skill, and appetite for treats. They do things like that with zoo animals, so they can "forage" for food, and it keeps them more active, busy and engaged.

Great tips. Thanks so much! :) NM - FelineOwner

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NM

Mine goes room to room watching our - bird feeders. NM

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@

My cat crashed his head against window. - FelineOwner

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I used to have a hummingbird feeder outside, but my cat went NUTS trying to get to the bird and banged his noggin HARD against the window, so I took it down. Also I think it would just frustrate them to no end, seeing the birds but not being able to get at them.

Thanks for the input.

My bird feeder is further from the window, on a tree - down the hill a ways. (sm)

[ In Reply To ..]
That way they can see the movement, but not scare the birds. I have a little bird bath outside my front window, and the birds and the cats both love it. I have a dresser in front of the bedroom window where the cats can sit and watch the bird bath activity, but there are plants and other "cover" the cats can hide behind, so they don't scare off the feathered bathers.

The front door is made of small panes of glass, and at night I leave the blinds on the door up a bit, so they can see out the bottom panes and down the front steps. I have motion lights outside, and if another cat, or a dog, or a raccoon or fox walks by, they're alerted by motion light, and run to see what's outside.

I the summer the hummingbird feeder is hung by the front door, so they can see the birds, but are not near a window. I also try to plant flowers that attract butterflies, which they LOVE to watch fluttering about.

Of all of this, I like the bird bath the best. I hope to add one or two more... the birds seem so appreciative of them, not to mention the kitties.

Thanks! Unfortunately, - FelineOwner

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Unfortunately, I am a renter in an apartment so have limited options as far as trees and other yard objects go.

I have to say that your description of your yard sounds lovely, pictureseque... almost idyllic!

Thanks so much for your input. :)

How the heck do you know your cats are bored - did they tell you

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Sorry, but I have cats and I have no idea if they are bored or not.

If your toys dont "alleviate their boredom," maybe they are not bored at all.

You should read more. - FelineOwner

[ In Reply To ..]
That was an incredibly sarcastic -- and ill-informed -- comment you made.

One of mine is part Siamese and incredibly hyper. When he becomes bored he starts to chew on electrical cords, bullies my other cat, and makes a bizarre yowling noise. Dogs too can become destructive when left alone inside all day by their owners because they are BORED. ANY veternarian -- and many pet owners -- is familiar with this phenomenon.

Some of us *KNOW* our pets -- I have had these cats for 12 years -- and know how to read cats in general. There are books on this topic; perhaps you should pick one up and read it. You may learn some things.

She asked a good question, and you gave a good answer! - ...

[ In Reply To ..]
I, too, was interested in how you knew your cats were bored. Like, literally - not sarcastic or anything!

It's possible the other poster was asking an honest question. I think you gave a good, descriptive answer.

I have cats too, and I am always interested in learning about other peoples' experiences of their cats!

Here's something I find my cats enjoy: I have some large-ish throw pillows, and I use them to build little viaducts and passages and tunnels on the bed. I just lean a couple of them together, and blammo - it's a little kitty adventure!

That sounds purrrfect! - FelineOwner

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Hey, that's a good one! A homemade kitty tunnel... I'll have to try that one.

Thanks! :)

not intended to be sarcastic - oh holy one

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I said I have cats, and I do have a siamese and I have never seen him chew on cords or bully my other nonsiamese cat. He also does not howl, so maybe your books dont cover all cats.

I was serious in what I said that maybe her cats weren't bored at all, maybe they felt like being lazy that day.

I guess your know-it-all attitude had to jump in and dominate the conversation huh?

Boy, you people can start a cat fight - over any little thing

[ In Reply To ..]
Pun intended.

"Did they tell you?" was SARCASTIC. - FelineOwner

[ In Reply To ..]
Your attempt to rewrite history is incredibly lame and fools no one. "Did they tell you?" was a dead giveaway, so don't try to pretend now that you were being serious. The subsequent, "Sorry, but" is also an indicator of your culpability.

You also seem to have difficulty following who is posting on here. I am the OP, and the moniker hasn't changed.

You wrote, "I said I have cats, and I do have a siamese and I have never seen him chew on cords or bully my other nonsiamese cat. He also does not howl, so maybe your books dont cover all cats."

Lessee, do you suppose that books written by animal behaviorists are going to cover the NONEXISTENT behaviors or the EXISTENT ones? Don't hurt yourself trying to think on that one too hard.

Also, you DO NOT know which books I have or what is contained within them, so HOW DO YOU know whether those particular behaviors are addressed in my books or not?

I was right: You do need to read more. Starting with a good Logic 101 book.

I have an idea... - buy a new couch!

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Seriously. We just bought a little loveseat for our tiny apartment. We have done without one for 12 years. The cats love it. :)

There's nothing like a cardboard box for hours - upon hours of kitty-fun!

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Or a paper bag they can hide in. If I put a new, strangely-shaped object on the ground - it can be anything - a lipstick, a key, etc., they'll bat that around for a while.

My older cat gets turned on by a spiral binder pulled out of an old calendar I was recycling. Makes her go nuts batting it.

Moving small furniture around and putting it in different places makes them interested in the change. They like to sit on (and in) things, so just putting 2 cardboard boxes on the living room floor for them to perch on or hide in makes their day. When they get tired of them, then the boxes get recycled. But when a new box comes in the future, oh boy! MORE kitty fun!

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