Humane Services Is Your Cat Hungry? or Just Bored?

Does your cat always seem hungry or are they carrying a little extra weight? It may be a sign of boredom and that your cat needs more stimulation. Although domesticated, house cats still have strong instincts to chase, pounce and hunt. They are conditioned to look for food sources and are used to eating for a more energy consuming lifestyle. You can help enrich your cats physical and mental wellbeing by fostering their need to look and hunt for food with these tips:

Feed in a more interactive way. This can be as simple as serving their dry kibble in muffin tins or egg cartons so they can scoop out the individual pieces to eat.

Make your cat work a little harder for treats using treat delivery balls or use treats to teach tricks.

Hide food around the house. This meets the need to hunt or forage and gives them an outlet for extra energy while encouraging physical activity.

Scheduled exercise is often overlooked with our feline friends. 15 to 20 minutes a day of interactive play with your cat encourages physical activity, provides mental stimulation and strengthens your bond with each other. Other benefits include less nighttime gallivanting and less mischievous or aggressive behaviour like swiping and biting.

Have fun with it and search for easy, budget friendly DIY projects. Keep your cat engaged by rotating toys and games on a regular basis.