Indoor cats: how to keep the flat interesting

An indoor cat lives safely, but safety alone is not enough: the hunting instinct is the same as any outdoor cat's, it has simply been made redundant. Boredom then shows up in style, from the 3 am sprint championship through comfort eating to the slow dismantling of your furniture. The fix is not more space but more to do.

Build upwards

Cats think in three dimensions: a small flat looks much bigger to them if they can travel at height. A cat tree by the window, or even a cleared windowsill, is entertainment on its own, because the street, the birds and the passers-by are your cat's television. If you can, a shelf or two along their favourite route adds a whole extra floor to their territory.

Hunt together every day

Two ten-minute sessions with a wand toy beat a basket full of ignored toys. The feather on the end behaves like prey, and your cat finally gets to run their full hunting programme. Always end the game with a catch: let them grab the prey, then hand over a treat. That closes the loop, and the cat grooms, settles and sleeps instead of prowling around wired, looking for the next target.

Loose toys work best in rotation: keep only a few out and rest the others in a cupboard. Anything that has been lying on the floor for two weeks is, as far as your cat is concerned, furniture.

Make food a job too

A cat's natural rhythm is many small catches, not shovelling from a bowl. It pays to serve part of the daily kibble with a task attached:

• A treat ball that drops pieces as it rolls.
• Part of the daily portion hidden in four or five spots around the flat.
• A lick mat or slow-feeder bowl for the speed eater.
• A cardboard box with crumpled paper and a few pieces inside: a free puzzle.

The box needs no introduction anyway: an empty carton or a paper bag with the handles removed keeps most cats busy for half a day, especially if it turns up in a new spot now and then.

A bored cat is not lazy, just unemployed. Give them lookout spots, a daily hunt and food worth working for, and the night-time sprints will get rarer too.

Not sure which puzzle toy to start with? Write to us and we will happily help.