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Kittens are curious, energetic fluffballs with boundless energy. A safe, enriching environment can cater to your kitten’s playful side, stimulate them physically and mentally, and benefit their health and development for the rest of their life.
Keeping your kitten indoors has significant benefits because it protects them from a large number of dangers. But without all the sights, sounds and smells of nature, a kitten needs other ways to stimulate their mind and body.
To build your kitten an enriching environment, provide them with safe places for hiding and resting, like window ledges, carriers or perches. Your kitten should feel protected in their safe spots and may prefer an enclosed resting area. While kittens spend a great deal of their time sleeping, their periods of wakefulness can and should be used to stimulate psychological and physical activity.
It’s important to create stimulating places for entertainment and play, as well. Cats can benefit from spaces at different vertical levels, like cat trees and perches. A variety of scratching posts can teach your kitten appropriate scratching while nurturing their natural instincts, and protect your furniture and carpet from their sharp claws.
Many cats also benefit from social activity with other cats, especially if they were introduced to other cats early in life. Providing your kitten with another kitten or young cat as a play buddy can help meet their need for near-constant play and motion. Keep in mind that cats put a premium on managing space, so it’s important that multiple-cat homes offer a variety of places to hide, sleep and observe, using both the horizontal and vertical dimensions.
An important component to enriching your kitten’s environment is socialization and play, especially if your kitten is the only animal in the household. A kitten’s natural predator-play behavior is usually easy to stimulate with interactive toys, such as wand toys or balls to pounce on or chase.
Playing kitten games with your pet helps them develop coordination and natural hunting skills. It also can help them learn boundaries and develop a bond with their new owner. Aim for 10 to 15 minutes of structured playtime two or three times a day. One way to prevent the “nighttime crazies” is to engage in active, vigorous play before feeding your kitten at bedtime. This helps wear out the kitten before bed and mimics the natural hunting-feeding-grooming-sleeping sequence in cats.
Engaging games to play with your kitten include:
An important component to enriching your kitten’s environment is socialization and play, especially if your kitten is the only animal in the household. A kitten’s natural predator-play behavior is usually easy to stimulate with interactive toys, such as wand toys or balls to pounce on or chase.
A greater challenge is providing enrichment opportunities for kittens when a person or another pet is not present to interact with them. Puzzle toys are one option to fight kitten boredom. These toys come in a variety of designs to entertain your kitten and reward her with a treat or food, such as Opens a new window IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Healthy Kitten with Chicken. This offers twofold benefits, providing play and proper nutrition for supporting a kitten’s energy and playtime.
Kittens and cats will spend a great deal of time watching the outside world through windows, especially if there’s a bird feeder or butterfly garden within view. Make sure to keep at least one window blind open — especially if it looks out on an area with frequent movement and activity. There are also a number of “cat TV” videos of squirrels, birds and other nature scenes available online to keep a cat entertained.
Providing your kitten with enrichment opportunities helps prevent stress and the development of abnormal behaviors. Growing from a kitten into a cat in an enriched environment with lots of physical and psychological exercise supports the overall well-being of your pet at all stages of her life.
Adopting a cat can see you develop one of the most beautiful bonds of your life as you connect with your feline friend. Cats are playful creatures who can be very affectionate and form a strong relationship with you. Every time you play with your cat or simply spend time with them, you may notice a significant drop in stress levels and experience a boost of happiness. However, it is important to remember that cat adoption is a big decision which comes with a lot of responsibilities. Your home will become the cat’s home and you become their family. To ensure they get the best possible future with you, there are a few things that you need to understand before proceeding with cat adoption.
Whether you are opting to adopt a kitten or a grown cat, here are some things you need to consider before going through with the entire process.
Adoption is a permanent duty and a bond that lasts for a lifetime. When you bring home a rescued cat or adopt one from a shelter, you are providing the animal with new hope. The cat will be a member of your family and you will need to treat them as such. The lifespan of cats generally ranges from 12 to 20 years, and this is how long your commitment will be. Only once you have considered the enormity of your decision and are ready for it, should you go through with cat or kitten adoption.
Before you bring home an adopted or a rescued cat, you will need to make a few changes in your house to create favourable conditions for them. You can begin by doing the following:
Cover up exposed electrical wires in a way that the cat can’t reach them (since they might try to chew up the wire, which can lead to a severe accident).
Prepare your kids and teach them the basics of being responsible around a cat.
Keep a special room or space for the cat, so they can feel safe and get a sense of belonging.
Find a vet near your area where you can take the rescued cat for regular check-ups.
Adopting a cat also has many benefits such as:
If you adopt a cat instead of buying one, you will be helping a cat in need. You will be giving a rescued cat much-needed shelter, their own space, and a family that loves them.
One of the biggest benefits of adopting a cat from a shelter is that they often have an already established personality. This makes it easier for people to adopt a cat that best suits their lifestyle.
When adopting a cat, here are a few factors you should keep in mind:
If you have other cats at home, you will need to adopt a cat that likes their company. You can talk to the shelter home about this, so they direct you to cats who bond well with other cats.
When you adopt a cat, you should be able to make time for them and give them proper care and attention. You can also consider adopting a cat whose lifestyle matches yours. For instance, a cat who likes being independent can be a perfect choice for someone who is often busy.
To give your cat the best life, ensure that you have all of the following essentials:
