Windows on an Indoor-Only World

Looking Out for an Indoor-Only's World

As I watch my three-year-old orange male Tabby, Nico, stare out the large window into our backyard full of birds and squirrels, I note his swinging tale and twitching ears. He stalks in a daydream, and then curls himself inward into the familiar ball of fur for a nap. While I know he seems content, I worry that my indoor-only cats are bored; missing out on the true cat experience.

A couple hours later, I see my little guy tussling with his “sister dog,” our Yorkie, Layla. My fears are removed and I realize that life indoors is what it is. Indoor-only life is what we as pet parents make it for the animals we take responsibility for. Either we let our indoor-only cats languish and become furry meatloaves on the couch or we encourage them to get those ya-ya’s out with supervised play time, climbing towers, window benches, catnip toys and other cat paraphernalia.

We live on a busy street in a very busy neighborhood, and indoor/outdoor life is not a safe option for our kitties. It works for some folks, as there are many indoor/outdoor and outdoor-only cats in our neighborhood. But the threats of speeding cars, loose dogs and sick people who poison pets have kept my boys indoors their entire lives. Only Nico has ever touched grass. He was a feral kitten we found dehydrated and starving, with a broken leg. At five-weeks-old, his world went from hiding in the weeds in starvation to the safety of indoor life.

My challenge is to keep my indoor-only cats entertained and engaged in more than their favorite spot on the couch. Exercise and mental stimulation are vital to the health of any cat and I do my best to keep my cats happy and healthy. When I joined CATVIDEOS.com as Editor and Senior Writer, one of the first things I did was play the offered video, “Tom-Tom’s Dream.” I watched the video, giggling as my cats pawed at the TV. Even my dogs watched, and they all took turns in front of the screen. The video caught each pet’s attention at different times and was as much fun for me to watch as it was for the pets.

I’m interested in how you keep your cats exercised, mentally engaged and entertained. Do you have cats that play “fetch” with paper balls like mine? Do you have an exercise routine for your cats? Send me a message and upload your videos on this subject here at CATVIDEOS.com to share with our community.