“Tabby cat Michael loves nothing more than lounging on the window seat, watching the world go by. I know that’s where he’s safest, but sometimes I wonder if he dreams of stalking the backyard and exploring the night-time realm…”
Some roam the outside world and some embrace the indoor life – and there’s plenty of good reasons for that. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) says that indoor cats live, on average, around 15 years longer than outdoor roaming cats.
The indoor environment is safe from traffic, parasites and wild predators, but it’s a trade-off. It’s smaller and more predictable, which means Cat Loyalists need to do some extra work to satisfy all those in-built cat instincts.
Home environments for happy cats
While you can’t faithfully recreate the outside world for your pet, you can bring the important parts of that experience inside. Here’s how:
1. Add in some up-high spots
Cats are natural climbers and explorers, and they’re very partial to scaling a wall (or a tree, or a building) to find a lookout spot. However, unless you live in a castle, your home probably doesn’t have that many hidden pathways, hideaways or spots for your pet to perch.
You can create that missing vertical space by installing cat trees and floating wooden shelves. More creative Cat Loyalists might want to repurpose ladders, crates or bookshelves to build their own creation. Adding in these up-high spots also encourages your cat to jump and scale things, helping maintain muscle tone and mobility.
2. Create hiding places
However much they love their humans, all cats need a quiet space to retreat to (don’t we all?). Cats prefer to have control over social interactions, so if there’s noise, household visitors or other pets around, they can start to feel trapped and stressed.
Creating the perfect cat haven doesn’t require any fancy materials. You could repurpose cardboard boxes or baskets – and cover them with a blanket – or invest in a cat cave. You could even do all of those, so your cat has plenty of choices. Rotating them around your home can also keep things interesting for your cat, but make sure this is a truly undisturbed space that they can reliably go to for peace and quiet when they need.
3. Bring the outside inside
Prey, plants, weather… cats are explorers, and they thrive when they’re encountering new things in the natural world.
That doesn’t mean indoor cats have to feel left out. There are multiple ways to spark their curiosity and stimulate natural behavior, which range from the small – adding bird feeders on or outside the window – to the big – installing a Catio: a full, enclosed outdoor space. If that feels like too much commitment for the time being, you can also buy cat-safe indoor plants such as cat grass, herbs and catnip that let them get a flavor of the wilderness.
4. Introduce scent and sound
Outdoor cats experience constant sensory stimulation, from tantalizing glimpses of prey to a world of outside scents. Cats love smells and motion in particular, and satisfying this innate behavior means engaging their senses fully.
Certain plants can work really well in this respect – vets recommend silver vine, catnip and valerian. Be careful to avoid anything toxic (and you can find a handy guide to that on the ASPCA site). You can also fill a box with leaves, moss and bark from the outside, to add some interesting new smells to your home. Water fountains can also keep cats entertained and encourage them to stay hydrated, which is important for preventing bladder issues.
And don’t forget the sounds – play background noises of birds and water, or turn on a nature-themed channel (when you’re not watching TV, that is).
5. Make play more interest
Cats are hunters. They chase, pounce, capture and eat, and there’s not much chance for that if you’re an indoor kitty.
This might be the most fun bit of our list, however, because this gives Cat Loyalists an excuse to 1)buy lots of cat toys and then 2)play with them. The key here is finding what your cat loves the most. It might be something on a wand or a pole that lets you mimic movement of a real animal, or it might be a robot mouse. Some cats like large toys like squirrels or rabbits, and others like long, cylindrical things they can beat up with their back feet.
Ideally, you’d recreate the experience of the hunt by playing in quick, five to 10 minute sessions a few times a day. And don’t forget to rotate those toys every few days, to avoid boredom.
6. Upgrade feeding time
In the wild, your cat would be foraging as well as hunting, and they’d be eating smaller meals more often (10-20 times a day!). The job for the Cat Loyalist is to recreate the experience of hunting, as well as these natural patterns of eating.
Using dinner as part of play can recreate the feeling of stalking, capturing and then being rewarded with a meal at the end. Puzzle feeders and food dispensing toys can scratch the foraging itch, and you can also hide dry food around the house, to spark exploration. Finally, giving small, frequent meals can support a healthy metabolism and stop your cat from getting bored.
7. Think about gut health with a supplement or functional treat
The good news about living indoors is that it’s generally a safer, cleaner and more controlled environment for your cat. However that means your cat is exposed to far fewer natural microbes, and their microbiome is less resilient as a result. A healthy microbiome is essential for a cat’s whole-body health – and you can read more on why that is here.
That’s why all of WellJoy’s treats and supplements contain our signature GutBoost™ biotic blend, to target the health of the microbiome. It also improves absorption, so whatever aspect of your cat’s health you’re focusing on, you know they’re getting the most out of all those good ingredients.
8. Introduce targeted support
For the final piece of the puzzle, there are some specific areas that indoor cats struggle with, and that you might want to focus on:
- Dental
Indoors cats can be prone to plaque and tartar, because they’re not getting natural shearing and abrasive action from eating prey. Our Dual-Benefit Dental+ treats contain a vet-formulated blend that helps reduce tartar build-up (and freshens breath for the joy of those essential kisses).
- Urinary
Less activity, less water and higher stress can all raise the risk of urinary tract problems for indoor cats – and we’ve written a guide about why that is. WellJoy’s Urinary+ supplement contains D-Mannose, Cranberry Extract and DL-Methionine to help keep those pees healthy.
- Skin and coat
Indoor environments lack natural humidity, which can cause dry skin and shedding. Our vet-formulated Skin and Coat+ treats mean less time spent picking up fur and more time on silky strokes.
- Calming
In some cases, cats can still find indoor life stressful. WellJoy’s Calming+ formulation in our supplements promotes their ability to feel calm using Melatonin, Ashwagandha and L-Tryptophan.
Cat Loyalists will know which of the above will be best for their pet. Is your cat an avid climber? Time to invest in some more cat trees. Are they unendingly curious? Build them a box of leaves and moss, for a taste of all those tantalizing outdoor scents. Natural hunter? Put some time aside for extra play sessions.
The key thing is to think about natural cat behavior – sniffing, stalking, climbing, pouncing – and find safe, at-home ways to let your pet express those feelings and instincts.
We’re proud to say that all of WellJoy’s content is fact-checked and verified by a Pet Loyalist team, including a veterinarian trained in companion animal nutrition and a PhD board-certified companion animal nutritionist.