5 APARTMENT CAT TIPS! (tips for enriching your cat's environment)
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
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What's up pet people!
Please click like if you want to see more of these videos and don't hesitate to comment with questions!! thanks for watching!
oh and this Buzzfeed video is full of great DIY ideas for cat owners:
• 5 Purrrfect Hacks Ever... - Фільми й анімація
Regarding toys, I think it is a law of the universe that the more money you spend on a toy, the less interested your cat will be in it.
oh you are spot on! sadly. I bought this 20$ laser pointer shooting bird toy once and my cat completely ignored it. I'd say the same is true about cat beds?
Dolittle's Den my cat loves his cat bed
Yeah my cats prefer to sleep on anything that I wear.
what kind of bed is it?
small ball of aluminum foil + seam
A few tips:
When a cat gets bored with a toy and stops playing with it, put it away for a few weeks. It will be new again when you bring it back out. I rotate several small batches of cat toys for this reason. That way, you won't have a bunch of little mousie toys lying on the floor, ignored.
Don't leave interactive toys like stick or fishing pole-type toys or the Cat Dancer out. Keep them special so they only come out when you play together. If you leave them out, interactive toys with feathers or fur tend to get quickly chewed up. Also, never leave toys with cords or string out, because string is very dangerous if a cat swallows it.
I have a big cardboard poster tube that I keep in a closet, where I stash long wand and fishing-pole toys.
Try playing with a cat by rolling a little ball around in the bathtub. Because of the curved shape of the tub, the ball will roll in unpredictable ways and constantly change direction. Something light, like a foam ball or ping-pong ball works best for this, because the ball moves quickly and dramatically reacts when swatted. This is amazingly fun for cats.
I have a small cat I've done this with since she was a little kitten. She's a teenager now, and if she sees the ball in my hand she will run ahead of me to the bathroom and sit alertly in the tub with a crazy, expectant expression. When I first started doing this with her, she was too tiny to get into and out of the tub by herself.
Hang a small bird feeder on your balcony or outside a window. I have one that hangs from a little arm that clamps to the balcony railing. I don't know if you'd get any birds on the balcony of a big-city high rise, but in a more suburban setting it can be great fun for vicious little predators to watch.
I second the recommendations several others have made, about giving cats access to high places. I've done some things like put shorter bookcases next to very tall bookcases, so a cat can hop up to the tallest one. Put a cat bed up there.
The same little cat who loves the ball in the bathtub, can go around most of the rooms in my apartment and never touch the floor, by hopping from cat tree to bookcase to desk to bed to dresser, etc.
One last thing, I like to close the door to keep the cat out of a room for a few minutes, and hide five or six small cat treats. Put them under the edge of the couch and on top of the bookcase,, behind drapes, on the window sill. This gives the cat a chance to hunt and rewards her for her persistence. Don't make it too easy and don't always put the treats in the same place. I particularly like using small pieces of freeze-dried chicken for this.
It's particularly fun if you can sneak a few treats into hiding places without alerting the cat to what you're doing, so that she finds the first one by complete surprise. My little cat will spend 15 or 20 minutes thoroughly searching a room once she realizes there may be a treat in it for her. I occasionally try to hide a few treats around the apartment before I leave, to entertain her while I'm gone. When I come home, she's always found them all.
The thing about doing this, is don't do it all the time; keep it unpredictable. While cats tend to adopt routines, I try to keep life interesting for her with small, random surprises like this.
the hiding treats, like Easter eggs thing, is so clever. I plan on doing this in the future for my little huntress kitty 🐱 in fact, all of these are great tips!
Thanks for dropping some knowledge 👍❤️
You're such a good cat owner!
Thankyou Pixelpanache
A wonderful post
Your tips are pretty good but the bird feeding one is not that smart. Cats can get stressed and anxios that they cant get to them.
Bought a 30 dollar toy...and my cats choose the box of course.
😅 ... of course!
Same except she chose not to play with the toy or the box
My toddlers do that too. Lol
I do that too.
I bought a 10$-12$ toy my cats like mouse amd balls that cost 5$
Please note that "hunting" a laser pointer can be very frustrating for cats as they do not get a reward out of it. In the wild they will catch the mouse/bird/insect/leaf that they were hunting but there is nothing to catch with the laser pointer.
Therefore, please DO either treat your cat after the "successful catch" of the red dot or make sure to ALWAYS play with a toy that they can actually catch afterwards.
TheNecrofluff yes! A toy to be used in moderation and appropriately
I like to play with the laser pointer then at the end point the red dot on one of his toys. It allows him to get the satisfaction of a catch.
I have noticed if I don’t do this he becomes anxious and looks for the red dot for up to an hour afterwards
Thank you!! I learned the exact same thing from my vet. I've never used a laser though, but he just mentioned it when talking about cat toys during one of our office visits.
Every cat owner needs to be informed of this.
At the very least, turn it off once in a while when they get it with their paw, to give the illusion of it being under the paw.
My cat isnt that bright, I think he falls for it lol
My cat freaked out the first time I used a laser pointer with him! He also doesn't like it when he can't find bugs anymore (because he ate them lol!). He's really smart though and quickly realized that the light was connected the thing in my hand, so whenever we play he spends a good couple minutes running around and then we have some play fight time where I have to beat him up with the laser pointer in my hand!
It's true about cats not knowing how high up they are. Years ago I had a kitten who fell 4 floors and thankfully survived with just a sprained paw. Ever since then I'd never leave a cat alone on a balcony.
my cat did the same thing a few years ago when he was a kitten, i took him out on th balcony for the first time and first thing he did was try to walk on the metal windowprotectors that are like 4 inches wide...he fell 13 ft and scared me half to dead but he landed on his feet and he was comletely fine. i cried like a baby first out of fear and then relief hahhah.
whoa that is so lucky! :) actually many cats survive high falls, but of course we still need to be super careful because it depends on what they would fall on a whether something would break the fall. Better safe than sorry!
Mark Turner It’s better for them to fall a little higher up so they can position themselves to land on their feet.
I don't entirely agree with you, Mark. With kittens definitely; as with little kids, they're exploring their boundaries and learning - often the hard way! Adult cats tend to be more savvy - I've seen lots of them actually looking and judging whether it is safe to jump from roofs, windows, trees etc. We did have one very clumsy adult cat many years ago who was always falling off of things though; he actually fell from the house roof one day and landed flat on his back; fortunately the only thing hurt was his pride.
I live on the 4th floor and my cat has fallen down several times, no idea if she wanted to escape or fell off accidentally. Every time not a scratch on her, although sadly she was missing for a week one time
I have two indoor cats that don't particularly like each other living in an apartment. To solve their territorial disputes, I hung a bunch of shelves on the walls, going all the way to the ceiling. Now one of the cats hangs around the walls, lounging like a Queen and surveying her domains from up above, and the other reigns over the floor and the furniture, equally feeling entitled to everything. Both are happy and feeling so smug about their choices that they don't even fight each other anymore.
anyjen amazing ideas! Thanks for sharing your tips!
cat mom goals
🐱 👑
They have probably worked out the hierarchy: boss on top.
Once that's accepted, everybody knows their place
That's still not good. They both need to be equal on top and equal on the floor. There is an episode of "My cat from hell" about such thing.
One thing I wish more cat videos would talk about it is utilizing the upper section of your apartment. The space nearest the ceiling is not utilized by us humans, it's just "head space" and unless you're 9' tall, you're really not ever going to use it. Make several cat ramps around the tops of the walls, over bookcases, around the drapes, etc. Down there is "human space" but up there is "cats only" space, and cats are very proprietary. They need a place that is for them only, not shared by anyone else. You're not using the ceiling space so make some ramps.
That is an excellent point thank you!
Just a note on this i saw a nifty video about making cat ramps - no screws in walls! Used a cinder block to make a stable base with brackets for the ramps around the room. Good idea for apartment dwellers with rules!
@@iamjamilyn good for people who can lift those! Not everyone can.
Fifthrider the only real exception to this is rooms where you have things like loft and bunk beds
I have the feeding maze. I laugh sometimes because my cats have learned to cheat the system. My smart cat, Miggy will tip it with his paw so a lot of food falls out the bottom. My lazy cat, Midnight (hes like a black version of Garfield)...he doesn't eat until Miggy "helps" him out most times....Little stinkers.
Phoebe totally cheats too lol
I tried to teach my cat to sit and she just stared at me like I was crazy until I gave her the treat 😂😂😂
Affy Raz It takes a lot of patience, even with dogs. I had one dog that took to commands really quick and easy while the other one a lot longer and it takes a few hours of practice every day.
Don't feel bad my cat does the same. All cats have different likes.
Always have at least TWO cats. We've learned that two cats, preferably siblings, are better because they need the company of other kitties. They will keep each other company when you are away or otherwise not available for cat business. They play together, slap each other around (rough and tumble) and groom each other. Twice the fun and twice the love!
Chet Smith completely true! I have three rescues they are not related but everybody thinks they are they are so close. Best decision ever!
I love having two cats. Mine are barn cats that were raised together. We couldn't separate them. They bond so well together. Of course mommy loves it too because she has more fur babies to love :)
Kristy McCabe, they're amazing, aren't they?
Oedipus(s) was a single cat for the longest time but he's truly perked up since we got Niobe and Niamh! Now the whole apartment seems like a race track, especially at 1am...:D Adopting these two was the best decision ever, though there's a LOT more cleaning to do with all this fur falling off of them! :O
Chet, it depends which two cats. My oldest cat, Anton, was an "only cat" for several months until my daughter suggested that he needed a companion. She brought me Dana, a tortie, by the way. This was about thirteen years ago and to this day, they do not like each other, to put it mildly. It's like a bad marriage though both of them have been "fixed". A few years later, I adopted Scampy, the cat seen in my icon. Anton more or less ignored him but Scampy and Dana got along quite well. Unfortunately, I had to have Scampy put down a few weeks ago, because the vet had done all that could be done for him. The situation between Anton and Dana remains the same.
When my cat was a kitten he would scratch if he wanted to be put down while I was holding him. I learned him to give me a kiss when he wanted to go, because it is easier to learn new behavior than to correct old ones, and it worked wonders. If I'm holding him and he wants to go, he automatically gives me a kiss and I let him go. (It obviously only works when you actually let him go when he wants to)
Ilse that's so cute! I love it
How did you teach your cat?
@@studymail5946 the same way you teach your dogs. Operant conditioning lol =)
I love these! I'd add one more: Brushing sessions. I have two cats and they love to be brushed and combed. It's a nice bonding time and it cuts down on hair balls as you remove the loose fur. I also trim their claws, I just cut off the points. It makes them nicer to play with but they can still climb and do cat things.
excellent points!
As with many things though, this depends on the cat. I adopted a stray last month and she is a real sweetheart until you try to brush her. Then she will hiss and attack the brush with her claws, and then go hide for hours. I tried a few times and gave it up, because I don't like putting her under stress. Some cats like to be brushed and some very much do not. I agree that it is a great idea if your cat cooperates though, I wish I was so lucky. My stray is a long hair and could really benefit from a brush!
@@eugenephillips9687 have you tried the glove brushes? My pusscat loves those and it's as if I'm petting her AND getting rid of hair at the same time....
@@susanbolton6215 Once she was with me for awhile I was able to brush her with a brush. She still doesn't like it but she puts up with it. But I actually just ordered a glove brush so I'm sure that will make her happy. Thanks for the imput!
My cat dislikes both those activities. :-(
jiji used to be an outdoor cat before I adopted him a few days ago, but when he was left at a shelter they found out he was fiv positive. This is great advice for me to help his transition to indoor cat life easier so he doesn't risk infections. thanks!
I totally agree with you. My cat (profile pic) always chooses the plain crumpled paper over any expensive toy! 😩
My kitten loves paper balls also :)
Kookie The Cat You have a cute cat! (Also our names are very similar)
Kookie The Cat my cat’s lost brother right there!
Holy snap crackles, there's a window cat perch?! Thank you for that! Straight up went and bought one after learning of it from this video lol.
I'd be so worried about it falling off while it's occupied! The cat could be badly hurt and if not they'd never trust it again! Nor would I! I've never had good luck with suction cups. Has the one you bought been trustworthy?
هلا
اههه
Tanya Wieczorek I had one for my bird and it never fell, but it was a bird.
Tanya Wieczorek maybe put something under it just in case if you’re worried
We are full time RVers we do all those things. He was a rescue that chose us from a group of strays at a truck stop we were at as a 4 mo. Old kitten. His view changes outside his window almost daily too. We harness and leash trained right away too so he can explore more.
The balcony thing is true .. my cat actually tried to walk over to the neighbour's balcony and slipped and fell 6 stories into the wet grass below.... very scary time. She was hurt and took some time to recover and now suffers arthritis in her older age.
i'm so sorry, thanks for sharing!
Oh I am on the 7th floor, but just moved in and balcony under renovations, can’t wait to let them out, now not so sure. Sorry about your cat Katie.
The arthritis could be caused by a lifetime of feeding them fluoridated water. I recently started providing mine with filtered water.
My cousin's kitten(only 4months old), used to play free in the balcony, my cousin didn't wanted to believe that he could fall down. And that's what happened, he fell down the 7-th floor and didn't make it. We lost him on International Cat day😭
Beautiful cat, love the chilled "Tickle my tummy" look on the window cat perch.
Her little orange paw!!!
ugh I know! :)
my cat goes absolutely nuts over empty and clean medicine bottles to play with
it's funny my wife and I bought her some fairly expensive toys and she won't play with them but give really cheap ones and she goes nuts ripping them apart lol
haha that's awesome
Lawrence Acree my cats love milk rings or frozen juice rings. They will literally destroy them until you can identify what the heck it is anymore.
Tbh I find this entirely as expected, the toys in stores are made more for the humans than for cats. They use colours, shapes etc that appeal to us not cats lol. Some toys go so far in this they become somewhat unusable to the intended pet, many balls for dogs come in colours that appeal to us but to dogs look the same as the grass background e.g.
ping pong balls are great cat toys ... this is exercise time
It's all about the cardboard boxes for my little one
My cat likes a stuffed toy about the size of a baseball, that says: " You da man!" when you smack it or drop it. He will carry it up the stairs and drop it step by step, just to hear it say "you da man!" and then carry it back up again and do it over again. You do have to hide it at night!
Hilarious.
This issue has just been bothering me. I have a very sassy very very smart girl cat and I know she gets bored in the apartment.
It's a stressor for me because I have an injury and can't get up and play with her like I know she wants to.
I have two of the cat hammocks that are just sitting in storage so I am going to bring them out tomorrow! Thank you so much
The toy with the wire and cardboard strands at the end of it is amazing My cat is obsessed with it as well She never gets tired of it
My cat is usually bored with toys, but she LOVES the dancer. She is obsessed and never gets bored with it. It also gives her the much needed exercise. Thanks for the suggestion.
Haha, she sits AND prepares to do a high five.
I bought a cat hammock and my cats wont use it; plus it wont stay stuck to the window. I did however buy a cat tree that attaches to the door. It takes up less space; plus my girls like sitting where they can watch me, lol. As far as toys are concerned; my house looks like a bomb went off and dropped toys everywhere.
Teresa Simpson hahah!!! Well it's a lot of trial and error, figuring out what each cat likes, isn't it? Plus they get tired of things randomly... ( btw my place also looks like a post-cat-toy-explosion)
Glad to know my apt isnt the only one, lol. Do you find yourself shopping for cat toys almost as often as you shop for things for yourself?
Dolittle's Den I think it's fine to offer not too many toys. Just like children: less is more. BUT you need to change these few toys every week, offering the 'old ones' again..then hide the old and replace by others...That will keep your cats interested.
Be careful with some toys. I had a rod with a long piece of string and a ball attached at the end. My kitten loved it but one day she was nearly strangled by it. The string wrapped itself around her neck while she was playing with the ball. Luckily I had strange feeling about this toy and never let her play with it unsupervised. She was a good girl and sat still while I cut the string from her neck carefully. Phew!
Oh my, that must have been such a scare!!! Glad she's alright!! You are absolutely right about not letteing your cat play with certain toys unsupervised! I only leave my cat's catnipmouse out, the rest will go in a basket and only come out at playtime.
I had a toy that attached to a door and had a selection of different things to attach at the end of a cord that dangled down.
THE PROBLEM was the attachment mechanism. I'm not sure of the proper term, but it was one of those ball chains where the ball at the end fastens into a little....oh, tube 'socket' is the only term I can think of. Like an old fashioned key chain type of thing.
Well, my kitty was having a great time until one of her claws got stuck in that attachment part. Oh my Lord! She panicked and I had one heck of a time getting her loose because she was struggling so much. It went straight into the trash.
Be VERY careful when choosing cat toys and don't let the cats play unsupervised. I can't imagine what would have happened if I wasn't home when she got caught in the toy!
Also if they swallow string it’s a huge danger can require expensive surgery to remove
I just use any ropes and attach literally anything on the other end. Clothes clips, feathers, papers, bottle caps, smaller ropes, balls, other toys. You can hang some, and you can actively play with some. I use these for higher jumping training and for playing, and as long as I alternate the toys cat never gets bored.
Thumbs up for torties!
yaaaas! Torties are the best!
Pandaka Bob yassssss I love Torties So much!!!!
i have a torties. Playflu. lovable, weird meows and never satisfied with attention. lol
I have a tortie named turtle!
My tortie makes funny growling and grunting sounds when she gets excited.
I screened my balcony in with deer netting it cost only $20!
Francesca Demming awesome!
Where do you buy it?
@@jonnyweber3311 any hardware store
I haven't read all the comments yet. But as a cat Mom, I'm sure I will learn a lot. A helpful suggestion that I have is when you buy a scratching post that is too light and topples over when the cat puts its weight into it. Obviously the cat will not use it now, but what I do is stick them under the legs of my sofa. That way instead of scratching the sofa they can scratch the post and they can put their weight into it without fear of it toppling over.
Thanks, I live in a tiny apartament and this really helped!
I'm so glad it did :) !
bit late on this one but it popped up on my recommends and thought i would share something which was a lifesaver for my puss, literally. she got really fat after being sterilized. we tried foods etc but still struggled. so we got a little cuboard about a meter high, put a cat perch next to it, and put her food on the top of the cuboard. by doing this she always has to jump/excercise to get to her food, it also means she was not inclined to go and just eat just because. that combined with special food saw her loose enough weight and keep it off. make sure there is access to water on the ground tho. benefit too is that the cuboard stores all her bits like food, bowls toys etc. we got ours from a thrift store so cost next to nothing. The vet was really pleased with this solution too! we saw a big improvement in her mobility and also how much energy she had. she actually usually jumps straight up and climbs down the perch. no issues with her thinking other surfaces are for jumping either, we spent some time retraining her, so encouraging her on her cuboard, but carrying her off other surfaces and putting down on her cuboard, and she soon picked up she was allowed on there but not elsewhere.
excellent advice thanks for sharing!
Great stuff. We gave access to the attic for our apartment cat. She loves it. 'Princess Diary: A Cat's Memoir' is the result of all she taught us.
I'm a cat person myself and i notice that this channel has a good way of teaching on how to make your cats indoors life more happier. I hope you've notice my comment .
My three have very specific toys that belong to each individual. But the best thing I do to save money versus buying toys all the time, I get packages almost daily. My three love to be nosey when I’m unboxing, so once I’m done they get the box to play in/with until they get bored of it. The boxes are things to play in and scratch on...helps with saving money and trying to come up with new ideas.
Thank you so much. This video has helped a lot. My partner and I are moving in together into an apartment and desperately want to take our little kitty whose 8 months old but we have had a few anxieties about it. Top video, thanks!!
I find that paper towel rolls, cheap collars with bells work great as toys. But the laser pointer is the best.
Thank you Dr! This is what I needed! Subscribed with notifications!
I also live in an apartment with big windows like yours and my cat loves her window perch. She has become a little bit attention seeking though because exam season is upon me and she meows at me and tries to nibble my hand to get me to play with her. She was lots of toys but isn't an independent player.
I've also noticed when she gets in this mood she also becomes obsessed about wanting to be on top of my bookshelf. She'll sit there and cry while looking up at it and even if I let her up there she continues meowing loudly as if she just wanted a podium to catch my attention. Any thoughts?
my cat is VERY needy these days too! I notice that changes in temperature really seem to make her want to cuddle as she gets cold. I try to have warm beds available to her but she does prefer my lap! I'm not sure what the perching on the bookshelf is about but in my apartment the heating vent is up high so often she will perch near it for warmth. My best suggestion would be to try to give her a little workout, with whatever toy she prefers (laser pointer?), so that she is a little tired and hopefully more quiet when you need to study? if the bookshelf is a safe place, maybe put a little comfy bed or blanket up there ? If I come up with any more ideas I'll let you know!
Caroline Jacobson She needs more play time. Why not create hide and seek game. Reward her for finding you. Crawl on all fours. Jump out at her. Use string dangle string so she understands playing (not scaring)
Be careful with cat beds on top of the bookshelf. I tried it with my cats since they kept going up there. One day Ruari rolled in his sleep and totally fell off the thing. He woke up on the way down and landed ok, but both of us were startled! Now I leave a few folded towels up there. sometimes they lay on them, other times next to them with their head resting on them, but they have not knocked them off and fallen with them. I also have to watch what I keep on the top shelf. They will hang over the side to swat it off to check if the gravity is still on. They haven't realized I'm not lying when I tell them it's always on.
Is she Siamese? I have 2 Siamese and they can be very vocal.
Such a cute video, great work! I love the idea of letting the cat out on the balcony with a harness :)
thanks ;)
Me too, I must get a harnest, might get a bit tricky as I often leave the balcony door open for Badger to just come & go & he pleases & he prefers it like that but now I'm scared he'll start jumping up the ledge again.
I must find everything in this video for him, not the green snacks though, Badger tried those & doesn't like em. Funny you should say Dr because my partner is teaching Badger to high five at meal time ...sort of ha ha. Ok so new shopping list - Harnest with extra long leash. Cat hammock. Cat tree? Maybe not because too expensive & he might not use it for anything other than to jump up high & there must be a cheaper alternative. & everything else in that vid. Hope I can find that ugly toy.
If you know how to put up floating shelves it could be cheaper. I myself just found a carpenter, who’s going to help me make some walkways and steps for my two babies.
I also am going to get that ugly toy, it’s called a dancing something? will rewind. I’ve got the flying birds (feathers/rods). It’s also good, but tiring on me.
1. First point on the list should definitely be, have more than just one cat if possible! (It's NOT true that cats are solitary animals, in fact only very few are antisocial, and that's mostly because they were held in solitary for a long time before.)
2. A laserpointer is NOT the best toy for a cat! It can damage the cat's eyes and also lead to frustration because there is no "reward" when the cat "catches" the laser dot, as opposed to, let's say, a toy with feathers.
The cat dancer (wire and cardboard) is way better :) My cats love it.
3. You should not feed your cat dry food as main food; if you however do so, maybe this intelligence toy is quite nice.
I prefer to use dry cat food as a snack for them and throw it, so they run after it.
4. If possible, you should secure your balcony with a net, made to protect cats from falling. That way you don't have to train your cat to wear a harness and also you don't need to be there all the time. Your cat will thank you, as it can move more freely without a harness.
Agree, two cats are better than one. company and mental stimulation for them. **** Dr. D, - why don't you have a second kitty? Please adopt one.****
Agreed, secure balcony with cat netting!
ANOTHER easy "toy" interactive play is tying a piece of paper (or several heavy pieces of paper) on a string. THEN, throw a piece of cloth/rug/bedspread over the string while you drag the paper "gopher" under the cloth so that the cat can watch it moving. Then the cat will scoot very quickly to hunt the paper gopher once it emerges from the cloth. THIS IS MY CATS "FAVORITE toy by far. I use a wand with an attached "gopher" but it can be almost as good if you make your own. I am surprised that others don't mention this VERY BEST toy....
It’s really nice to see someone who loves their cat so much
I got my cats the feeding tree you suggested and it is great. It slows down my big boy and made the feeding area much more tidy. They tend to eat the kibble they knock down instead of it getting all over the floor. Great suggestion!
YOUR CAT IS BEAUTIFUL!
I really enjoyed this and got a few ideas. We just moved from a house to an apartment. We are all having troubles adjusting, especially our indoor/outdoor kitty. I know he is bored and know he wants out. I have things I want to implement (cat tree). We also have a very low balcony ledge so I can't let him out now. He has been playing with his tail a lot. Also putting on weight even though I've reduced his food and changed to indoor cat food. I am really interested in the feeder ...I'd like him to slow down when he eats and take his time. Perhaps he will eat less, enjoy his food more and feel fuller longer. And lose weight!
I'm so glad this inspired you!! thanks for the comment! I had the same problem when I moved from a house to a condo and this is what gave me the idea for the video. I'd say if you feed kibble you can also try the ball feeders from the same brand (Cat-it). My friends had success feeding their obese cat with this: it's a toy that rolls around and dispenses the food kibble by kibble. Other brands make it I think. They have to be cleaned regularly though, otherwise they get pretty disgusting! You could also try making something yourself if you are crafty? I've seen lots of youtube videos with ideas on how to make fun cat feeders. Hope that helps!
Lisa N i
I've put some kind of adjustable fencing (more like a mesh) from the floor to the ceiling so that there's no way my cats can jump off the balcony. You lose the open feel, but your cat will love it.
I just moved from the only home my cat knew, a 3 bedroom house with stairs, to a bedroom I'm renting with a balcony. It's hard for him to stay in my room because he's used to roaming the house, but I finally got him a floor to ceiling tree, and then I attached a lattice for my balcony so that he can watch the traffic, which he's never seen before. The lattice acts as a nice privacy screen for me and keeps him from roaming onto the roof.
For pity's sake, find them homes where they have access to the outdoors. This indoor cat thing is insane.
Best cat toys is a shoes lace with some knots in it. My cats love it!
Thank you! Exactly the info I’m looking for as I’m trying to turn my outdoor cat to an indoor cat
I think teaching your cats tricks is a great enrichment, but honestly, the only trick learned at our house is, when the cat meows, I give him a treat.
I got that exact feeder puzzle for my cats and my little princess went on a day and a half hunger strike because she was pissed about having to work for her meals. She wouldn't even eat the food when I moved it to a bowl for her. She would then steal the food that her big brothers worked to pull out of the puzzle before finally trying it for herself and becoming quite good at it!
Almond Bird weird!!! I wanna say there was a learning curve here too
Great ideas! Thanks! I love Phoebe! She is so beautiful! 😸💕
Thank you for making this video, will try some of your recommendations!
Tip No. 4 -Within seconds most cats escape from their cat collars and harnesses.
We have two different harnesses, one to step into and one that clips around neck and midriff. I have been outside with both and had panicking cats in both and neither was escaped...
Also, one of the local cats strangled herself to death, because she could not escape her collar...
So no, not in my experience.
I love tortie cats. Mine is a torie and she has the best personality
I used to live in a big old home with a 1 1/4 acre of ground. I built a kool outside and inside jungle Jim set up for my two wild kitties. Inside I built 7 1/2 foot tall tree houses that had platforms that where linked to two rooms. They had a blast playing and almost never had a fight over food or space or never was there a bored cat. Another kool simple thing you can make that really worked. Take 4-5 large boxes and glue them together off set cut holes in them inside and on the sides glue a mailing tube or two to the sides and put course rope on them they love the rough texture. Instead of a play house for children it is a play house for kitties. 😻😸
I just got my first indoor apartment cat. This was really great to watch.
If you are in the US, a cheap way to test your cat's interest in a laser pointer can be found at Dollar Tree! :)
that is so true! :) and somehow the batteries are always more expensive than buying a whole new pointer...
XD Right?
I have one near me
Bad idea.
We put up shelves by the window. Ella loves to climb on them. The highest one gets her up pretty high.
I'm really happy that my cat already has access to all of these things. I have the same feeder in green.
Awwww Phoebe's sooo cute!!! *.* thanks, very usefull tips! :)
Wow. Phoebe is one beautiful Tortie! Does she like to show her Tortitude from time to time? My 17 year old Tortie sure does,
Lol😂😂😂
she says thanks! ;) she's maxed out on tortitude and she knows it!!! especially with the new baby around...ooof
@@dolittlesden Keeps you on your toes, no doubt! Lol😂
@@dolittlesden Wishing you, your family & of course Queen Phoebe the Fearless, a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year in 2020!
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
had a cat toy with wire rope. kitten played without me and almost got electrocuted. wire swung between the outlet and the plugged in unit. wire burn in half and cats paws got singed. if wire was in her mouth she could have died! never let them play with wire toys alone!!!!
oh my!! thanks for the heads up I leave mine around all the time ...
Nylon might be a solution. In Europe, wire is not a problem, as the wall sockets are different.
Would never let my cat play with any wire or metal.
Awesome video, thank you for sharing. I do take my Hugo to the balcony with a leash, he loves it.
I have a security net for cats around my balcony so my cat is safe out there. We've had it up for 8 years and there has never been any dangerous incidents at all. In the summer he basically lives out there, you can just tell how happy he is. It's definitely the best thing I've ever done for him.
i live in a big house and my cat is indoor i wanted to enrich him so we have 2 cat forts and hanging toys as well we have 5-6 toy mice which run for my cat to chase and we hide our cats foid he searches for it and my cat also is leesh trained i take him for a morning and evenging walk for about an hour i also have a big sun-room where my cat wathches some birds as i live in the county side , and i take my cat to places where i go like a picnic or so ---
If you have a balcony or other access to the outside, hang a bird feeder there. This is one of the best forms of entertainment for an indoor cat, especially if you set up a cat tree or other perch to give your cat a good view of it from inside.
Set up some 'cat caves' - little hiding places such as a small box with some bedding in it, or you can purchase all sorts of little tent-like or cave-like structures. This gives cats a place to feel safe and hide while they nap, something instinctive that is important to them.
Rotate cat toys. Cats eventually get bored with non-interactive toys, and things like toy mice will just lie on the floor, ignored and un-played-with. Pick them up and hide them away in a drawer. When you bring them out again a month later, they will be new and exciting again. If you have two or three sets of toys that you rotate every few weeks, your cat will always have fun, new playthings.
Put some bedding in sunny spots. You cat will find these and nap there anyway, but make them as inviting and cosy as possible. Window sills are often the best. The little suction-cup hammock would be perfect for a sunny window.
One of the most fun things I do with one of my cats, is to play with a lightweight ball (like a ping-pong ball or one of those very light foam plastic balls) in the bathtub. A heavier ball won't work as well; it needs to be something very light, like a ping-pong ball. The bathtub is dry, of course. Roll the ball around in the tub, and because of the curved sides and the ball's light weight, the ball will roll in unpredictable ways and quickly change direction. A good way to start is to roll the ball very fast against the side of the tub, so that it rolls around the sides and around your cat. Usually, once I get the ball moving she will spin and bat at it and keep it going. Roll it again if it stops. This is some fast-action cat play, and the quick changes of direction are a good simulation of chasing a mouse and require some rapid and challenging paw-eye coordination.
When I walk past the bathroom, my cat will often run into the bathroom, hop into the empty bathtub, sit and look at me with an alert expression, inviting this play.
This video is very helpful! We just adopted a 7 month old persian cat and she's still adjusting to her new environment. Hopefully she'll get used to her new home sooner.
The Balcony access is good advice. The harness is everything.
My friends from Hong Kong have an apartment cat and he likes to watch the birds but runs away and hide if he sees a hawk.
freemantle85 smart cat!
Smart cat, indeed! There's an awful video on YT showing a hawk sitting on a fence with the body of a hopefully-dead cat in its talons, in the middle of some city!
greenies!!! thats what i give my tortie as well. unfortunately i dont have a balcony so she just stares out the window 😿
I really liked your use of a cat harness for use on balconies. I have a balcony with a really low edge (less than a foot high with a railing above to prevent small children from falling. This gave me the impetus to try it out. The other think that impressed me was the cat perch. Thank you.
Ive had so many of those cat dancers, they're the best!
A cat net over the balcony would mean your cat can go outside
You forgot the most important one of them all! Always have pets in pairs. Nothing will enrich an indoor animal's life more then having a companion. Especially on those long, lonely days you're gone for 8-10 hours.
I had a friend who got a cat as a pet for her German shepherd.
One exception to this tip is when the owners are seniors. When this retired couple got two shelter cats they twined around our legs and tripped us too often.
Great! I can say that I have already applied all these tips to make my Carlota's life more interesting. We live on a 20th floor, so I had to build a catio for her, and she loves it!
Thanks for these tips. I have the maze feeder which provides great fun for my cat. I also harness walk him everyday in my neighbourhood
do you have a tortoiseshell cat
I have heard the laser pointer can frustrate cats because they never actually catch anything. What do you think about this?
it's a great question, i've noticed lots of comments regarding this! I'm planning on making a video discussing this because it seems to be a hot topic. I personally think with moderation this is a reasonable toy to use, as long as you follow with something that the kitty can grab at and enjoy the ''catch''. I wouldn't drive my cat crazy playing with the pointer for hours and it may not be appropriate for certain cats ... but that's common sense I think? I still will use it from time to time because my kitty will not get as good a workout from anything else. It's a good idea to read your cat's body language and give up if they are anxious from it. My two cents!
River Birch If you play to long with it than yes
Great ideas! I’ll definitely get a cat harness for my new cat so she can go in the balcony. And trucks too! Fun for the both of us.
Thank you for this. We have an indoor cat (he doesn't like outside, too big and scary) who has put on weight while I was distracted taking care of one of our others who was sick, so I'll be using lots of these.
Btw - the most favouritest toy I ever had with our cats was an old sock, filled with catnip and tied at the end. They played with them for HOURS.
I have a Kitty that's obsessed with an ordinary craft pipe cleaner. he loves playing with it and it's long enough that I don't get my fingers clawed or bit when I hold in air
Angela Gray that's awesome! The best toys are probably what you have lying around... :) under supervision of course!
my cat is obsessed with these! she'll pull one out of the bag i keep on the bottom shelf and bat it around for hours. i'll also curl them around a finger so they're springing and good for "hunting". usually she yowls when she's "caught" us something 😂
My foster cat is too fat to sit in the hammock 😂
Mine too! He's a big boy!😝
I’m building upper level areas for cat only. Also, my kitchen has cupboards that are 300 mm above the floor, so I’ll be putting in a maze under some of them for her private space. Will still try to encourage her outside if possible, but some in house entertainment and climbing will help.
I love that suction cup balcony!
The only reason i dont have a cat is because i dont feel cinfident in leaving it alone in the appartment. Since i live alone the cat would spent a good portion of the time alone. I dont think he would be happy. 🤔
Eduardo Ramires Hi! I thought the same till I adopted my first cat (a fairly active senior short-haired rescue I named Kitkat). She loved being the queen of the house with or without me. I still felt she was lonely with me gone for long hours (I am a grad student who works full time). So, I adopted another cat, a 1 year old hyperactive, goofy, long-haired male called Barney. Man, my older cat didn't take to him even after a long introduction. They tolerate each other most of the time but my older cat was definitely fine alone. Nowadays, I volunteer in a shelter and I realize there are several cats like Kitkat who like living alone while several like Barney that don't do good alone. I would suggest that if you really like cats and want to adopt one, you can go to a shelter and look around and talk to the ppl who work there and adopt an adult cat.
Hi ..well you should have 2 cat then.
Eduardo Ramires he could very well become bored and depressed. I recommend 2. It's not as bad as it sounds. Having 2 indoor cats is so much easier than one. They bond so well when it's just them. My 2 fat cats are inseparable. Lol. I love them so much!
If you go to a shelter ask for a bonded pair!
Also, isn't it true that cats spend 12 hours+ a day sleeping?
It’s extremely bad for wildlife to let cats outside.
TheNerdyVlogger bad for cats too - it’s not safe for them at all.
Why are wildlife indoors and letting cats out?
Thanks for the video. I really enjoyed it.
Just discovered your channel. Good stuff, Dr. B!
my cats fetch balled up old receipts and don't use any toys really
Ryan Jarrett receipts are toxic. They use a chemical called BPA which has been banned from use in baby bottles, products, etc. Try not to touch them at all. Dont believe me? Do your research like I did. Same goes for many pet products.
philupshuis1 thanks I don't do it anymore I figured it was but my cats love crumpled up paper
Ryan Jarrett One of my boys does the exact same thing.
philupshuis1 Thanks for the info. I'm not going to use receipts anymore, I'll find something else. 👍
O same goes for me, mine love one particular shall be unnamed supermarket receipt. Funnily enough I have stopped doing that, since I discovered that we can make balls out of their hair (from grooming).
I miss my old cat. She was so smart but ended up dying of cancer. She used to sit for tricks and bring me her toy. The cat I have now is not very smart. The current cat cannot even figure out how to open a door that is a jar.. Oh well. Just like people, some are smarter than others I guess.
love the walk-by at the end...😊
I love the laser pointer point. My dog absolutely adores it, my cat does even spare it a glance
The reality is that cats end up bored and even depressed living in a apartment. Having a balcony, preferably closed with a mesh window helps though. A house with a garden is the best thing for a cat, of course.
My cat seems pretty damn happy. He just wants to be around me.
So I'm a terrible mom for only being able to provide an apartment for my cats? Lol ok. My cats are happy and always all over me. Not everyone can have a house and garden.
suction cups suck
Well, yes, that is the point of them
Super info...loved this video!! Verry cute!!!
I like the figure-eight type harness better, as it's hard for them to pull out of it backwards.
good info, but very boring/long to watch
aud 21 she should prepare the script instead, it’s kinda hard to listen to her stutters and long pauses
ya... it was my first video, there are many things I'd do differently now! lol
It was fine. Got some ideas
My cat is an indoor cat by choice. He was an outdoor cat b4 he insisted I was his human & ever since, he has zero desire to go outside & freaks out when I have to take him somewhere outside of house (vet, moving to new place etc).
He's a happy indoor cat & gets lots of loving & play time too. I built him a cat scratch post with my father & re carpet as needed. Enjoys going out to front hallway & watching out door from stairs. He's a cool dude.
Thanks for the cat dancer toy I've got both the deluxe and regular. Her reaction is better than some of the toy I've already got her. Thanks again
The cat dancer toy is the favorite toy of 1 out of 3 I have. He brings it all over my place. Including bring it to me while I am asleep. Oh and the other 2 like playing with it you have seconds before the other 1 shows. If he hears that toy tap on the table /floor / wall and so on he comes a running! Oh also 2 other tips. One is with the cat dancer. Attach the one end in cupboard doors or draws. Tape it to a counter top. Just make sure you check it by tugging on it in every direction. You want to ensure that nothing can fall on your cat. The other tip is for any toy that has a plastic rod the feathers or furry boa like things. Basically anything that will catch a breeze. Again set up where it is dangling out and tug it around to ensure your cats safety. Then get a fan that uses a mechanical on/off switch. Plug the fan in a timer like you use on your Christmas lights or security for while you are away. So this way at set times that toy will start dancing thanks to the fan. Thanks for the great tips!