6 Helpful Ways to Make a Lazy Cat Active
Cats usually love to sleep long hours during the day to save their energy for hunting and plating at night. However, you should become concerned if your one-playful cat is no longer interested in toys or doesn’t want to play anymore. A trip to the vet should rule out any health issues. Sometimes, there might not be anything wrong with your cat, and they are just too lazy to play. In this case, you need to get involved and help them become more active. Here are a few helpful ways to make a lazy cat active.
Steer clear of low-quality pet food
If your cat eats low-quality food, they might not be getting all the necessary nutrients they need to be physically active. During your checkup, let your vet know what diet your cat consumes and determine whether it could be the cause of its inactivity. Your vet will then recommend the best diet to help boost your cat’s energy levels and overall well-being.
Play with your cat more often
You might have a busy lifestyle that hinders you from creating time to play with your cat. However, one of the best ways to get your lazy cat to be physically active would be to be more involved in their lives. Use toys, wands, and laser pointers to activate their natural prey instincts and chase the object around until they are spent.
Get a scratching post
Scratching is one of the many ways that cats exercise and alleviate stress. To keep your cat healthy, you should get cat scratching posts as it’ll allow the cat’s claws to stay in good shape and stimulate their natural tendencies. A scratching post will also keep your cat from scratching your furniture.
Look for the right toys
Like babies, cats are very picky about what they find interesting to play with. If you don’t have the right cat toys in your house, they will not stimulate your cat enough to want to play. It would be best to try different toys, such as battery-operated toys or those that produce crinkling noises until you find what tickles their fancy.
Incorporate food puzzles into meal times
Instead of simply giving your cat food during meal times, a better alternative would be to use food puzzles. These toys require your cat to do extra work before dispensing food. Food puzzles can help activate your cat’s hunting instincts, aid in weight control, and prevent your cat from eating too fast that they end up vomiting.
Use treats to reward your cat for physical activity
An excellent way to get your cat moving is to use positive reinforcements. Any time they chase after a toy or try to follow the red dot from a laser pointer, reward them with a treat. They will learn that they need to move around more to get a treat with time.
Wrapping up
If you place your cat in an unstimulating environment, they can easily become lazy and won’t be physically active. Fortunately, with a little effort on your part, you can make your cat jovial and playful once more. Physical activity also helps cats burn extra calories and prevents them from becoming obese.