Did you know that cats spend an average of 12 to 14 hours a day sleeping? In fact, some of our sleepy feline pals snooze up to 20 hours a day. While kitties certainly are adorable when they are napping, there are a few downsides to their general fatigue. For one thing, it makes it very easy for Fluffy to become obese. Catching Z’s doesn’t burn anywhere near the amount of calories as catching mice! But how do you keep a cat active? A Dunn, NC vet offers some tips below.

Playtime

Playing isn’t just fun for Fluffy: it’s a great way to keep her in shape. Even a few minutes of pouncing and jumping can help your feline buddy burn off some calories. This is also great fun for your furball. Plus, it’s a wonderful way for you to spend some time with your pet, and make her feel loved.

Kitty Furniture

Cats love to explore little nooks and crannies. Keep your furry little adventurer entertained by setting out newspaper tunnels, cardboard boxes, and paper bags for her to check out.

Fetch

While this one won’t work for all of our feline companions, some kitties actually do play fetch. Bengals and Siamese cats, for example, often love to retrieve toys. (Of course, we’re not sure if this is due to humans training cats to retrieve toys on demand, or cats training humans to throw toys on demand.)

Pounce

One easy—if perhaps a bit sneaky—way to get your cat moving is to simply throw one of her toys across the room or down the hall. Chances are, Fluffy will run after it just to see what it is!

Vertical Space

Vertical space is always great for our feline friends. Fluffy really doesn’t have a great view from ground level, so she often tries to climb to higher vantage points. Cat towers, kitty shelves, and even pet stairs help encourage your furball to jump and climb. Plus, Fluffy gets to enjoy a better vantage point of her kingdom!

Automated Toys

There are now lots of fun modern options to keep your furball moving. Offer Fluffy a robotic mouse, an automated laser pointer, or a mechanical swimming fish. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns about your cat’s health or care. As your Dunn, NC vet clinic, we are here to help!