Is Your Cat Violent Or Just Bored?
Whether you're a new pet owner or someone who has had several cats over the course of your lifetime, having a kitty lash out violently can be alarming. Whether you're getting hurt or, another pet is, it's a bad sign if your cat is behaving violently. However, there's a good chance that your cat is simply understimulated. Read on to discover if your cat is so bored that they're acting violently:
Why Cats Lash Out
Cats are born predators, and when they're in the wild, they're also often prey. As a result, cats' bodies are designed to exercise a lot every single day. Whether they're chasing down a meal or escaping so that they don't become one, cats have worked hard to survive throughout time. Unfortunately, the average housecat isn't always given the stimulation it deserves.
While your indoor kitty is lucky to not have to worry about hunting for dinner or avoiding being caught, it still needs regular stimulation. Exercise, both physical and mental, are vastly important to keeping your cat healthy, satisfied, and gentle. If your kitty is bored enough to be acting violently, there are some ways you can improve its behavior.
More Playtime
Your kitty deserves as much playtime as you can offer it. While providing a ball or another form of self-play isn't a bad idea, your kitty might not be satisfied simply playing on its own. As its pet parent, you should be playing with your cat on a regular basis, too.
Figure out what your cat's favorite toy is and spend a dedicated set of time with your cat every day doing nothing but playing. Your cat should get to the point where it's so tuckered out that it just wants to sleep. Breathing hard isn't a bad thing; if your cat gets exhausted enough, it'll stop playing. In particular, playing with your cat at night before bed is a good way of ensuring that your cat snoozes soundly and doesn't get bored and lonely while you're asleep.
Ideas for Play When You're Not at Home
While playtime with you is a must, that doesn't mean that self-play shouldn't be happening. Give your cat all the toys it can handle while you're away from home. Also, you can offer your cat robotic toys that provide some of the stimulation you can provide without being home yourself.
Some examples of robotic toys include automatic electronic laser pointers, bird recordings, and webcams that allow you to interact with your cat. Many of these cameras now come with laser pointers built-in, and some even have a treat dispenser to reward your cat for playing. In this way, you can still play with your cat even when you're not home.
Regular exercise can help to reduce the risk of your cat lashing out violently out of boredom. If you still experience problems with your cat's behavior, talk to an animal hospital like Berlin Township Animal Hospital to make sure that there isn't a health problem to blame.