Our kitty cat pets bring us endless entertainment. Just watching them groom themselves while they configure themselves into Cirque du Soleil positions can provide gobs of fun. Indeed, there’s a reason that “cats” is one of the most searched for terms on social media channels including Youtube and Tik Tok. Live or on video, cat behavior is just really pretty amusing.

But are we as cat parents finding ways to keep them equally as stimulated?

Why is it important to keep your indoor cat from being bored?

Domestic cats are a lot more like their wild cat relatives than we think. Yes, we’ve eliminated the need for our inside cat to hunt and forage for food. But when they aren’t sleeping those, on average,  15-20 hours per day, our domestic cat’s natural instincts are still to chase and hunt. These are the survival skills that they would otherwise be using in the wild had we not domesticated them.

Signs your indoor cat is bored

You don’t have to be a cat behaviorist to recognize when your indoor cat is bored. You just need to pay attention to the signs.

According to Chewy, your cat is likely struggling with boredom if he is:

• Overgrooming
• Sleeping excessively
• Engaging aggressively with other pets in the same household
• Overeating
• Moping around the house
• More inactive than normal

Ways to satisfy your cat’s mental and physical needs

There is no shortage of toys, games, and devices on the market to stimulate your cat. If you have the money to buy those, great! If you are on a budget, not to worry. Indoor cats can be easily entertained by the most mundane household items. Not to mention outdoor creatures flying by.

Cardboard boxes and paper bags are both inexpensive and stimulate playful behavior. Kitties love the sound of pouncing on crinkly paper. They also love to poke their paws and heads through holes.

A room with a view to the outside elements can captivate cats for hours.

Place a bird feeder outside the window and your feline will have some fun, active new friends to study in no time.

No window? No worries. Cat-related videos on Tik Tok, YouTube, or from DVD shows are designed to mimic the outdoor environment. Since cats are noise sensitive, sometimes the sounds of chirping birds or crickets are enough to activate their natural instincts.

If money isn’t a factor, consider a running wheel, indoor hunting cat feeder, or a cat condo. The Spruce has a must-read list of the best cat toys of 2022.

Whatever you decide to do with your cat, make sure to spend time talking to her each day. Cat behaviorists agree that talking to our cats is one of the best ways to bond with them.