Image Credits:
Pixabay
If you are looking for a cat which spends most of its time
sleeping, you are in luck. Although there are breeds which are
known for their hilarious antics, there are several felines which
prefer a laid-back lifestyle.
These cats love to spend time with you while you watch your
favorite show on Netflix. They don’t need a lot of attention, as
they can take care of themselves. As a result, if you live in an
apartment or lead a busy lifestyle, you can adopt one of these
five cat breeds:
American Shorthair
One of the least demanding breeds of felines is American
Shorthair, which has European descents. They are popular among
cat owners, because of their laid-back and gentle attitude
towards life.
The American Shorthair prefers to sleep on your sofa with you
beside it, rather than running circles around your garden.
However, they are known to get obese, so make sure you give them
ample amounts of exercise, to prevent excess weight gain. If you
get it a lot of cat toys, you won’t ever face this problem in the
future.
Exotic
They are similar to Persians, but with shorter coats, making them
excellent low maintenance four-legged companions. Exotic breed of
felines is peaceful and quiet by nature, due to which they love
sleeping on your bed.
They won’t have any trouble living in an apartment, as long as
you spend enough time with them. Do make sure you pet them while
you are at home, as they love getting attention from you.
Maine Coon
Despite their large size, they are extremely gentle, making them
the perfect cuddling companions. They tend to be affectionate
towards you while remaining quiet all the time. The best part is
their gentle nature, which ensures they remain calm and composed
in your household.
You can relax with the Maine Coon, after a long day at work, as
there is nothing more they love than spending time with their
owner.
Ragdoll
Ask any cat owner about Ragdolls, and you will only hear stories
of them lying around, relaxing, and spending time with them. They
are not energetic like a lot of felines, due to which they can
adapt to sedentary lifestyles easily.
One of their favorite activities all time is to be in your arms,
as they love all the attention you give them. If you have
children, don’t worry, as these breeds are extremely gentle.
Persian
Out of all the cat breeds in this list, none love sleeping more
than Persians. Even if you spend a lot of time at home, they
prefer lazing around and relaxing. As long as they can avoid
high-energy activities, they will lead a happy life.
Out of all these cat breeds, which one are you going to adopt so
that you have the perfect sleeping companion?
Activate the Athlete in Your Lazy Cat!
For domesticated cats, physical inactivity is the rule rather
than the exception.
Cats are predators by nature, built to hunt down prey for food,
evading higher predators to survive.
With domestication, these survival instincts are suppressed, as
food is readily available, and there are no dangerous predators
to contend with.
Unfortunately, ever since they started living with man, the
laziness of man has rubbed off on cats, and they have also gotten
a fair share of the attendant woes.
The narrative is even worse for cats that are confined indoors,
with almost no form of physical or mental stimulation from the
environment.
But wait, is this truly an issue? Should you worry about the
physical inactivity in your pets? What are the concerns with a
lazy cat?
A lazy cat is certainly not the best of pets. It’s no fun to be
around. It gives its owner undue worries.
Because a lazy cat is less active, it’s more likely to come down
with a host of chronic, debilitating health conditions associated
with physical inactivity.
These include obesity, diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis,
and immobility. Unfortunately, these can ultimately shorten the
lifespan of your feline friend.
An obese cat is likely to be lazy; a lazy cat is more likely to
be obese.
So, how exactly can you make your cat more active?
You just need to get them to hit the gym…or at least exercise
since there are no cat gyms around yet.
The following tips can help you activate the athlete buried
somewhere…deep down…in your favorite feline –
Optimize your
environment
Create a conducive environment for play. Cats' predator instincts
are readily aroused by movements and moving objects. Create
visually captivating patterns.
Toys and other tools should be positioned strategically. For
instance, having a cat seek out a toy under a pile of bed sheets
is more effective at stimulating activity than simply keeping the
toy on a table.
Also important, do a safety check at home from time to time.
As your cat becomes more active, the chances of accidents and
injuries from carelessly placed objects increase. Look out for
pins, needles, threads, exposed wires, and other items that can
cause one form of injury or the other, and get rid of them.
Play with them
Make out time to play with your cat regularly. Play provides
exercises for weight management and physical fitness. It also
builds mental health and cognition.
Plus, bonding between the cat and its owner is maintained through
play.
Common questions cat lovers
ask
Ø How long should I play with my cat?
40 minutes of play per day is adequate. Divide the total
time into several sessions, thus, four 10-minute sessions
daily will suffice.
Ø What if it doesn't show interest?
Unlike dogs, cats are a bit more reserved. They may not show
interest at all in play or may lose interest easily. It's
difficult to motivate lazy humans, let alone cats! Be patient
with your lazy cat.
Try different types of play. Make it interesting!
Ø How do I play with my cat?
Most animals appreciate love and attention. Cats are no
different. Call out your cat's name from time to time. Seek her
out and make her feel loved.
Examples of Lazy Cat
Games
ü Hide and
Seek
You can play hide and seek with both your human partners and your
feline friends.
Apart from hiding and seeking each other, you can hide several
things of interest and let your cat seek them out.
Hide toys in different parts of the house. Place her food at
different locations to increase their activity levels.
ü Laser
Lights
Light from laser pointers can be used to create illusions of a
moving object. You can point the light in one direction and have
your cat chase it while you move the light to a different point.
Lasers are generally safe, but take care to avoid direct contact
with the cat's eyes. Also, avoid pointing to areas not safe for
your cat to land.
ü Strings
games
Similar to the laser exercise, you can connect a toy to a string,
fling the string close to your cat, and retrieve it as it
attempts to catch it. Repeat the sequence over and over, throwing
the string at different locations.
Allow the cat to occasionally catch the toy, so it doesn’t get
worn out and lose interest. Take one for the team!
There are several automated versions of the above strategies,
such as Automated Laser Systems. These provide a great source of
fun for your cat without much stress to you.
ü Handy toys
Toys can help engage a lazy cat and increase her activity level.
Many cat owners, however, find out that their cats easily lose
interest in toys, and they have to get new ones to provide new
interest.
They eventually spend so much on toys without commensurate gains.
You can reduce expenses by getting a fixed set of toys and
introducing them one after the other to the cat.
ü Recycle toys to
maintain interest
Toys with built-in incentives are ideal. The cat gets a reward
for playing with the toy.
Good examples are toys that involve solving food puzzles. This
helps stimulate their instincts and keep them working out.
When real toys are not available, you can always improvise. For
instance, wrapping the cat's food with tapes and bands, and
having her loosen them to get the food is a good alternative to
the food puzzle toys.
ü Posts and
trees
Scratching posts/pads are useful to help cats stretch their
bodies. They also help sharpen their claws and provide necessary
alternative scratching surfaces to your furniture.
Cat trees are built to inspire your cat to climb. You can also
place incentives on different parts of the tree to further
stimulate climbing. There are so many ways to get them to become
a bit more active with this.
Variety is the spice of life. Combine exercises. Vary
strategies. Just make it interesting!
We can't possibly discuss all the ways to activate your lazy cats
within a short article.
But the following are worthy mentions –
Healthy, balanced
nutrition
This will provide the needed nutrients for increased activity and
overall health.
Check with your vet to find out foods that are safe for your cat
and the ones to get rid of.
Fresh catnips
Not known to have untoward effects, catnips provide your cat with
pleasant feelings, increasing its activity in seeking more of it.
Peer influence
You may consider getting a companion cat for your lazy cat. It
can stimulate play and increase activity levels of your cat.
Vet visit
It's very important to note that laziness, decreased energy, and
loss of interest may well be signs of disease in your cat. A
visit to the vet helps rule out serious medical conditions.
A lazy cat is not lazy by choice. Simulating the natural
environment of the cat will help awaken it instincts, sharpen its
mind, and improve its health.
How to Exercise Your Lazy Cat?
It is okay if your cat is always sleeping. Most cats spend their
daytime sleeping. They reserve their energy for night-time
playing and hunting. Since you must sleep at night, you should
make your cat play during the day too. The playing activity will
make your cat tired, and both of you can sleep without any
disturbance.
Check for health issues
However, if your energetic cat suddenly seems to be uninterested
in playing games, and does not look towards toys, take it to the
veterinarian. There could be health issues involved in making the
cat lethargic. If your cat loves to stay indoors, it is your
responsibility to give it exercise. Your job is to stimulate it
so that the cat exercises. To do this, you have to change the
immediate environment.
Finding the correct toy
You should find toys which your cat likes. This is tricky as each
cat has a unique taste and all are picky. It is not sufficient to
have a house filled with cat toys. Your cat would like a
particular toy and exclude all others. To understand what to buy,
carefully observe your kitty. If it is unmoved by a mechanical
mouse but jumps up when it sees a dangling toy, you know what to
buy. Do not hesitate to buy a few kinds of toys to find out the
kind of toys it likes best.
It is not enough to buy your cat toys. You must play with it too.
This is critical to make your lazy cat an active animal. The toys
are fun, but your cat will be joyous if you play with it. Buy a
laser pointer and switch it on to activate the natural prey
instincts of your cat. A wand toy is also a good buy in this
regard. Hide the toy sometimes to encourage your cat to search
and hunt. Give a treat at the end. It will make the cat feel that
he has hunted down the prey. Buy a few battery operated toys;
these are excellent if your kitty loves to pounce on things. Some
battery toys can be set with a timer so that they become active
even when you are not at home. You can give food puzzles to your
cat so that the kitty's meal times are not only delicious but
adventurous too.
Buy premium quality food for your cat. Giving it cheaper food
mean it does not get all the nutrients needed to be active and
healthy. Speak to the veterinarian about your kitty's particular
dietary requirements. Get suggestions on what type of food would
be the best for your cat. Remember to give your furball enough
water as dehydration leads to lethargy.
