Cat Apartments: Exercise and fun for our feline friends
After rescuing and befriending abandoned cats for over 26 years, I have come to realize how important it is to provide and support our furry friends’ once active outdoor lifestyles in their new indoor environment. My current three “wonder cats” – Miko, Panther and Buddy – have been very active outdoors; some activities were in “home defense” resulting in “battle scars” being displayed; some were rather playful ie. running, chasing and climbing. The decision to relegate my children to being indoor-only was driven mostly by their well-being and overall health. I was therefore concerned with how to support their active lifestyles, maintain a healthy body weight and offer a quality of life that is both fun and relaxing.
After getting my boys indoors (it took me 2 YEARS to get Panther to trust me enough to go indoors, and even then it continued to be a “process”!), I wanted to offer them quality of life , which I felt I was not depriving them in any way by keeping them indoors, keeping them healthy.
Along with researching the most optimal nutritional needs for my boys, I wanted them to get the most out of the indoor exercise tools. I researched and found that cat flats, trees and beds (aka furniture) offer a specific place for cats to call their own, in addition to fun, relaxation and most importantly exercise, due to climbing, jumping, chasing and scratching (most come with scratching posts) which appear to be common activities.
My two black and white cats – Miko and Panthera – seem to develop a very unique and special bond, playing, “stalking” and hanging out together quite often during the day and night. Although Buddy has a very loving and kind personality, he and Panther tend to continue to be “territorial” around each other, causing them to mostly avoid each other, with the occasional “scratch”. And Miko seems to be the “peacekeeper” between the other two.
I absolutely love looking at my three cats in their cat tree. On many occasions I have found that when I turn off the TV (and other “distractions”) and watch the “kids do it”, they seem completely immersed in their “jungle gymnastics” and with each other. Knowing that everyone is having fun and exercising at the same time makes me a happy dad!
#Cat #Apartments #Exercise #fun #feline #friends
