"If cats aren't getting enough play, it can affect their wholemodus operandi, and their usual habits can change," says Wilbourn. "They can become destructive and aggressive because they have all of this bottled-up energy."
How much playtime does your cat need? Pam Johnson-Bennett, a certified cat behavior consultant and best-selling author, says cats need the consistency of scheduled interactive playtime. She recommends scheduling playtime once or twice daily, with about 15 minutes per session.
Their bad mood might be stemming from boredom, so make sure you're providing plenty of stimulation for a depressed cat (or any cat, for that matter), Dr. Bernal says. “Make sure your home looks like a cat lives there—cat toys, climbing trees, cozy beds, and scratching posts,” she says.
“Cats need play just like kids do. It helps them engage, deal with boredom and it helps build bonds between [family members and] other cats in the home,” says Dr. Taylor Truitt, DVM, The Vet Set, Brooklyn, New York. “Play stimulates their brains and also helps them exercise.
Playing with your cats is an important part of maintaining their health and your bond with them. Luckily, they love to play! Providing opportunities for solo play is particularly important for indoor cats, especially if they spend much of the day alone.
If you are going to have your cat inside, it is important to make its environment as stimulating as possible. If you don't, cats can quickly become bored, stressed and even depressed, resulting in detrimental and destructive behaviours.
Cats make great companions and because of their independent nature, they are content being home alone. But just like other animals, cats can get bored if they are not given sufficient stimulation.
Cats, while often independent creatures, still crave attention and love, in addition to their obvious nutritional needs of fresh water, clean litter, and food. If you decide to bring a cat or kitten into your home, you should be prepared to spend at least 20 minutes a day giving your cat loving one-on-one attention.
A good place to start is two 15 – 20 minute sessions each day, which you can increase as they get fitter and more enthusiastic. Make sure you keep play sessions short, and always give them enough time to rest in between. Never force your cat to do anything they don't want to.
Short answer: yes. When their needs for companionship are not met, cats can become depressed. They can also get separation anxiety. Unfortunately, feline separation anxiety often goes unnoticed until it becomes severe.
You might think that with the 15 hours a day your cat spends napping that she may not have time to get bored. But unfortunately, cats can—and do— get bored.
Because of the attachments they form, the answer is yes; cats can feel lonely! While each kitty has a unique personality and needs, the following signs could indicate a lonely cat: Destructive behavior. Loss or increase in appetite.
Besides food, your cat also needs love and attention, but is it possible to give too much love? The answer is, of course, no, but lavishing attention has been known to cause behavior problems. Like dogs, cats have a hierarchy.
Despite having a reputation for being aloof, cats crave attention. In fact, recent research shows that cats are incredibly attached to their humans. And when separated from their human caregivers, cats exhibited similar behaviors to those of dogs and infants. In other words, they love us and will show it.
Cats can also discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar humans, recognise human faces and voices, and make the mental match between the two.
Responding to your cat's pleas for attention isn't always a bad thing. However, if your cat always seems to want to play every time you are on the phone, you probably need some help. If your cat is engaging in an undesirable behavior to get your attention, the best thing to do is ignore him.
If you are just looking to get one cat, your future feline pet will not be severely deprived if you do not get another with it. A cat can live a happy life as the only cat in the house. At the same time, cats are more social than we may have at one time believed.
After several years, they can still remember people, places and events from the past. So maybe next time you find your cat staring blankly at a wall or closet, it may be possible that she is thinking of the past and replaying it over and over again.
Most felines will be perfectly content being left alone for up to 8 hours while you're at work. As long as fresh water is available, some cats can be left alone for up to 24 hours. However, longer or more frequent periods of time away, such as full days or nights away from home can be more disruptive.
Definitely. While some cats go nuts for on-screen antics, others are content to watch the activity with an air of calm, and still others may not be interested in TV at all. Depending on their temperament and the depth of their hunting instinct, your cat may or may not engage with television or other electronic screens.