Play with your cat!

Cats are obligate carnivores, designed to hunt; catch; kill; eat; groom; sleep; repeat. Every single day. This is a cat's natural psychological rhythm, this is true for the species itself, and thus, every cat - even yours. Yes, even the fattest Garfield-esc cat that you can think of. As well as, of course, a diet of wet meat based food rather than a diet of dry kibble food. For more on that here, click here. Anyways..

What is Hunt Catch Kill Eat Groom Sleep Repeat? A routine of stimulation. Cats are biologically engineered to live with a set routine day to day. Cats - very simply - are not built to live life with no daily tasks or expectations, no structure, or to do nothing all day. Boredom is unnatural to cats, and often spawns chaos.

A routine of mental and physical stimulation is integral to a cats wellbeing, and it's lack of implementation tends to be the root cause of most misbehavior in cats - "zoomies" at night, breaking things, aggression towards humans and other animals, and a boat load of other problems.

It can be tricky to emulate the routine that cat's are biologically designed to follow day in and day out at first, but once you get the hang of it, your cat (and maybe your own sanity) will thank you. Emulating hunting catching and killing indoors is done by implementing proper playtimes - not throwing a ball, or swinging a string for a few minutes, proper playtime. Below I have embedded a couple of excellent videos by Jackson Galaxy for you to watch on how and why to implement a proper routine for your cat to get you on the road to success! We are not affiliated with him in any way, his videos just cover the subject immaculately.. Plus they're a lot funner to watch than reading me blabber on.

So.. Playtime is all about emulating the natural rhythm of a cat's natual psyche - hunt catch kill eat groom sleep. Another huge part of a cat's mojo though is exploration, which can be hard to achieve indoors; and this is one of the main talking points for people who are pro-outdoor cats. (Click here for a page on that) Well, it's a weak talking point.

Harness walking is a fantastic way to offer natural stimulation to your cat in a healthy; safe way!

To learn the ins and outs on harness & leash walking cats, click the link below!

Everything about harness training & leash walking cats

Now... Litterboxes!

This section should be shorter than the last one, but isn't any less important! Both are equally integral to a cats wellbeing.

Quick key notes: You need multiple litterboxes. Litterboxes should be in social areas like living rooms, not in closets or hidden behind things - cats don't "prefer privacy" when it comes to pooping. Don't use fragrances; sprays, or scented litter. Try to use natural litters like Pine; Paper; etc. Clean your litterboxes daily. If your cat is peeing/pooping outside of the box, go to the vet firstly. Experiment with different box styles and different litters. Most cats prefer litterboxes without hoods. Don't bleach or wash your box out too often, if you remove waste and clean regularly that should be enough. Remember that cats are territorial animals, and that the litterbox is their #1 territorial sign post. Don't use litterbox liners. Space out your litterboxes when you have multiple, in different rooms.

..Why? Watch the videos below! That was just a little summary.

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