Bored Indoor Cat? 17 Cat Enrichment Ideas That Work

It's pretty easy to recognize whether your indoor cat is bored – this animal will knock things off tables, attack you by biting your ankles, yowl in the middle of the night, overeat or spend too much time grooming or sleeping. To deal with it you have to provide cat with opportunities to hunt, climb, explore and solve problems every day. Don't worry: you don't need any expensive toys and devices. Almost all the cat enrichment ideas listed below are free or cheap and can be done in five minutes.

So, why does it matter? According to the veterinary organizations, such as AAFP and International Society of Feline Medicine, there are 5 "pillars" of a healthy cat environment: safety place, separate resources, opportunities for play and predatory behavior, positive and predictable human interaction and respect for the feline's olfactory sense. All this is granted to an outdoor cat automatically but not to an indoor one.

All cat enrichment ideas below are marked with either DIY (Do It Yourself), Free or 5 min tags so that you could choose according to your schedule.

Cat Enrichment Ideas

Here is the basic list of cat enrichment ideas for indoor cats which behavioral specialists repeat time after time.

Hunt, catch, eat (5 min)

Play with a toy on a string which simulates hunting prey, hiding behind furniture, darting and pausing. Then let your cat catch the toy and feed it with something. The "hunt-catch-eat" scheme suggested by Jackson Galaxy is a full cycle which is the best way to keep your restless cat busy.

Food puzzles (DIY)

As Leticia Dantas, Mikel Delgado and their colleagues revealed in 2016 in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, there is a correlation between using food puzzles and weight loss, lower levels of anxiety and fewer attention-seeking behaviors in many cats. First of all, you have to get an easy puzzle so that your cat could succeed easily, then make it more challenging.

Window seat with a view (Free)

Either clear the windowsill or install a window perch for your cat. Install a bird feeder outside if possible. "Cat TV" costs nothing and entertains a cat for many hours.

Scent trails (Free)

Apply a bit of catnip or silvervine to the trail of objects or bring in some natural objects which have different scents (pine cone, leaf, cardboard box from the shop). As Sebastiaan Bol and his colleagues discovered in 2017, about 80% of cats react to silvervine, which is more than to catnip (66%). So you may try silvervine if your cat doesn't react to catnip.

Clicker training (5 min)

It is quite possible to train your cat to sit, give a high five, respond to calling or get into a carrier. Training is a kind of brain exercise and cats which are trained to perform certain tricks are more confident.

How to Entertain an Indoor Cat

In case you are interested in how to entertain an indoor cat on a usual weekday, it's better to organize little sessions rather than try hard just one time on Sunday:

Morning: five minutes of wand play before breakfast.
Before you leave: hide several treats in various places of the flat.
Daytime: window perch, a puzzle feeder and a paper bag containing a toy inside.
Evening: a real play session and dinner.
Weekend: something new for a cat, for example, a cardboard fort, a harness walk or new scents.

How to entertain house cat routines don't have to be complex and how to entertain an indoor cat is mostly a question of rhythm – little and often. This schedule answers both how to entertain house cat and kitten cat households. Consistency is more important than variety of toys.

Activities for Bored Indoor Cats

Besides the play, you may try some other activities for bored indoor cats:

Treasure hunt (Free)
Hide several pieces of dry food around the room starting from easy places.
Cat grass (5 min)
Cultivate a pot of wheat or oat grass on the windowsill – many cats like to chew this grass.
Box rotation (Free)
A new box every few days is the easiest novelty.

Cat Enrichment Ideas with Toilet Paper Rolls

Now cat enrichment ideas DIY start: cat enrichment ideas with toilet paper rolls are the cheapest ways to keep bored indoor cats busy:

Treat roll (DIY)
Fold both ends of the empty roll, make some holes in it and fill with pieces of food.
Roll pyramid (DIY)
Glue several rolls into a pyramid shape inside a shoe box and hide some treats inside them.
Paper ring toy (Free)
Cut several rolls into rings and let the cat play with them on a hard floor.

Next round of cat enrichment ideas with toilet paper rolls: fill one of them loosely with paper and a bit of catnip.

Cat Enrichment Ideas with Cardboard Boxes

Some cat enrichment ideas with cardboard boxes can be:

fort with several openings,
two boxes taped together to create a tunnel,
"dig boxes" containing crumpled paper and several hidden treats inside them.

Also, cardboard is a good material for scratching.

Bored Indoor Cat Toys

Not all bored indoor cat toys are equal. Now here is the review of bored indoor cat toys and what they are useful for:

Wand/feather toy

Best for: Hunting play, bonding
How to use it: Move it like prey and let the cat catch it
Tag: 5 min

Kicker toy

Best for: Cats which "bunny kick" and bite hands
How to use it: Keep it in the flat and apply some catnip
Tag: Free if handmade

Puzzle feeder

Best for: Food-motivated cats
How to use it: Feed the cat using puzzles
Tag: DIY

Ball track

Best for: Solo play
How to use it: Rotate to maintain the interest
Tag: -

Crinkle tunnel

Best for: Hiding and ambushing
How to use it: Combine with wand play
Tag: -

Battery-operated moving toys

Best for: Short solo play
How to use it: Use under supervision; rotate
Tag: -

Laser pointer

Best for: Chasing
How to use it: Finish with the toy which the cat can catch
Tag: 5 min

The best toys for bored indoor cats are those which you play with your cat. Interactive toys for bored indoor cats (wands, fishing-rod toys, flirt poles) are better than any automatic gadgets because the cat gets to chase the object which responds to its actions.

And a tip on rotation: put aside half of the toys and rotate them every week. Old toys become "new".

Bored House Cat

How does bored house cat behave? Usually owners describe the same behavior: a cat that follows you around mewing, knocks things off tables with looking into your eyes, sprints across the house at 3 a.m. or eats everything very quickly and begs for more. Sometimes, in case of boredom a cat sleeps almost the entire day.

As Ohio State University's Indoor Pet Initiative notes, many "behavior problems" in indoor cats are actually normal behaviors without any place to go. So a bored house cat isn't naughty – it creates its own entertainment. That is also why punishment is useless.

How to entertain bored indoor cat habits – and how to entertain bored house cat behavior patterns – starts from one simple step: to play with the cat regularly. In case you cannot do anything else, just play ten minutes of real game every evening and then feed the cat. See what will happen in two weeks.

Boredom in Indoor Cats

Boredom in indoor cats is usually underestimated because cats sleep a lot anyway. Here are some final cat enrichment ideas which are targeted directly on boredom in indoor cats, even those living in small flats.

Vertical space (DIY)

Either shelves, a tall cat tree or a cleared bookshelf can provide additional territory without extra square feet. Cat enrichment ideas apartment owners appreciate the most are almost always related to going up.

Harness walks

Some cats may like to walk outdoors on a harness. Start with playing inside and going slowly.

A catio or window box

Some fresh air, sounds and scents without the risks of roaming freely.

Scheduled "new things" (Free)

Once a week bring something new to the flat: a paper bag, a box or a blanket belonging to your friend with a dog. Cat enrichment ideas free of charge work as good as purchased ones.

Games without food

Not all the cats can be allowed to eat more. Here are some cat enrichment ideas without food: wand play, clicker training for getting praises and petting, chasing paper balls and exploring new boxes.

A predictable routine

Cats love routines. Regular meal times, play times and quiet times make them feel better and less bored.

Consider another cat (carefully). Sometimes having a young and social cat solves boredom of a cat. But sometimes it creates stress. So think carefully and introduce cats to each other slowly.

Enrichment Mistakes to Avoid

When trying to find how to entertain bored indoor cat behavior problems, owners often do their best and fail to see any results. Here are the most common mistakes:

Too many toys kept in the flat. If there are too many toys, cats treat them as pieces of furniture. Rotate toys.
A play which causes frustration. For example, a laser dot which can never be caught frustrates some cats. Finish the play with catching something.
Enrichment only on weekends. Cats are creatures of routine. Ten minutes daily beat one hour weekly.
Puzzles which are too difficult. If your cat gets disappointed after a minute, make the puzzle easier.
Overlooking the personality of the cat. Some cats prefer hunting, some – climbing, some – sniffing. Just pay attention to what your cat prefers and provide it more of this.

Cat enrichment ideas for indoor cats also work better when they are incorporated into the environment of the cat – a shelf route to the window, a scratching post near the sofa, a box next to your desk. And when you have no ideas, most of the cat enrichment ideas DIY lovers share online are based on three main concepts: something to chase, something to find and something to climb.

Signs of Effective Enrichment

How to help bored indoor cat behavior problems aren't only about providing toys but also noticing changes. Within two to four weeks you should observe the following:

fewer night disturbances and attacks;
more relaxed sleep in open places;
calmer meal time, less begging;
normal grooming;
more playful behavior.

If nothing changes or if your cat behaves strangely, consult your vet – pain, dental diseases and many other conditions may be misinterpreted as boredom.

Bottom Line

A bored indoor cat needs an opportunity to hunt, climb, explore and think – every day in small amounts. Start with playing with a wand before dinner, introduce a puzzle feeder and a window perch, and provide cardboard and toilet paper rolls to entertain your cat. Cat enrichment ideas DIY-style work better than expensive gadgets and cost next to nothing.

Cat enrichment also includes the environment as a whole, and it's not always about entertainment. Litter box is one of the key resources in the AAFP's five pillars and a dusty, dirty or smelly box is the constant stressor for an indoor cat. Paco & Pepper's olive pit litter is dust-free and fragrance-free, and it is quite easy to keep it clean with daily scooping. If you want to do more, check our guides on how often to change kitty litter and importance of a smooth litter transition.

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