Cats have a reputation for being low-maintenance pets who are perfectly happy lounging in a sunny window all day. While it’s true they enjoy rest and relaxation, cats still need regular mental and physical stimulation. Without it, boredom can set in, leading to unwanted behaviors or even medical issues. So, how can you tell if your cat is bored, and what can you do about it?
Telltale Signs Your Cat Is Bored
Overeating
Some cats will turn to food for entertainment when there’s nothing else to do, which can lead to weight gain and health problems.
Excessive Sleeping
Cats naturally sleep 12–16 hours a day, but if they’re napping almost all the time, boredom could be the cause. They know nothing else is going on, so they may as well take a nap.
Destructive Behaviors
Scratching furniture, chewing on cords, climbing curtains, or knocking things off shelves and coutnertops can be a way for your cat to release pent-up energy and get attention.
Overgrooming
When cats groom excessively, sometimes to the point of bald spots on the belly or back legs, it may be a stress response to boredom. Cats often overgroom as a way to self-soothe when they are understimulated.
Attention-Seeking
Constantly following you around, meowing more than usual, refusing to leave your lap, or getting in your way while you work may be your cat’s way of showing you they are bored and lonely.
Increased Vocalization
Bored cats often vocalize more, either meowing excessively or howling and yowling. Excessive vocalization is their way of interacting with you and telling you they want some attention.
Starting Fights with Other Pets
If your cat suddenly becomes aggressive toward other animals in the home, it could be a sign they’re looking for stimulation in all the wrong ways or taking out their pent-up energy on easy targets.
Inappropriate Elimination
Cats may stop using the litter box when they are bored as a way to get your attention.
How to Beat Boredom
Provide Interactive Toys
Wand toys and laser pointers keep your cat’s mind and body active and allow you to spend time together.
Offer Food Puzzles
Puzzle feeders allow your cat to use their brain to solve a puzzle and get rewarded with a treat. Cats like using their brains and they love to problem solve.
Create Vertical Space
Cat trees, shelves, or window perches give your cat places to climb and explore. They enjoy perching in high places and surveying their territory. Without access to vertical spaces, cats may become frustrated.
Provide Scratching Surfaces
Scratching is an innate behavior for cats that is not only natural but necessary. Cats must have access to something to scratch in their environment. If you don’t give them something specific to scratch on, they may end up scratching your furniture, drapes, cushions, or shower curtains. Scratching helps cats release pent-up energy. It can be quite calming for them and a good way to relieve stress, especially since cats stretch out while scratching.
Rotate Toys Regularly
Switching out toys every week or two keeps them exciting and new. If your cat shows indifference towards their toys, they are likely bored of them and want to play with something new and different.
Play Every Day
Play is vital to a cat’s mental and phsyical health. Play mimics hunting, catching, and killing their prey and it actuall yhelps them prepare for a meal and a subsequent nap. It helps them fulfill their natural instincts and feel accomplished.
Ten of fifteen minutes of interactive playtime a few times a day can make a big difference in your cat’s mental and physical health. It is very important to actually play with the toys with your cat! Leaving out a toy is way less fun for your cat than playing a game with them together.
Cats thrive on routine so try to schedule playtime around the same times every day.
Consider a Catio
Access to the outdoors in a safe and enclosed area can give your cat new sights, smells, and sounds to take in.
Adopt Another Cat
Cats are social and they crave companionship. If they spend long periods alone without interaction with their owners or other pets in the house, they’ll experience boredom and possibly behavioral problems. Adopting another cat could give them someone to hang out with and play with and alleviate their loneliness and boredom.
Cat TV
Videos of birds and bugs and litter critters can be very stimulating to cats. You may even get to hear them chirp and chatter when they are particularly interested in what’s happening on screen.
A bored cat is missing out on the mental and physical enrichment they desperately need for a happy and healthy life. By keeping their environment stimulating and encouraging their natural instincts, you can help ensure your cat is both entertained and content.
Love, Nala
