Tips for Exercising Your Cat

Exercising your cat is incredibly important, but how do you get your cat to exercise?

The myth that you don’t need to exercise your cat is just that, a myth. Adult cats, unlike kittens, don’t run, play, jump or climb enough to keep themselves fit or in shape (at least they don’t without your encouragement)! At our veterinary clinic in North Bellmore, we understand that many cat parents are simply at a loss as to how to exercise their cats, but our experts are here to help. Here are a couple of tips to help your indoor cat get a bit more exercise:

#1. Build or buy a cat tower.

A multi-tiered cat tower will give your cat a fun and safe place to climb. The best part is that you don’t necessarily need to buy one; you could build one! To encourage your cat to climb more often, hide treats or catnip in different places throughout the tower.

#2. Make sure your cat has plenty of toys.

Cats tend to keep to themselves, so it’s important to give them plenty of toys to play with. In addition to the cat toys you find at the store, there are many household items that your cat will love to chase, bat around and climb on. Shoestrings, paper bags, boxes and ice cubes all make great toys for cats.

Although these are both wonderful ways to encourage your cat to exercise, we have many more tips for you. Please stay tuned for our upcoming blog to learn more things you can do to get your cat moving.

Your cat needs to exercise, and there are many things you can do to make sure they get it!

Cat obesity is on the rise, and if you want to keep your cat healthy, exercise is absolutely essential. Many people believe that their cats will get the exercise they need on their own, but that simply isn’t the case. As a cat owner, there is a long list of things you can do to encourage your cat to get moving, and in our Levittown veterinarian’s last blog, we went over a couple of them. Here are a couple more ways to get your cat to exercise:

#3. Play around with a laser pointer.

Point a laser pointer at the wall and let your cat chase it! Even the most stoic cats cannot resist the bouncing light. Not only will your cat love to play and get their exercise with a laser pointer, it will provide hours of entertainment for you as well!

#4. Take your cat for a walk.

Think you can’t walk a cat? Thing again! While you may feel silly doing it, exercising your cat is much easier if you can walk it. If you can persuade your cat to tolerate wearing a harness and being pulled by a leash, walking is one of the best ways to get your cat some exercise.

Your cat needs exercise, and unfortunately, you can’t expect your cat to get the exercise they need on their own. If you have questions or concerns about exercising your cat, please contact us! We are always happy to help.