4221 Gymnastics for domestic cats
Gymnastics for domestic cats

If your cat is conscat-playing-with-balltantly sitting at home and never goes out for a walk, it means only one thing: you must develop an individual gym and a set of exercises for your dear pet!

Fitness is always a pledge of good mood and well-being of your pet, so it is now a must to acquire for your kitty the appropriate fitness equipment and toys.

 

Why your cat must stay fit?

 

The cat, that is constantly living in an apartment, is experiencing a great lack of space. She can not take walks, but her energy needs an output, and often the animal has to spend this energy on destruction. Some cats in this case are scratching the furniture, chewing wallpaper, destroying flower pots an so on. Some cats, on the contrary, become very lazy and totally go "into the food." Of course, both of this options are not good for your cat, that's why you need to organize an active lifestyle for your kitty even in a small apartment.

This does not mean that your cat will necessarily have to go outside (sometimes you just do not have such an opportunity, especially in a big city). There are lots of ways to arrange for her some "house fun".

 

What should the cat's gymnastics look like?

 

First of all, the exercises can be brought to a game. Kittens from an early age should be accustomed to the agile games that must be repeated every day, and become a good habit for your pet. In this case your cat will be always happy and healthy without much efforts from your side!

The second way - you can make your cat to run and jump with the toys.

Some breeds (such as Oriental or the Russian Blue) are also perfectly able to walk on the leash, so you can take them out from time to time. Note: for you this walks will be a great chance to relax and improve your communication with the cat.

But, of course, the best exercises for your cat will be provided by the special equipment. Different items for the "kitty-gym" are often sold in the pet stores, where you'll find:

  • toys for different kinds of training;
  • special equipment for jumping;
  • special equipment for climbing;
  • scratching posts.

The latter are particularly relevant. This acquisition is vital for anyone who wants to keep the upholstery of his furniture intact, and the wallpaper, bedspreads and curtains untouched. If you will not get at least two scratching posts, most likely your cat will switch her attention on your belongings!

Of course, you might think to remove the claws of your cat, but is it worth doing? In some countries (for example, in England) this operation is forbidden, but even if it is allowed in the place where you live - remember: this operation is performed under the full anesthesia, and along with removing the claws there will be removed the last phalanx of the paw. In many countries, such an operation is considered as cruelty to animals, as cats claws are needed primarily for protection, and removing them, you make the animal very vulnerable. Therefore, it is better to invest in the scratching posts, than to force your pet to suffer.
More than that - you by yourself can create a lot of devices for your cat to have fun!

 

The basic exercise equipment: "Do It Yourself"!

 

The best device for the cat's claws - a vertical column, padded with sacking. It can be made in many forms, and the best among them - the "high rise": this device will allow your cats to climb up and down and it is creating the illusion of a tree. Of course, you can make this column by yourself, and if you studied the preferences of your cat very well, a homemade "tree" would be better, than the one from the store!

To organize a scratching post at home, you can simply use the normal plaque 50-60 cm in length. It should be fixed in a not very prominent corner of the apartment, which at the same time is preferred by your cat, and on the top of a plank you just nail or glue the coarse cloth or thick leather, which is especially adored by cats. For sure your kitty would love to sharpen her claws on this kind of scratching post!

 

 

Another gymnastic device - a common box! Best of all, if it is made of cardboard (eg, a box from some house appliances). With this box your cat will be playing for the endless hours - jumping in and out, climbing over it and even chasing the box's shadow. Also in this "trainer" you can make a small, pretty tight hole, and the cat would be happy to squeeze through it. In order to encourage your kitty, you can put a tasty treat inside the box and then she will have to get it from there, which is always a lot of fun.

Another important training simulator - construction for climbing. Cats love to climb and if it is not possible, they will certainly get bored. To make your favorite cat happy, you just have to build a simple structure consisting of wooden planks that are fastened together with bolts. Of course, such a simulator should be safe for a cat, and if it is done the right way it absorbs all cat's attention for many days! At the same time such a projectile can be modified if from time to time you will change it's size, height and shape. To encourage the cat for the first time, you may put some tasty treat on one of the steps of the new device.

 

Gym toys

 

In order to get your dear kitty to lead a healthy lifestyle, you can use some toys. For this purpose, it is great to have a variety of balls, bags of catnip, toy mice, which will please your pet and will not cause a serious trouble to your budget! Moreover, you can make these toys by yourself, however, you will need to make sure that they are safe. It means, that the homemade cat toys must be large enough (for the cat not to swallow them), they must not contain any toxic materials and they must not have any sharp corners.

One of the greatest cat toys is an empty spool of thread, which will certainly be loved by your cat! You can also use a variety of wooden pieces, tennis balls, ping-pong or golf balls. The last a re thrown away by players as soon as there appear a first visible signs of wear-out, and the cat will be incredibly delighted by such a toy.

And if you want to make a real party for your cat, pick for her a lot of toys of different colors and shapes and see what she would like most. If your cat will choose favorite toys by herself, there can be no doubt that her life will become more joyful, and her health will be strengthened on a regular basis!
 
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