keep your senior cats active
Usually, a cat is considered old when she is 11 to 18 years old. Old cats have different needs as compared to those of young cats. They need extra attention and the pet owner needs to be more mindful of how easy the access of old cats to her food, water, and litter is.
Moreover, it is even important to keep a close eye on their changing behavior, any possible body aches, or dental health symptoms that would prompt you to take her to the vet.
In this post, we would explain how to keep senior cats active and what toys are good for their entertainment.
How Active Should A Senior Cat Be?
Staying active, either through normal home play or through exercise, is extremely important for an old cat’s health. A bored senior cat would be more prone to developing physical and psychological issues, like loneliness, stress, and depression.
Keeping her normal weight according to her age and fighting the brain to stay active, no matter how lazy the cat is, are some elements that you should make a part of her daily routine.
Traditionally, vets recommend that a senior cat should be active daily for 15 minutes at least. One session per day, in which gentle exercises and keeping her engaged with senior cat toys, is recommended.
How Do I Give My Old Cat Energy?
Just like humans, cats need to feel better when they are aging. It gives them an active lifestyle to look forward to and do not get bored each day. Otherwise, they might feel depressed and lonely, which is risky for their survival.
Keep feeding them healthy meals to get the full nutrients and energy that they need at this age. Keeping the litter box close to the senior cat would be helpful too. Be interactive with her daily at the same fixed time. It would give the bored senior cat something to look forward to.
Give them vet-recommended multivitamins if a cat has a certain condition. She might need it if the vet suggests that immune functions cannot perform the body’s operations easily. Keeping plants that have antioxidant properties would also be a good idea. It would increase the senior cat’s energy levels and feel fresh all day, even if she is sitting at home. However, taking her out once a day is the best daily routine plan for an old cat.
Senior cat toys are great means of entertainment. Toys serve as a distraction from their other body problems, like joint pain or feeling lethargic at times. The toys keep their minds alert and do not let them get bored. Stress and health problems stay away.
What Makes Senior Cats Happy?
To know how happy a cat is, you might want to know about her quality of life. A cat’s quality of life is calculated by giving rates to seven basic life factors. The factors are hunger, hydration, hurt, hygiene, mobility, happiness, and more good days than bad days.
The scale has ratings from 1 to 10; with 1 being the lowest score and 10 being the highest. A total of 70 is considered a great score that shows a happy cat while a score less than 35 needs serious consideration.
How to entertain an old cat that would make them happy remains the primary question for any pet owner. Spending quality time with your feline friend would give them care and attention at this age.
Giving gentle physical playful nudges that would provoke the cat to move her arms and legs is a good sign of her happiness and activity. Keep water and litter close to her. Old cats do not like their routine changed, therefore, do not try.
How to Keep Senior Cats Active
Old cats become less interested in playtime. But playtime is mandatory to keep them active. The question of how to entertain an old cat is mind-boggling as it gets tougher as they age.
Toys can solve this problem. Some of the effective senior cat toys that help in keeping senior cats active are:
Rainbow cat charmer:
The cat charmer is colorful enough to attract the old cat. It would also help you to bond with your old friend as you, on the other end, would be the one controlling the cat charmer. The cat would like to play, jump and catch the charmer. Her twirling moves would keep her entertained for at least 15 minutes daily, which is the required active playtime for old cats.
Whack–a-mouse toys:
For old cats’ mental stimulation, whack-a-mouse seems a nice option. The toy is interactive and keeps the cat busy on her own. The toy itself is made from cardboard which is easily scratchable for the old cat, to satisfy her natural instincts as well.
The cardboard does not have a resisting smell and is cat-friendly as it is made with honeycomb mesh. If you accompany him in finding the mouse within the holes, then his stimulation and bonding time would be amplified. It is a great IQ training game.
Laser point toy:
How to entertain an old cat does not remain a worry after you have found a laser point toy. It is an excellent indoor entertainer for several minutes and keeps the cat’s anxiety away. Most of the laser point toys are programmed and timed for strictly 15 minutes.
The program is designed so that the cat is not over-stimulated, especially the senior cats, The light moves from wall to floor, with color changing sometimes, To regulate its hunting instincts, the cat is not bored and instantly tries to catch the light wherever it points.
Interactive cat toy, mouse-shaped:
Apart from that, keeping your senior cat’s chasing instincts alive, an interactive automatic mouse-shaped toy would be a great choice, It is an indoor, colorful, flashing mouse that would surely get your cat’s attention. It has a sensor that moves away from the cat as soon as it senses her near.
The toy does not get destroyed whenever it finds any hurdles in front of it, the cat is intrigued to know in which direction next the interactive mouse would move.
Conclusion
Keeping senior cats active is crucial to their overall health and well-being, As cats age, they may become more sedentary, which can lead to weight gain, muscle loss, and a decrease in mobility, Regular exercise and playtime can help prevent these issues and keep senior cats mentally and physically stimulated.
It’s essential to tailor exercise routines to a senior cat’s abilities and health status and consult with a veterinarian if necessary. By providing opportunities for exercise and play, pet owners can help their bored senior cats maintain a high quality of life in their golden years.