Most cat parents know that it can be difficult to keep your cat moving and active when they are indoor kitties. We’ve heard cats being stereotyped as lazy or aloof because they like to sleep. However, if we simply let our cats sleep – and don’t encourage regular activities – our cats can face health issues. Just like us.
Cats in the wild practice a feline specific behavior – called the prey sequence – throughout each day. They hunt, stalk, chase, play, kill, eat, groom and then sleep. The term ‘cat nap‘ refers to the short, light sleep wild cats have after grooming. Then the kitties wake up and do it all over again. This is the way they are naturally made.
Fast forward to today and our domesticated kitties rarely take cat naps. Instead, you’ll find them sleeping in their favorite spot for hours at a time. Why? Because there’s nothing to hunt, stalk or play with.
The problem with this is that when a cat is excessively sleeping, toxins and free radicals are building up. The phrase “a body at rest tends to stay at rest” is because when you rest too much it can physically and mentally hurts to do anything else.
Why exercise is so important
Dr. Karen Beckers says, “my most favorite, natural detoxification remedy for pets is exercise”. When your cat is exercising, he’s releasing toxins from his body and this increases health and longevity of life! Also, just like humans, exercise decreases stress, which also reduces the risk of disease.
So let’s think of some creative ways to keep our cats moving. For us, we’ve recently started letting our cats outside under supervision and have noticed a huge difference. Bringing our oldest cat outside has been a game changer. Not only is he moving a lot more, he seems much happier too!
Whether it be toys, catios, leash training, vertical space, etc. we want to do whatever we can to keep our cats moving for their health and well-being. What do you do to exercise your kitty? Comment below! 🙂
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