The days are getting shorter, the windows stay shut and your cat paces around the flat while you work. In autumn, knowing how to keep an indoor cat entertained really matters: a bored indoor cat doesn't sit still, it finds its own entertainment, often on your sofa or at five in the morning. Here are some practical, low-cost ideas to help it burn off energy.
Why keeping an indoor cat entertained matters, especially in autumn
Cats are hunters: in the wild they spend much of the day stalking, chasing and catching small prey. In a flat, nothing triggers that instinct. Autumn doesn't help either: less daylight, less going on outside the window, and cats that went out a little in summer now spend more time indoors.
The signs of a bored cat are fairly clear: scratching the furniture, persistent meowing, night-time activity, ambushing your ankles, weight gain or over-grooming. If the grooming starts leaving bald patches, or if its behaviour changes suddenly, see your vet first: pain or a skin problem could be behind it.
7 ideas to keep your cat entertained every day
1. Two or three play sessions a day
Two or three sessions of 10 to 15 minutes are better than one long one every now and then. Use a wand toy with a feather or a small plush toy and make it move like prey: it darts away from the cat, hides behind a cushion, freezes and moves again. Let your cat catch it at the end, then give it its meal or a treat: the “hunt, catch, eat” cycle is complete and it will settle down. A session in the evening, before you go to bed, goes a long way towards calming restless nights.
2. Turn mealtimes into a game
Instead of serving everything in a bowl it empties in two minutes, make it work for its food. Hide a few pieces of kibble in a cardboard egg box, in a toilet roll tube folded shut at both ends or in a box with holes cut in it. A bowl with compartments works really well too: our silicone slow feeder with a bowl and 5 zones, designed for both dogs and cats, makes it hunt for its food from one zone to the next instead of wolfing it down in one go. Take that kibble out of its daily ration to avoid weight gain.
3. Give it height
For a cat, space is measured vertically too. A sturdy cat tree, a staircase of wall shelves or an accessible spot on top of a wardrobe expand its territory without taking up a single extra square metre of floor. In a small flat, this is often the most effective change you can make.
4. A lookout post at the window
A shelf, a cushion on the windowsill or a window hammock gives your cat its own “TV”: birds, falling leaves, people walking by. If you open the window to air the room, secure it first with a sturdy cat net or insect screen: falls from windows and balconies are common in indoor cats, even on lower floors.
5. Rotate the toys
A toy that's always in sight soon becomes boring. Leave three or four within reach, put the rest away and swap them over every week: they'll feel “new” again. The best ones are often free: a cardboard box, a kraft paper bag without handles, a scrunched-up ball of paper.
6. Scratching posts in the right places
Scratching is a need, not naughtiness. Put a tall, sturdy scratching post next to the sofa your cat has picked as its victim, and another near where it sleeps: cats like to stretch and scratch as soon as they wake up. A post that wobbles at the first swipe will never get used.
7. New smells to explore
Catnip or valerian rubbed onto a toy or scratching post sparks the interest of many cats for a few minutes. Not all cats react, and kittens are usually not very sensitive to it. A box that's just arrived from outside or a piece of clothing you've worn out and about can also be enough to pique its curiosity.
Mistakes to avoid
- Only using a laser pointer: the cat never catches its prey, which can leave it frustrated. Always finish with a toy it can grab.
- Playing with your hands: cute with a kitten, far less so with an adult cat that has learnt hands are prey.
- Leaving string, elastic bands or wool within reach: if swallowed, they can cause an intestinal blockage. Put toys with string away when playtime is over.
In short
Every day: two hunting-style play sessions and some of its food “to find”. Every week: rotate the toys. Just once: height, a secured window and sturdy scratching posts. Within a few weeks, most indoor cats sleep better, scratch the sofa less and wake you up less often at dawn.