Getting Your Cats Active

kryscallarman

We are a crazy cat family. We have four cats (two that are 6ish, one who is about 3/4, and another whose a little over a year).

Our cats (just like us) have been gaining weight too. So we have been changing a few things up.

- One of our cats likes to be outside. So I take her on a "warm up walk" and allow her outside while I am in the yard
- Moved the litter box and food to different floors so they have to take the stairs
- Nightly play time (getting the older cats involved is still a challenge

What are other things that you do to keep your cats active?

kittzle

I have an older cat who just turned 10. He's gotten less energetic in the last few years, and when I got a new kitten, added a few pounds to his belly. He's now in about the 17 lb range. Granted he is a big cat regardless, he was only 15 ½ before the kitten came about, and that was a vet-accepted weight for his giant paws.

He's a really hard one to get active, and there's only one string/teaser toy he will even look at twice. And when he's done playing, he's done. The best exercise he gets is wrestling with the little cat, and as much as I want him to be active, I don't like when he pins the little one to the floor and sits on her, LOL.

I'll be curious to see what ideas people have

StevLL

We have a lot of success with feathers on a flexible rod. We have 6 cats ranging in age from 4 years to 12 years old. All still play a lot and some are fit, some skinny and a couple are a bit pudgy, but the ones that play the most. I found that if I wedge the feather rods in the pedal straps when I ride the recumbant bike they will go after the feathers in a big way and I get all 6 getting after them. We have a couple of towers they like to climb and play on too.

Ritzbrit

Oh my cat loves the feather w/bell on the rod thingy. Or he fetches the little, hard mice toys. Or lazer pen. My apartment is two levels so I have food downstairs and his litter box upstairs.

SomeMorr

Mu cats love the automatic laser pointer (turn it on and it goes in random patterns for 15 minutes).. And I know that sounds lazy on my part but is an awesome and inexpensive idea.

http://www.amazon.com/FroliCat-BOLT-Interactive-Laser-Pet/dp/B0021L8W6K/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1336785538&sr=1-3

My older cat tends to not play with anything because the younger one moves around too much and takes up a lot of the playing space so he just kinda gives up lol

charm_quark

My cat is 14 years old and she is about 12lbs for the last 10 years. She is a big cat, I could say very fit and active for her age!!!
We keep her active a few times per week with balls. She loves handmade newspaper balls. She runs around the apartment for a few minutes and then lays down.
Her diet consists from dry food for older cats (mainly chicken/turkey croquettes) and lately she eats from our food only when it is grilled (chicken, beef liver) and sometimes greek yoghurt. She loves cat food in can but she can only have a can per week because we are afraid about her teeth hygiene as she gets older.

As it has been said above, laser pointers is a great exercise. She loved it too when she was younger. You need to find what they like more... They get bored with the same toys, after some years.