Is My Cat Active Enough? Essential Exercise Tips!

But when it comes to moths or cockroaches, they display an impressive agility in their pursuit, a far cry from their usual laziness. Why is that?

Could it be that their genes are so powerful that they naturally inherit their species' athletic prowess without any need for training? Do they even require exercise? Would confining them to a cage hinder their growth?

Contrary to the belief that they are always stationary, our feline companions also engage in play and exercise, honing their reflexes, cognitive abilities, and acuity.

It's widely known that cats in the wild can hunt mice and birds, which speaks to their remarkable agility and flexibility.

With their inherent physical advantages, cats need a significant amount of exercise, which dictates that they must remain active.

However, cats tend to be more sedentary and less compliant than dogs, unable to venture outdoors for play. Living indoors, they are confined by space, which can reduce their activity levels and lead to health issues.

Especially when some pet owners are afraid of their cats escaping, they may confine them to cages, which can actually impede their healthy growth. This can lead to a host of problems, such as poor bone development, obesity, and weakened constitution.

Keeping cats in cages is not a favorable option.

Extreme temperatures, both in winter and summer, can easily make our furry friends feel down and depressed.

The best way to lift their spirits is through exercise, which gets the blood flowing, boosts their immune system, burns excess fat, and prevents various diseases.

To increase your cat's exercise, start by identifying what interests them.

A common misconception is that simply providing your cat with opportunities to move won't guarantee that they will start exercising.

If the owner does not help cultivate the cat's exercise habits, many cats will not make any changes.

Owners can place food in different areas to encourage their cats to move, although this may require some guidance, as cats do not have as keen a sense of smell as dogs.

Even in a limited space, cats can often be seen jumping around. Therefore, we can provide them with toys, set up platforms, ladders, and cat trees for play.

Owners can also purchase cat toys and small mice to entice their cats to play and jump.

Straightening their fur can also help cats develop a habit of movement. A common method is to let the cat lie down and then brush it. In fact, brushing can become a very good exercise session. The owner can change the brushing location every two minutes, such as from the sofa to the cat tree and then to the windowsill. During each brushing session, you can change locations 4 to 6 times.

However, the exercise during the brushing process is actually just a warmup for the cat.

After brushing, you can use a ball that your cat likes to engage in about 12 minutes of play and exercise.

For some special breeds of cats, such as the Algerian cat and the Siamese cat, which are more compliant and lively, they can be trained from a young age to adapt to being led on a leash, allowing them to experience the outside world.

It must be noted that as cats enter their senior years, they should not engage in intense and prolonged exercise that causes rapid heart and breathing rates. Such exercise can easily lead to myocardial ischemia and hypoxia in multiple tissues, even resulting in sudden death.

This world does not have naturally lazy cats; only cats that have been made lazy by their owners.

For our feline companions to maintain a healthy body, pet owners should implement exercise plans for them early on, fostering good exercise habits.