It is that time of year again when we all make those personal New Year’s resolutions to improve some aspect of our lives. We make these goals with the best of intentions to follow through, and the best way to achieve them is to create a plan that will allow us the best chance at success. Why can’t we help our pets in the same way? I know that having a strictly indoor cat that has weight loss goals can be difficult. Along with diet it is often recommended to increase exercise. Being creative with indoor cat exercise can be difficult. These ideas don’t require a lot of your time or direct attention, here are some suggestions:

1. Depending on the activity level of your cat at this point a treat ball might be a good idea
Instead of placing their food in a stationary bowl, put some of the dry kibbles inside of the treat ball. This requires them to move it around to release the food.  If that isn’t ideal (or your cat is a wizard and has figured out how to release the treats without having to be active), you can place the allotted food amount in several places around the house or apartment and on different levels.
This forces your cat to search for the food – which is a natural habit of a cat – and allows for smaller portions to be consumed at time.

2. Increasing your bond with play time. There are numerous toys on string or fishing rod type set-up. This allows you to “act” as the prey and have your cat chase and bat at the toy. Another option (and our clinic cat Carrott’s favourite activities) is a laser pointer. This can provide hours of fun for both you and your pet. Your cat will try and chase the light and might even try climbing the walls in pursuit if he has ninja in his DNA. These activities do not need to be excessive, 10-15 minutes a couple times a day can make a huge difference.

If we are willing to take the time and try to improve our lives at this time of year, we might as well create a plan of attack to help our furry friend to do the same. If the above ideas do not suite your cat, please do not hesitate to contact us at the Mill Creek clinic to provide further suggestions. We really do want every pet to achieve their weight loss New Year’s Resolution this year!