Cat Health and Exercise

Cats are built for exercise. Their speed and agility have been honed by thousands of years of evolution to make them into incredibly efficient hunters, allowing the species to thrive all over the world.

These days, of course, cats have it easy: they don't need to hunt or protect themselves anymore: they've successfully trained us to do it for them!

But it's not all good news for cats. Their new-found easy lifestyle means that many of them don't get the exercise their bodies were designed for. They can put on weight, lose interest and become unhealthy and lazy. It has been estimated that over a third of cats in Britain are over-weight, and that can bring with it all sorts of related health complications from heart and joint problems to behavioural issues and diabetes. That's why it's important to keep your cat playing.

The benefits of play

Playing with your cat for 20 minutes, twice a day, can have a wide variety of benefits. It can:

Help him maintain a healthy weight.
Keep his joints supple and his heart and lungs healthy.
Keep his hunting instincts sharp.
Stop him becoming lethargic.
Build strong emotional bonds between you.

Early lessons

Play is how kittens first learn to hunt. At first they play with their siblings to learn restraint, social skills and where they fit in the pecking order, as well as honing their fighting ability. If you have a kitten from a very young age, this will be you instead, so don't allow your kitten to nip your fingers, scratch too hard or gnaw on your extremities too much when playing. The lessons they learn about what is and is not acceptable early on will stay with them for life.

Once they reach about 8 weeks, most kittens will switch their attention from each other to inanimate objects that can double as pseudo-prey. They start to become hunters and will become far more interested in pouncing on, chasing and catching inanimate objects. The general rule is: if it can behave like prey (sudden movements, hiding just around corners or under rugs, etc) it can be a toy, so whether that's a little ball or a piece of string is up to you.

Most kittens and cats are at their most active first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening, so those are good times for your play sessions (and also more likely to fit your schedule). In addition, a good bit of exercise just before bed can encourage your cat to keep the same hours as you rather than being up all night wandering about!

Try these at home

You'll quickly find out what piques your cat's interest and what leaves him cold, but here's a few suggestions to get you started:

Drag something shreddable (like a ribbon) in quick movements in front of your cat until he pounces. You can also dangle it above him to get him jumping.
Use a laser-pointer to get him scrabbling around like a mad thing. Try and end the chase on something catchable (like a stuffed toy) so as not to leave him feeling too unsatisfied.
Put a cardboard box or large paper bag on the floor. Cats love hiding and scratching around inside little hidey-holes like this.
Balls with bells in and wind-up toys are sources of endless interest to most cats, and can keep them amused for hours!
Give your cat a little mouse toy stuffed or impregnated with catnip, a natural, harmless herb that sends cats bonkers in short bursts. The toy won't last long under the constant assault though, so have a back-up ready!
Put most of his toys away between play-sessions so as to reduce over-familiarity.

Normal activity levels

Of course, like people, cats vary enormously in their activity levels. Some cats can barely sit still when they're awake, whilst others will happily snooze on your lap through an entire Eastenders Omnibus. Some breeds are notoriously energetic (Abyssinians, Siamese etc) and others more laid-back (Persian, British Shorthair etc).

If your cat is physically healthy and not overweight, then don't worry too much if he doesn't want to play as much as you'd expect. As always, consult your vet if you're in any doubt, but some cats are just plain lazy!

Things to look out for

You should always be keeping an eye on your cat's overall health, not just his activity levels.

Nose – Should always be clean and soft to the touch.
Mouth – Should have clean, white teeth and healthy-looking pink or black gums with no noticeably bad odour (beyond a slight aroma of cat-food!)
Eyes – Bright, shining, and healthy at all times with no discharge.
Ears – Clean, perky and free from waxy residue. Unhealthy ears will smell and cause your cat to flinch when you touch them
Fur – Shiny and clean with no patches of hair missing.
Bodyweight – Your cat should have a clearly defined waist and you should be able to feel his ribs with your fingers rather than see them.
Toilet – You don't need to dig through his litter-box every day like a feline Gillian McKeith, but keep an eye on your cat's toilet habits. Noticeable and prolonged changes to consistency and frequency could indicate problems, so consult your vet if you're unsure.

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