Do you feel like your cat is getting too lazy or lethargic? Does she just eat her favorite meal and lie down on the sofa? If so, she probably needs a workout!
In order to live an active life, we all need the habit of exercising.
Whether human or animal, exercising can make a huge difference to your health and well-being. The life of an outdoor cat revolves around a lot of movement while running, jumping, and stalking throughout the day. However, domestic and indoor cats rarely get the chance to be as active as outdoor cats!
Just like you, your cat needs a lifestyle where you can exercise and play happily, rather than being a regular couch potato!
At first, exercising consistently may seem a little tiring, but as your motivation builds, it becomes the most enjoyable activity of your day.
Here are a few reasons why you should play and exercise regularly for you and your cat:
Helps avoid obesity
Obesity is a problem in the modern world, mainly because we prefer to sit in the comfort of our homes while snacking and watching Netflix. Rather than going out for a walk or playing some sports, staying indoors and chewing is the preferred default for many of us.
just like us, Our cats follow the same pattern! They also prefer to stay indoors, relaxing on their favorite sofa, rather than stepping out of the house.
This leads to obesity! Both for cat owners and pets. Globally, obesity rates for cats and their owners are on the rise. Being overweight can lead to a host of health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, muscle aches and arthritis.
You can perpetuate this habit if you commit to consistent exercise and exercise. If you feel like your cat is getting a little too fat and you can’t carry it around like you used to, it’s time you started an exercise routine for her too.
Obviously, you need to pay attention to what your cat eats (and there are many cat food that can help with weight loss) but it’s also important to make sure your cat is getting enough exercise to burn off some calories.
Avoid anxiety and depression
Cats, just like humans, can fall into depression when things get too lazy and lethargic. When they don’t have any excitement about life, they get depressed and you can feel them getting more anxious.
The solution to this problem is similar to what we humans use to fight depression. exercise! Exercising or staying active releases positive hormones in your body that elevate your mood. At the same time, it reduces stress because endorphins are happy hormones that replace sadness.
So if you notice that your daily life is taking a toll on your mental health, plan to exercise regularly, and you’ll soon indulge in this new routine to keep you healthy.
So does your cat. If you think they’re feeling a little down, get them to stand up and do something to get their endorphins flowing too.
strengthen bonds
Just as your pet needs exercise to stay healthy and stimulated, you can actually give your cat some light exercise for other benefits as well.
Sure, you need to do some kind of exercise that focuses on you (and so does your cat), but why not do an activity or two that you can do to your cat?
After all, playing together or exercising together strengthens the bond between owners and their cats.
Do not believe? Give it a try!
One of the top activities that feline behavior experts recommend to new cat adopters is to encourage your cat to play with you. Since you’re both newcomers, spending time together while playing together should help both of you develop your bond with each other.
If you want to take your cat’s activity to the next level, you can go outside for some fresh air and do some fresh air exercise. More and more cat owners are taking their cats on excursions, keeping them outdoors on a leash. This is obviously a great way for you and your cat to get some exercise together.
And, if you do, you’re guaranteed that people will stop and talk to you. So, having an outdoor adventure with your cat will not only help strengthen the bond between you and your cat, it will also give you the opportunity to build new ones!
Helps maintain routine
Credit – Piotr Musioł – https://unsplash.com/@szamanm
The biggest problem most people face when trying to stay healthy is staying motivated at all times. Most of the time, a new workout routine begins with a very high level of enthusiasm. However, over time, you may lose the will to exercise. Eventually, you will stop doing this altogether!
To stay motivated, you need a workout buddy! Who is a better companion than your cat? If you start exercising with your pet, you’re more likely to stay motivated than if you were exercising alone.
As an easy way to start, take that step, put it on a leash so you can take your cat with you, and start walking with your cat.
If you don’t think your cat is really going to be an adventurous cat, you can at least think that if you’re going to try to do the same for your cat, you need to maintain an exercise regime.
In this case, we’re not talking about home fitness classes, just knowing that you need to keep exercise for you and your cat may help. If you’re going to get her to do something positive, then you should commit to doing the same for yourself.
When is it time to exercise?
Let’s be real.
Unless you choose to let your cat go out with you (and, trust us, more and more people are taking their cat out for a walk), you won’t be exercising with your cat in the traditional sense.
First, the concept here is to see the value of exercise to you as something that is good for your health and well-being, and for your cat as well.
However, there are some things you can do to your cat, even indoors, that should definitely count as exercise for your cat. They may not be particularly active for you, but they will be better than sitting on the couch with your kitty.
Essentially, get the two of you to play with the cat more actively.
You can use any number of household items to keep your cat stalking and chasing – a ribbon or rope, a stick or a wad of crumpled paper.
Just make yourself part of the game and aggressively run around and let her chase you after you.
When you proactively involve your cat in the game, you can create a routine for the two of you to run around the living room together, and the game really starts to feel more like a planned workout.
Every cat owner knows that an engaged cat will run around and have fun, so whether you’re involving cat trees, catnip, or doing some kind of class or circuit, you’ll know when your cat has put in some effort .
If they’re very lazy and you’re exhausted, try some more automated game types like a laser pointer or a battery-powered mouse. This way you can take a break while still trying to encourage your cat to be active.
Remember, even cats have limitations. No more than 30 minutes of really active play is enough, your cat needs to slip away and get some sleep. At least you’ll know they’re getting a good workout and you’ll feel it too!
final thoughts
In short, there is no doubt that exercise is essential for both cats and humans.
The most important thing to realize is that if you don’t get enough exercise, it can affect your health, and your cat may as well.
The first step is to change that for both of you and incorporate some movement into your routine — for both of you.
If some of this involves you exercising together, this has the added benefit of bonding, and if you start going outdoors together, it could bring a whole new aspect to your life.
