I am concerned about my cat

[JacquelineDeane55]

Hi.

My cat is a very lazy animal. He will sleep most of the day and only get up to eat and go to the litter box.

I am concerned that he is sleeping too much and not exercising enough. He is not a very active animal at all.

My little sister keeps telling me that it is healthy for a cat to sleep a lot, but I don't believe her. My mom tells me there is nothing wrong with him, but I don't believe her either. How can lack of exercise possibly be healthy? How come he is not more active?

I don't know much about cats, so I don't know if they are right or not. Please tell me, if you know anything about cats.

What is the right amount of exercise for a cat? How much should I exercise our cat each day?

 

[JacquelineDeane55]

I am sorry, I didn't know that this board was for non-Christians (I am in fact a Christian), if a moderator could in fact move this thread to a more appropriate location I would be much obliged.

 

[Swan7]

MOD HAT ON

This thread is being moved from [url=https://www.christianforums.com/forums/struggles-by-non-christians.274/]Struggles by Non-Christians[/URL] to Pets and Animals forum as requested by OP.

Thanks!

MOD HAT OFF​

 

[PloverWing]

In general, cats do sleep a lot. They have times when they expend lots of concentration and energy hunting something -- they concentrate on their prey, watch it, slowly and silently approach it, then pounce. They'll also have times when they climb trees, run around for the fun of it, play-fight with each other, and chase strings to entertain their humans. But in between these times of hunting or playing, they're resting, for long stretches. As I understand it, this pattern is common among certain kinds of predators, especially stealth predators like felines.

So, give your cat some exercise opportunities -- something to climb on, something to chase, etc. But don't worry if he rests and sleeps a lot in between playtimes.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I agree. Cats do sleep for fairly long stretches of time and/or frequently. But they should be exercising/playing too. If a cat feels he has nothing to do, he might not be able to initiate this on his own.

First I would make sure he has toys. They don't have to be expensive or elaborate.

Most cats LOVE to chase a toy attached to a string, so that it can be moved around for them to jump and chase. A wand or pole gives a human more reach to move the string further. Let him catch it sometimes, and attack it as he likes. Don't keep it out of his reach so long that he loses interest.

Some cats will chase a toy thrown for them, or play on their own, but if the cat is not used to playing, you will probably need to make it move for him.

Laser pointers can be good for this too, for most cats. It is best if the light imitates prey, moving irregularly, hiding under and behind things, and so on.

If he has places to climb, jump, and so on, that can help.

Once you get him more used to moving around, you might be able to invent games for him. My cat has all kinds of games, and plays several times throughout the day, napping in between.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

Having owned many cats in my life, they sleep most of the day away. Some say 16 hours, I say more around 20 hours.

Its important to play with a cat, especially if you keep it in doors only. But it cat toys like fuzzy fake mice, noise balls, scratching post and a bigger cat tower:
http://nt.petplanet.co.uk/images/product_images/new_product_images/qingquan/58798.jpg

Also buy something that looks like a fishing rod, but has a feathers on the end and drag it around the ground like it was a animal. They will try to catch it. Move it in the air and they will jump. Obviously let them catch it sometimes, but usually I move it around so they run around alot. This gives them good exercise.

If you think your cat is acting right you can always take them to the vet. If nothings wrong they will probably offer more tips. Here on google are some good guides:
how do I take care of a cat - Google Search

 

[Ironhold]

How old is your cat?

While kittens can go for hours on end once they get wound up, older animals do need their sleep.

If your cat is getting older (about 5+ years), there will be a noticeable slowdown in activity. They can still be active and playful at times, but there are days where they just don't seem to get much done by our standards.

 

[JacquelineDeane55]

Our cat is only three years old. You guys may have think you have helped, but you didn't specifically answer my question, so I will ask it again: How much exercise should a cat have every day?

 

[~Anastasia~]

It depends on the cat. If they are not used to it, and no have no breathing or health problems, it's probably good to get them REALLY worked up and crazy-active for about ten minutes (or as much as they will do), then more gentle but still active for another 10-15 minutes. You can do this 2-3 times a day.

My cat self-regulates her play. She's almost 9 years old, and puts herself into crazy mode twice most days, running hard for about 5 minutes, and she has about 4 gentler sessions of about 20 minutes each. But she has asthma, and is a bit older.

If your cat gets in shape and is healthy, she should manage what I describe if she's one of the light-boned active breeds. (My cat has a lot of Siamese, she resembles a Tonkinese.)

If she's one of the heavier, stockier types, especially with a Persian nose, she might not be able to handle that level of exercise even if she does get in shape.

 

[quartzy]

My two cats are different one sleeps for around 20 hours and the other sleeps for around 15. They are both healthy and loving and I do not play with them. They do not play with each other. They both go mad now and then running hard around the place. And they both go outside, I suggest you can a good cat book and start reading about cats. There is no right or wrong but it is unfair to wake them from sleep.

 

[country woman]

Yes cats sleeps or naps, hence the word cat nap
and it depends on age of you fur baby too

 

[Sheenagh Tucker]

Your cat is perfectly fine and normal.

 

[Adelyn Woodcock]

If you want your cat to get enough exercise, you may try to put a rat inside his/her cage. Let us see what happens next! LOL

 

[Ave Maria]

It's normal for a cat to sleep a lot but I don't think it is normal for the cat to only get up to eat and use the litter box. If you are very concerned, you might want to get your cat checked out by a veterinarian to rule out any underlying health issues.

 

[*LILAC]

When I had a cat I gave him alot of exercise using a laser light on a darkened staircase. Not only did he get ALOT of exercise but it was highly amusing for me as well!

 

[joshua 1 9]

Hi.

My cat is a very lazy animal. He will sleep most of the day and only get up to eat and go to the litter box.

I am concerned that he is sleeping too much and not exercising enough. He is not a very active animal at all.

My little sister keeps telling me that it is healthy for a cat to sleep a lot, but I don't believe her. My mom tells me there is nothing wrong with him, but I don't believe her either. How can lack of exercise possibly be healthy? How come he is not more active?

I don't know much about cats, so I don't know if they are right or not. Please tell me, if you know anything about cats.

What is the right amount of exercise for a cat? How much should I exercise our cat each day?

Cats sleep a lot in the winter when it is to cold to get up and get around. When the weather is warmer then they get out and hunt down some food.

 

[SolomonVII]

Our cat is only three years old. You guys may have think you have helped, but you didn't specifically answer my question, so I will ask it again: How much exercise should a cat have every day?

As much as it wants. Cats have a way of deciding what is good for them, and what isn't.

 

[Ave Maria]

When I had a cat I gave him alot of exercise using a laser light on a darkened staircase. Not only did he get ALOT of exercise but it was highly amusing for me as well!

I used to have a cat named Precious who loved laser lights until she got sick. Unfortunately she got sick with something and the veterinarian couldn't solve the problem. It ended up killing her in January.

 

[Tree320]

Having owned many cats in my life, they sleep most of the day away. Some say 16 hours, I say more around 20 hours.

Its important to play with a cat, especially if you keep it in doors only. But it cat toys like fuzzy fake mice, noise balls, scratching post and a bigger cat tower:
http://nt.petplanet.co.uk/images/product_images/new_product_images/qingquan/58798.jpg

Also buy something that looks like a fishing rod, but has a feathers on the end and drag it around the ground like it was a animal. They will try to catch it. Move it in the air and they will jump. Obviously let them catch it sometimes, but usually I move it around so they run around alot. This gives them good exercise.

If you think your cat is acting right you can always take them to the vet. If nothings wrong they will probably offer more tips. Here on google are some good guides:
how do I take care of a cat - Google Search

Totally agree with the cat toy part! Maybe your cat is not really lazy, but just bored. I think feather toy definitely ranks the first, the first toy for my cat is a feather wand, she becomes wild and runs around chasing it, leaping up in the air and grabbing the feathers when playing this. It's a must have for all cat owners. There are plenty fishing rod toy on Amazon, i got it from OnePlus Amazon.com : OnePlus Interactive Cat Toys Retractable Cat Catcher Teaser Wand with 4 Pcs Feather and 4 Caterpillars Toy for Cat and Kitten Exercise (Black) : Pet Supplies, because it's detachable so i can change the teaser, also i like the colors. There are also other similar products available, just make sure it's a fishing rod toy and it can arouse the hunting instinct.

 

[4x4toy]

So my cat Oreo still mounts attacks on me and I still attack him when he is asleep .. So for a couple weeks now I'm thinking he needs a tattoo on his upper right leg , he got bit by something and lost a patch of hair just right for a small tattoo .. I'm thinking Mighty Mouse caught in a mouse trap or Sylvester with canary feathers in his mouth .. Any other suggestions ?