This is why it is so important to provide mental exercise as well as physical exercise for our indoor-only cats - to ensure they have the best quality of life.” Lack of mental stimulation can lead not just to obesity, but also to depression and to various behavior issues. Though many cats may seem fine simply lounging around, they often are not.
However, we are also taking away many sources of mental stimulation. Jenn Corsun, manager of Cat World, says: “By bringing our cats inside and providing for all their needs, we are certainly making them safer and, often physically healthier. When cats like Lightfoot are brought in from outdoors, they are used to a bit more activity than your average housecat. Feline well-beingĪs important as it is, physical health is only one part of our pets’ well-being. Once Lightfoot was at the Sanctuary, Best Friends vets found that he suffered from severe food allergies and quickly got him on the path to recovery through diet and medication.
CAT PUZZLE FEEDER SKIN
The poor cat’s skin was painfully irritated all the time, leaving a patchwork of bald spots on his black fur. Learn more about Best Friends’ cat initiatives Luckily, someone was indeed looking out for Lightfoot and noticing his struggle. Sometimes called stray cats or feral cats, community cats are neighborhood cats who roam freely outdoors, while kind people feed them and look out for them. The Sanctuary was quite a change, since he’d lived most of his life as a community cat. Though he is barely five years old, Lightfoot looked much older a year ago when he arrived at the Sanctuary through the Best Friends cat initiative program. And now, a unique way of approaching feeding time has turned into yet another way to keep this special cat happy. Lightfoot has felt so good that he wanted more excitement in his life. He wasn’t feeling well when he arrived at the Sanctuary, but since then he’s back in tip-top physical shape. He’s extremely smart and energetic, and he likes to stay entertained.īut even walks outdoors, attention from visitors, volunteers and his caregivers, access to the spacious lobby in Cat World headquarters and clicker training sessions weren’t enough for this smart kitty. Some cats are content to lie around all day with only a few “breaks” for exercise and play, but not Lightfoot.