Exercise for cats

I hear a lot of people ask about how to change a cats diet to help them lose weight. I know that is challenging to do, and I always like to offer up the flip side of weight loss - exercise.

I'd like to hear what people do to give their cats exercise, whether that be to lose weight or to keep them for healthy.

I have tall cat condos placed strategically in their favorite spots and they often "thunder run" up them.

I have their food and water dishes up on top of things like the washing machine and counters so that they have to jump up to eat.

And lots of interactive play.

What do you do?

We got added a kitten to the family. She really does get my other two going pretty good. We have several condos, the cats love to race us to the bedroom or living room or kitchen just for fun. When I remember to I get out the wand toys. I also have a lot of those track toys, scratchers, and miscellaneous toys. Lola's playfulness seems contagious and Nabu & Stimpy play with their toys more now too. And we have a fish tank they love to watch that's full of Neons, Cardinal Tetras and Cory Cats. One of my cats *hates* diet food & the other 2 don't need diet food, so I find activity a better option. Making the bed is another fun game they all like to get involved in.

The best way to get most of our gang running is

1) Da Bird or
2) The red dot

The other wand toys they won't run for. And while they love to play with the turbo scratcher, the other ball in the ring toy, little mice, catnip toys, balls, etc., only two of them like the balls, and they only chase for a couple of swipes.

Flowerbelle doesn't need anything. She freaks herself out daily running around chasing... ??????????? She FLIES up the trees, RACES into the bedroom - tail puffed up larger than she is! That little nut won't ever gain weight!

Ming Loy is a total tubby and needs to lose weight. But she already gets the most exercise next to Flowerbelle. She just also loves to eat.

But I would LOVE other ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laurie

My husband seems to think he can take our kitty running on a harness and leash to lose weight. I'm just going to bring a video camera and laugh when he tries

Laser pointers in our house! We can be lazy humans and sit on the couch while they fly from one side of the house to the other.

Mostly we don't have to do much, we have two 4 month old kittens, they wear each other out!

Another vote here for "Da Bird." Our cats go after that like nothing else. One of them even waits near the place where we stow it, meowing to ask us to play!