The cats are bored!!

Hi, I have 17 cats and until we get rid of a wild dog they are having to stay in. I would prefer them to stay in all the time but they love to go outside. They have been inside for two weeks and are very bored. I cant even open the windows because one of them figured out how to use his claws and teeth to open the screen!! I have dug out my mardi gras beads and made and bought toys for them. Does anyone have any other ideas of things for them to do? I have a couple who spend their days hitting the windows with their paws. I even bought a puzzle for all of us to do (They like chewing the pieces) Any ideas for cat fun would be appreciated!!

I've heard of a dvd/vcr tape of birds flitting around the TV screen. Sorry, don't know where to get it tho.


17 bored cats? Good luck!

you have 17 indoor cats? How i the world can they be bored? Are you sure it just isn't spring fever wanting to get out and eat fresh grass and such?

My cats like the fur mousies, open paper grocery bags, boxes they can jump in.

Originally Posted by Sweets

I've heard of a dvd/vcr tape of birds flitting around the TV screen. Sorry, don't know where to get it tho.

Click to expand...

KittyShow Cat Videos and Cat DVD's are based upon more than 4½ years of research into cat vision, colors perceived, stalking behavior and hunting instincts. http://www.kittyshow.com/

I'm getting one for Angel.

Maybe you could build a cardboard condo from old boxes and such. It could be fun for you and your kitties to make together!

Balls of foil are good too! You could roll a lot of foil balls and fill a cardboard box with them - keeps them entertained for hours, batting the balls and rolling around!

A ball in the bath tub is good too (put the plug in and add some balls to the bath) They roll and spin and is lots of fun!

I hope you find something to entertain them!

Well, if I suddenly found myself having to care for 17 indoor cats, I'd start by making sure they were all S/N. Then to help them acclimate to the situation:

I'd buy the biggest cat tree imaginable and also get half a dozen standalone kitty condos. Put a window perch in each window. Just things to give them some separation but it also helps their overall happiness.

I'd buy three cat water fountains. And...well, I would just massively free feed and hope for the best. I'd get 20 litter boxes with multi-cat clumping formula. If the house is big enough, you could close off a very small room and then use it as a "special area" that the cats can't get into.

I'd buy three TurboScratchers and spread them out across the residence. I'd buy a couple of cheap rugs from Target and leave them around in the larger rooms -- cats seem to like scratching on that cheap synthetic surface. I'd get a couple dozen catnip mice and put one in each corner of the house. I'd also buy a couple Da'Birds and a couple Cat Dancers -- save those for the lethargic cats.

I'd start taking notes to figure out each cat's habits, like which cats are adjusting to the situation and which seem to be loners. If a cat seems lazy or withdrawn, I'd take that specific cat to the "special room" and engage them in an interactive game like Da'Bird or Cat Dancer. That will give the cats who need it a short burst of 10-15 minutes of individual attention each day. You could also use it as a temporary separation room if one cat is really causing a disturbance.

Finally, just to round things out, take a look at the thread about favorite cat toys:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46340

Consider buying or using any of those ideas that might work.

But with 17 indoor cats, you've really got your hands full! Good luck with it.

WOW..... you've got a full time job there! LOL The cardboard condo mentioned earlier is a great idea, we can vouch for that one being a lot of fun. Ideally they like several large boxes with holes of different sizes cut in the sides and top, and they can be stacked up, put together and moved around, that's really good for group play. Mitja's breeder had a brilliant idea for keeping his cats entertained when he had several litters of kittens in the house- he just used to turn his armchairs upside down on the floor (they were flat topped and completely stable in that position) and the kittens had hours of fun mountaineering all over them, whole new set-up to explore! From that example sometimes I put the cat gyms down on the floor sideways or put several of them together or in a different place in the room. My lot seem to love novelty! Two more things Jake and Mitz enjoy- Jake will go wild for a pile of A4 paper, as I found to my cost when I put a carefully sorted manuscript down on the carpet, thinking the worst he'd do was sit on it. He chased it everywhere, the room was awash in paper. Likewise spread sheet newspapers which can be climbed under and dragged around. And they both love the cheap bags of large plastic ballpool balls you can get from toyshops. You can make the floor absolutely awash with balls, that's pretty good fun!

Jeez, just wondering, how many literboxes do you have with 17 cats???

No guff mom of frantz.

I hope you have a large place for that many cats suddenly indoors. It can get sticky with territorial disputes happening once they figure out the outside is off limits. Hopefully they are all fixed? That could get fun if they aren't. I remember a few years ago when they tore down a mobile home park in town, I was suddenly swamped with cats and had 23! NEVER AGAIN- My limit is ten, and that's it.

There are some items on the market that will help you distract them from wanting outside-

There is also an E-book you can purchase, that I understand is pretty good with ideas how to keep indoor cats happy

House Cats

When they are pawing at the window, perhaps they are wanting something to scratch on? I've tried those carpet scratching posts, with the mice and spinning perch... DON'T get anything that spins, whatever you do! My cat leaped up there, and went FLYING! However, I recomend a cardboard tube/sheet, with catnip in/sprinkled on it. They love to rub and scratch it, and sometimes, eat it! I also recomend the "special area" theory. Some cats just need their alone time. I have only two cats, but one is a seriously attention-needy old girl, and one is a pesky, nosy little Siamese kitten! The result is NOT pretty... So what I do is take my senior, cuddles, into my room and just spend 15-20 minutes petting/playing with her. Then she seems content to let Snuggles, the Siamese, play and bite her tail. They're both indoor catsm always have been, but thats the way to avoid confrontations. Perhaps it will work for your.... 17 cats