Kitty Exercise

Ok, the other day I posted about some fat cats, and today I thought I'd say a few words about exercise!  Now you outdoor kitties out there don't really need to worry about getting a workout in every single day. But us indoor cats, even if we don't have to worry about our weight, should get the daily chance to stretch and run around.  Unlike our canine counterparts, we can be content lazying about most of the time, as we do, and don't need to have our humans take us to the cat park (I wish there was one!), although that's a great opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors, bird watching, squirrel chasing, etc.  But if at all possible, indoor cats should get the chance to get some fresh air.  My humans realized this when I moved from a house to a 400 square foot apartment for a few months.  I really missed running from one end of my home to the other, and through the kitty door into the garage!  I also missed watching the squirrels and birds that came to visit my backyard on a daily basis.  So although I wasn't too crazy about the idea, one day my human put this thing called a harness on me, and took me outside!  Like I said, I wasn't too crazy about this restrictive harness and leash on me, but I understand they didn't want me running away.  They didn't have to worry about that - the outside world is a pretty scary place to me.  But it's exciting too!  For those of you felines who've never been outside, OH the smells, sights, and sounds you experience!  And the neighborhood walk didn't stop there - I've also gotten to go to the park, on a boat, play in the snow, and various car outings!  I'm still apprehensive when the harness comes out, but I'd rather be with my humans than staying home by myself, waiting patiently for them to come back. I highly recommend and encourage cat owners out there to try taking their pets outside sometime.  They'll love it!  Or, you could try setting up something like this:



If that seems to complicated, and you happen to have a treadmill, you might try putting your cat on it!



Whatever you do, try not to laugh so as not to distract your kitty!  Instead, encourage and reward them with some cat treats!  The goal: keep your cat fit and healthy, and they'll "reward" you with lots of love  :)