If you have a cat, the likelihood of being woken up in the middle of the night to your cat having the zoomies is quite high.
Cats tend to have what seems like random outbursts of energy and will often run around quickly. While this can be amusing to watch during the day, it is not so fun at night.
When your cat has random bursts of energy, you may be wondering whether or not it is a sign of boredom.
Cats are mostly known for their laid back approach to life and their love for naps. But, are they napping out of boredom rather than tiredness?
It is not as easy to spot the signs of boredom in a cat compared to other animals. Given this, you may not know whether or not your cat is content or bored.
In this article, we will be going into detail about whether or not cats can get bored. We will be discussing some potential signs of boredom to look out for, and how you can help to combat this.
Do Cats Get Bored?
The answer to this question is simple. Yes, cats can certainly get bored, especially if they do not have enough mental and physical stimulation around them.
While it can be easy to spot boredom in cats, there are many ways cats can express boredom that you may not be aware of. Although these actions do not typically scream “I’m bored!”, if you notice your cat doing these regularly, you may want to think of ways to keep them occupied.
Signs That Your Cat May Be Bored
Over-Grooming
If you notice that your cat is constantly grooming, this can be a big indicator that they are bored. Often cats will groom to keep themselves occupied.
Overgrooming can quickly turn into your cat pulling out its fur, or biting at its skin if done out of boredom. As you can imagine, this can potentially lead to issues such as irritated and dry skin, and bald patches.
It is important to remember that a cat grooming itself is completely natural. But, if you notice any biting or excessive grooming, it is always best to keep a close eye on this.
Over Eating
It may surprise you to realize that many cats will overeat due to boredom. Cats are much like us in that respect as we tend to overeat when we are bored too.
It is important to not overfeed your cat. While they may cry for more food, they do not necessarily need it. Always check the guidelines on the back of the packaging to estimate how much you should be feeding daily.
Over Sleeping and Sluggish Behaviour
While some cats deal with boredom by running around, other cats will recede into themselves instead. If you notice that your cat has become a lot more withdrawn from daily life and sleeps more often than usual, this could be a sign of boredom.
You may find that your cat has become quite sluggish and is not as interested in its toys or food like it was before. If your cat is oversleeping in addition to overeating, you could be dealing with not just a bored cat, but one that will quickly become overweight too!
Chasing And Fighting
The most visible sign of a bored cat is one that seems to be on the lookout for trouble. If your cat regularly chases your other pets and picks a fight with them, you may well have a bored cat on your hands.
While it is normal for cats to play fight with each other, if one cat has a lot more energy built up than the other, the fun can quickly subside.
If you only own one cat, you may find that you become the pincushion if your cat is bored. It is important to address these issues to help keep the stress levels of your other animals to a minimum.
In addition to this, you may find that your cat is scurrying around the house on its own, jumping on to and off surfaces, yowling like a possessed demon. While it is amusing to watch, it is not as fun when the zoomies happen in the middle of the night!
Destruction
Another visible sign that your cat is bored is destruction. You may notice that your carpet has been scratched or your cat’s claws have gone through your favorite pair of curtains.
While this is never fun to deal with, it is often a sign that your cat is lacking mental and physical stimulation.
It is always important to address these issues quickly as they can become worse over time and will cost you money to replace damaged items!
Keeping Your Cat Occupied
Now that you know how cats can express their boredom, you may be wondering how you can combat this. Thankfully, there are many solutions.
First of all, we would recommend interacting with your cat regularly and actively playing with them. This will help to keep them occupied both physically and mentally.
If you have not already, try buying your cat some new toys. This is a great way for them to keep themselves occupied while you are at work or during the night. Toys containing catnip or interactive toys are particularly great.
Treat toys are also a fun way to keep your cat’s mind physically occupied while providing them with a nice treat when they figure out how to open the toy!
Investing in a good scratching post is also important. Cats need scratching posts and they can double up as a fun toy too. There are many styles of cat tree scratching posts you can buy that have different toys and levels attached to keep your cat occupied.
Summary
We hope this article has helped you to learn how cats can present boredom.
If a cat does not have enough mental and physical stimulation, they can quickly become bored. This is why it is essential to try and help to prevent this.
Ensure that your cat has plenty of toys and stimulus to keep it physically and mentally active and you should help to prevent boredom.
It is worth noting that while the behaviors we have listed above are signs of boredom, if these symptoms persist they could be linked to other medical conditions.
You must consult your local veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your cat’s overall health.
