Free · 7 days · 5 minutes a day
The 7-Day Happy Indoor Cat Challenge
For the 3 a.m. zoomies and yowling, the scratched sofa, the bored stare and the "accidents" next to the box. One small change a day. Each one builds on the last.
A sudden change in behavior can be pain or illness. If your cat changed overnight, see your vet first.
Day 1 · 5 minutes
The hunt before bed
An indoor cat has all of a hunter's instincts and no mice. Many cats burn that energy at 3 a.m., on your feet. A short play session in the evening gives it a proper place to go.
- Use a wand toy. Drag it away from your cat along the floor, like prey that is trying to escape. Hide it behind a chair. Never wave it in their face.
- Let them catch it, often. A hunt with no catch is just frustrating. Finish by letting them grab it for good.
- Within a minute, give a small meal or a few treats. Hunt, catch, eat: the natural order. Do it in the evening, before you go to bed.
Tonight, notice: does your cat settle sooner than usual? Sudden loud crying at night in an older cat deserves a vet check, not just play.
Helps: a wand toy with feathers or a "mouse" on a string, so your hand stays out of the game. See on Amazon →Day 2 · 10 minutes
Give your cat a window seat
Height makes cats feel safe, and a window is their TV. A perch at the best window gives a bored indoor cat something to watch and a high place to rest.
- Pick the window with the most going on: birds, trees, people walking by.
- Put a sturdy perch, shelf or low table there. Check that it doesn't wobble and the cat can jump up in two steps.
- Drop a treat on it and leave a soft blanket. Don't lift your cat onto it. Let it become their idea.
Working when: your cat is on the perch on their own by tomorrow morning.
Helps: a window perch that holds an adult cat, so the spot gets used and not ignored. See on Amazon →Day 3 · 15 minutes
Put the scratcher where they scratch
Scratching is normal and necessary: it stretches the body and marks territory. A cat isn't scratching the sofa to annoy you. They picked a spot. Today you give that exact spot a better surface.
- Look at where your cat already scratches: usually near where they sleep or by a doorway.
- Put a tall, heavy scratching post right next to that spot. It should be tall enough for a full stretch and must not tip.
- Reward every use with a treat or play. Cover the old spot with a blanket or double-sided tape for a few weeks.
Skip: scolding or spraying water. It teaches your cat to avoid you, not the sofa.
Helps: a tall, sturdy sisal post that doesn't wobble. See on Amazon →Day 4 · 10 minutes
Turn dinner into a hunt
A full bowl is over in 30 seconds. In the wild, a cat works for every meal. Food puzzles use that instinct and give a bored cat something to do while you're not around.
- Take part of today's food. Put it in a puzzle feeder, or in a muffin tin with a few balls on top.
- Hide a few small piles on different levels around the room: on the perch, on a step, under a cup.
- Start easy so your cat wins. Make it harder only after a few days.
Check: if your cat eats a vet-prescribed diet, use that food for the puzzle. Don't add extra calories.
Helps: a puzzle feeder with different difficulty levels. See on Amazon →Day 5 · 10 minutes
The litter box rules
Litter box trouble is one of the most common problems cat owners report, and it often has a fixable cause: too few boxes, a dirty box or the wrong place.
- One box per cat, plus one extra (n+1). Put them in different spots, away from food, water and loud appliances.
- Scoop every day. Once a month, empty it and wash it with plain, unscented soap and water. Strong smells and cleaners can put cats off.
- Make sure it's big enough to turn around in, and that it's open on a quiet side so your cat can see anyone approaching.
Don't wait: if your cat suddenly stops using the box, pees often, has blood in the urine, or a male cat strains with little or no urine, call a vet right away. It can be a blockage, and a blockage is an emergency.
Helps: an extra-large open litter box. Most misses start with a box that's too small. See on Amazon →Day 6 · 10 minutes
Add three quiet places
Even a social cat needs somewhere to disappear. Stress can contribute to litter box misses, scratching and hiding. A few safe spots can lower the temperature in the whole house.
- Put a covered bed or a cardboard box with a side hole in a low-traffic corner.
- Add one high spot, like the top of a bookcase or a cat tree, in a room where the family spends time.
- When your cat is in a hideout, leave them be. Let them come out on their own.
Working when: your cat uses the hiding spots when a guest, vacuum or loud noise shows up, then comes back out calm.
Helps: a covered cat bed, a quiet corner of their own. See on Amazon →Day 7 · 10 minutes a day from now on
Your daily routine
Six changes. You don't need all of them every day. Here's a routine that fits a normal schedule.
- Evening: 5-minute hunt play (Day 1), then a small meal or the puzzle feeder (Day 4).
- Every day: scoop the boxes (Day 5). Check that the scratcher is where the scratching is (Day 3).
- Set up once: the window perch (Day 2) and the quiet places (Day 6). Move them if your cat ignores them.
Check yourself: what changed this week? Fewer night zoomies, fewer scratch marks, fewer misses? Write one line. Keep the routine for 3 more weeks before judging it.
Keep going
Keep Normal or Vet? 20 Cat Signs on your phone for the moments that aren't about training. Every week we send one new 2-minute idea like these. Reply to any email and tell us how your cat is doing. We read every one.
General information based on guidance from AAFP, ASPCA and Cornell Feline Health Center. Not veterinary or behavioral advice. Some links are Amazon affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.