Cats can be happy and satisfied if kept entirely indoors. A survey has shown that they are likely to live twice as long, they cannot be stolen or run over, or pick up disease from another cat. Also, if your home has been made safe for your cat, he cannot get into danger such as being locked accidentally into a shed or vehicle, fall off a roof, get into fights, or be chased by a dog. So many owners, when their cat no longer wants to go outside, ask how can they persuade him to do so. The simple answer is - do not. Your cat may have a very good reason for no longer wanting to go outside; perhaps a feline bruiser is making his life miserable, perhaps there is a cat-chasing dog that is always running loose, perhaps a neighbor is continually frightening him, or perhaps the cat is just old and prefers the comforts of indoors.

Many cats do not get the choice, because more and more owners are keeping their cats indoors from kitten-hood. This is not just pedigree animals (and many pedigree cats come from long lines of cats which have always been kept indoors), the non-pedigree cat is also being kept inside for safety. And they can lead happy and contented lives as long as everything they require is provided for them. So what does an indoor cat need to keep him contented, fit and healthy? First of all, he needs space. You cannot keep a cat happy in one room.

He must have places to play and hide, and halls or rooms large enough for him to run around in. He must also have things he can climb, whether this is a dresser or a cat climber; he must be able to get high off the floor and away from other cats if he feels like some peace and quiet. An indoor cat should have other feline company to play with, to help exercise him and to keep him alert. In addition, he needs human companionship, which is why the most contented indoor cats have a non-working owner or an owner who works at home.

He also needs somewhere to go when he wants to be alone, so a number of rooms which are not out-of-bounds is essential. Regular exercise is just as important for an indoor cat. We, us humans, are all now convinced that we need daily exercise to counteract the sedentary life which most of us lead; we no longer need to hunt for our food, so we simply do not get the exercise which our ancestors did.

It is the same with the average domestic cat. Since they are well fed, they no longer need to hunt, nor do they have to fight other cats for territory, food, or a mate; so they get little natural exercise and an only cat may get virtually none at all. Two play sessions per day of around ten minutes each will therefore keep your cat fit and healthy and also strengthen his cardio vascular system.

Tristan Andrews writes useful articles about cats and kittens. Discover and explore the feline world. Find out how to better care for, train and live with your cat at http://www.i-love-cats.com