Enrichment activities to entertain a single cat in a small apartment

These enrichment activities are great for entertaining a single cat. My cat Jericho is a single cat living in a small apartment, and he looks forward to these activities every day!

It’s actually much easier to keep a single cat entertained because you can focus all of your attention and energy on him. Rather than trying to keep multiple cats entertained.

This is exactly why I have a single cat. I’ve grown up with multiple cats, and it’s not for me. Especially when you live in a small apartment.

It’s ok to adopt one cat only as long as you do these things!

How to entertain a single cat in a small apartment:

  1. Make your cat hunt for treats
  2. Daily play sessions keep cats happy
  3. Window-watching provides enrichment
  4. Give your cat a petting massage
  5. Routines help your cat feel safe
  6. Spend quality time with your cat
  7. Clicker training for enrichment and better behavior

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Make your cat hunt for treats

Wild cats spend most of their day hunting for food.

cat amazing food puzzle toy

All cats are natural-born hunters. Cats need to hunt to stay happy and healthy.

  • Healthy exercise
  • Mental stimulation
  • Fun game for both of you

Hiding treats is a great way to simulate hunting indoors.

This is a fun exercise for all cats. But especially for overweight cats that need to move around more.

how to keep a single cat happy hunting for treats

Here are some indoor hunting ideas:

All of these options require some work to get food.

Your cat has to sniff out the food, complete a task, then he earns a reward for his hard work.

Unfortunately, most food puzzle and release toys are made out of plastic.

Always wash them after each use. Replace them regularly.

Plastic traps bacteria. Even with regular washing.

Buy healthy cat treats on Chewy and Amazon US, CA, UK.

DIY options for hunting

how to keep a single cat happy food puzzle toy
Toilet paper rolls

You can create food toys with toilet paper or paper towel rolls. Create tunnels and different sized ring diggers.

A cardboard egg carton works well too.

Just remember to use new rolls and cartons each time since you can’t properly clean them.

Healthy treats, like dehydrated meat treats, work well in this DIY option.

Tip: Here are 12 other toilet paper roll toys for cats.

Coffee mug

Fill the mug with food. Lie the mug on its side on top of a food mat or newspaper.

Pawing out food will earn mental stimulation as well.

cat hunting for treats
Glass jars

I reuse glass jars from salsa, sauce, yogurt, etc.

Fill the jar with food or treats and make your cat paw out the reward.

Place these on soft surfaces on the floor only for safety. It will probably get knocked around.

You can buy a food mat on Amazon to keep the floor sanitary.

Jar lids

I hide Jericho’s treats on glass jar lids.

He eats freeze-dried raw treats.

So I use the lids to keep my surfaces sanitary.

healthy cat treats hare today
Hiding ideas for lids:

This is a super fun activity for both of you!

Your cat will expect to hunt once you establish this enrichment routine.

Daily play sessions keep cats happy

Playtime is another version of indoor hunting that we can use.

Your cat doesn’t like to play?

Sounds like you need better toys, persistence, and more creativity!

how to keep a single cat happy by playing

Best cat toys on Etsy:

Cats love natural materials. So cats are attracted to these natural toys immediately.

Clients and friends have said to me “my cat doesn’t like to play”.

But I’m able to get their cats to play.

What’s the difference?

I mimic prey movements, I’m persistent, and I get creative.

Sometimes I wave the wand around for 10 minutes before Jericho pounces.

All indoor cats love to play since they don’t hunt.

Tip: Check out how to get your cat to play if you need help.

Playtime is the indoor version of hunting. All cats love to play.

Window-watching provides enrichment

The window provides endless entertainment for your single cat. Your cat will enjoy window-watching. Even if your view stinks!

ideas for cats in small apartments
Jericho gets a sun bath on his window perch every day

The window perch we have:

  • No power tools required
  • Attaches to your windowsill with an adhesive strip
  • Metal legs included for added stability
  • Soft, washable cover
  • No idea where it’s made

I rest the perch on the cat condo platform for extra security.

Buy the window perch on Chewy. We originally bought the perch on Amazon, but it’s no longer available. The one on Chewy is similar.

Tip: My friends and clients have the suction-cup hammock-style perches. Their cats didn’t use it.

Cats prefer stability, and the hammock suction-cup perches aren’t as stable.

Other options:

Regardless of which you choose, always check that it’s secure before use.

Window-watching keeps your single cat happy because it provides endless entertainment.

jericho cuddling petting massage in bed jess caticles

Give your cat a petting massage

Jericho absolutely loves his petting massage and purrs the whole time. This is a great bonding experience for both of you!

jericho snuggling for petting massage jess caticles

Make this a routine (I talk about this later) and your cat will expect it!

How I give Jericho a petting massage:

  • Jericho lies on my chest when I lie down
  • I lightly scratch along his body with my nails to brush him
  • Massage his face lightly around his cheeks
  • Run my fingers along his eye areas lightly
  • Scratch his neck and chin area

This helps me feel around on him for any lumps or missing fur. Think of this as a physical exam. It helps you inspect your cat for any changes. And it helps your cat feel relaxed and calm.

Tip: Check out where to pet a cat – that includes pictures so you can get some ideas on the petting massage.

A petting massage is great for both of you! It gives your cat a relaxing experience and helps you feel around your cat’s body for any changes.

cat playing with diy cat toy toilet paper roll string

Routines help your cat feel safe

Cats need routines in their lives because it makes them feel safe.

Let’s go back to the cat’s wild side…

Imagine you live outside. You’d have to:

  • Hunt for food
  • Find a quiet, safe place to sleep
  • Fight for survival
  • Find a safe place to do your business

You’d want your day to be predictable, right?

This is how your cat sees life. Even if your cat has never been outside.

Remember, these instincts are ingrained.

Any changes to your routines can stress out your cat.

brushing routine for cats

Healthy routine examples:

  • Litter box location and proper maintenance
  • Scheduled mealtimes
  • Play, eat, groom, sleep
  • Scheduled grooming
  • Cuddles and naptime together

These enrichment routines will help your single cat feel safe indoors.

Cats prefer predictability and routine. And having routines helps you keep your cat entertained when he wants it.

Spend quality time with your cat

Cats prefer human interaction to other stimuli despite their aloof behavior.

spend quality time with your single cat

Cats love their humans, but interaction must be on their terms.

Everything must be on your cat’s terms.

The most important thing you can do for your single cat is respect him.

I always explain cats and dogs this way…

Dogs work to earn our trust. But, with cats, we have to work to earn theirs.

Respect your cat’s boundaries:

  • Cats don’t like to be picked up. Of my 400+ clients, only 1 actually wanted to be picked up.
  • Don’t touch your cat’s belly.
  • A quickly whipping tail means your cat is annoyed.
  • Don’t stare at your cat. It’s intimidating.
  • Be patient. Don’t force interaction.

Being patient goes a long way, especially with shy cats.

If you force the interaction, you’ll just make your cat lose trust in you.

Tip: Learn how to read your cat’s emotions with cat tail language.

Spending quality time together is a great bonding experience and keeps your single cat happy. Just remember to do it on your cat’s terms.

Clicker training for enrichment and better behavior

Clicker training is so much fun! I started clicker training Jericho when he was about 6 years old. He learned how to jump through an arm hoop at 9, and he’s still learning new tricks. So no, it’s never too late to start!

agility course clicker training for cat jess and jericho caticles.com
Jericho jumping over his tunnel and through an arm hoop

Clicker training is a fun activity for both of you. It gets your cat active, and it’s such a heartwarming experience for you. It’s so fun to see your cat learn new tricks!

How to clicker train your cat:

Jericho knows how to sit, stay, jump onto an object, jump in and out of a box, jump over an object, fist bump, climb up his cat condo, circle an object, nose boop the target stick up high, jump through an arm hoop, and we’re still going.

We both look forward to this routine every day. Jericho purrs the entire time.

I also built an agility course for him using the furniture we already have.

Clicker training is a fun activity for both of you. It gets your cat active and provides lots of enrichment.

cat cuddling with human on bed

Final thoughts on enrichment activities for single cats

Enrichment activities keep our single cats entertained and happy, even when they live in a small apartment.

My single cat is very happy because I keep him entertained with these activities. I make Jericho hunt for food, we play every day, he gets petting massages, we do clicker training, and I keep lots of fun routines for him.

We get to spend a lot of quality time together because I work from home.

But you can still do these enrichment activities if you work outside your home full-time.

I used to be out of my home for 10.5 hours a day because of work and commuting. Check out my evening enrichment routine from when I worked full-time so you can make an enrichment routine that works for you!

Save this post for later to your cat enrichment ideas board on Pinterest.

enrichment activities for single cats in an apartment caticles.com