Many Durham cat owners work long hours or spend much of the day away from home. While cats are often described as independent pets, and while, yes–cats sleep a lot (12-16 hours a day, must be nice!)–indoor cats still benefit from mental stimulation, routine, and environmental enrichment throughout the day.
Without opportunities to explore, play, and observe their surroundings, indoor cats can become bored or stressed. Fortunately, a few simple adjustments to your home environment can help keep your cat engaged and comfortable even when you’re not home.
Below are veterinarian-supported, Bull City Pet Care-approved ways to support your indoor cat’s well-being while you’re away.
Rotate Safe Interactive Toys
Providing toys that encourage natural hunting behavior can keep cats mentally stimulated while they’re alone. Small toy mice, balls, kicker toys, and treat-dispensing toys can help mimic the stalk-and-pounce cycle cats are naturally wired for.
To keep toys interesting, try rotating them every few days rather than leaving the same items out constantly. Novelty helps maintain a cat’s curiosity and engagement.
Importantly, avoid leaving string-based toys or wand toys unattended, as these can pose a choking or intestinal blockage risk if swallowed. Toys with strings, ribbons, or elastic components should only be used during supervised play sessions.
Offer Puzzle Feeders and Food Enrichment
Food puzzles are one of the easiest ways to provide enrichment when you’re away from home. Instead of eating from a bowl, cats must work to release small portions of food from a toy or puzzle feeder. This encourages natural foraging behaviors and provides mental stimulation throughout the day. Puzzle feeders can also help slow down fast eaters and reduce boredom-related behaviors.
My cat, Eddie, is extremely food motivated and he loves this puzzle feeder. Rather than scarfing down his kibble, a 1/4 cup of food in this feeder typically takes him 10-20 minutes to finish. When he hears the rattle of the plastic, he gets very excited! I keep this stashed away until it’s time to use it, to keep the novelty effect.
I have also gifted these Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Mice to many cats!
Provide Window Views and Vertical Space
Cats are natural observers. A comfortable window perch or cat tree placed near a window allows indoor cats to watch birds, squirrels, and neighborhood activity throughout the day.
Veterinary behavior experts emphasize that vertical territory–such as shelves, cat trees, and climbing spaces–is essential for indoor cats. Elevated spaces help cats feel secure and allow them to survey their environment. Eddie loves to run on top of the kitchen cabinets and sometimes even naps up there. Since he lives with a playful young pit bull–we are particularly concerned with making sure Eddie has places in the home that the pup can never access, including the cabinets!
Introduce Scent Enrichment
Cats rely heavily on scent to interpret their environment. Adding safe scent-based enrichment can make your home more stimulating during the day.
Examples include:
• Catnip toys
• Silvervine sticks
• Cardboard scratchers infused with catnip
These items encourage exploration and scratching, which are normal feline behaviors that help relieve stress.
Maintain Predictable Daily Routines
Cats thrive on routine. Feeding, playtime, and evening interaction at consistent times each day help create stability and reduce anxiety. Even brief interaction before leaving for work, such as a few minutes of play or grooming, can make a difference. Predictable routines help cats feel secure, even when they spend parts of the day alone.
When You’ll Be Away Overnight
While most indoor cats can comfortably spend the workday alone with the right enrichment, longer absences require additional care. Cats still need fresh food, clean litter boxes, and daily observation to ensure they remain healthy and comfortable.
For many Durham pet owners, the lowest-stress option is in-home cat sitting, where a professional sitter visits the home to provide care while maintaining the cat’s normal environment and routine.
At Bull City Pet Care, our in-home cat sitting visits focus on exactly that: keeping your cat comfortable in their own space with feeding, litter care, enrichment, and check-ins while you’re away.
If you’re planning travel or need overnight support, you can learn more about our services here: Vacation Pet Sitting in Durham, NC
Indoor cats thrive when their environment encourages natural behaviors like climbing, observing, scratching, and hunting. With the right toys, enrichment, and daily routine, cats can stay mentally stimulated and content even when their humans are busy during the day. And when life takes you away overnight, thoughtful in-home care can help maintain that same sense of comfort and routine.
Annika Hugosson is a writer and marketing specialist with professional experience writing across various industries including sports, tattooing, veterinary medicine, and animal welfare. She has worked in soccer media, animal sheltering, and emergency veterinary medicine and presently manages a Durham tattoo shop, Ethereal Tattoo Gallery. Annika holds a Master of Science in anthrozoology (human–animal studies) and has completed additional graduate-level research focused on the human–animal bond. Her master’s research examined hyenas and the ways their portrayal in popular and scientific media shapes public perception and conservation outcomes. She has been published in academic journals and has presented at conferences on topics including pit bulls and gender, the usage of snakes’ skins in fashion, animal ethics in Harry Potter, and related issues at the intersection of culture, animals, and society. Outside of her professional work, Annika is interested in R+ dog training and has completed extensive group class training with her dog, Hawthorn, whom she adopted from the APS of Durham.
