hey friends it's jess and jericho and cats need routines.
they actually thrive on routines because they are creatures of habit.
they like to do the same things the same ways every single day.
they don't like changes they don't like surprises.
they want to have the same routines every single day.
and they get stressed very easily.
so it's important to stick to these routines.
and there are three different routines that are extremely crucial for every single cat.
so the first one is a feeding schedule routine.
second one is a playtime routine.
and the third one is litter box maintenance routines.
so let's work on these three crucial routines first
then you can implement other routines for bonding and enrichment.
so a feeding routine is important because leaving food out all day is unsanitary.
all types of food are susceptible to growing bacteria and mold and rancid fats.
so instead of leaving food out all day
choose specific times throughout the day when you're home for at least 30 minutes.
then you can feed your cat during that time,
clean up everything, wash the dishes, and then feed fresh food at the next scheduled meal time.
apparently cats hunt at dawn and dusk when prey are most active.
so in the morning and in the evening.
but you can also feed small meals and snacks throughout the day to break it up.
so jericho's main meals are at 8:30 in the morning 7 p.m at night and 9 pm at night.
and he also hunts for treats around noon.
jericho's favorite feeding routine is hunting for treats.
he looks forward to this every day.
i break up freeze dried minnows and hide them on glass jar lids around the apartment.
if you work long hours you can feed breakfast before you start getting
ready for work and then maybe put out treats before you leave work.
or if you're able to come home during lunch
i strongly suggest that even if it's only for 30 minutes.
i used to do this when i worked as a cat sitter and a dog walker.
i'd be running around all day and even though i was only home for like
10 or 20 minutes i still came home
made jericho run around for a little bit and then
gave him some treats to hunt for and then i was back out.
if you work really long hours and you're not able to come home you can also use an
automatic feeder and that will open at a specific time.
that way you can set up your cat's dinner before you leave for work
and then you maybe you can feed another meal before you go to bed.
this video is not sponsored but there are affiliate links to some
of the products that i'm talking about in the description below.
try your best to stick to the exact time that you establish for the feeding routine
because your cat's going to expect that food at that time every day.
you might notice that your cat wakes up a little earlier than your scheduled meal time.
jericho wakes up around 7 30. he usually uses
the bathroom around 8 and then he starts crying for his food.
but i think there's about 15 minutes of leeway.
you know maybe one day you have to leave a little bit earlier for work
this is inevitable and i think it's okay to feed your cat a little earlier.
just try your best to stick to those same times because if you start changing the time and maybe
you're feeding it a little bit earlier your cat's going to expect that meal at the earlier time.
so let's say for example a week from today you
know that you are going to have to leave your home earlier than usual
so you're going to have to feed your cat earlier than usual.
each day leading up to the new scheduled meal time
try to gradually move up to that time instead of just a cold turkey switch to the new time.
so today you'll feed one minute earlier, tomorrow you'll feed two minutes earlier, etc.
daily play session routines are absolutely crucial as well.
outdoor cats hunt so they burn a lot of energy.
but indoor cats don't have to hunt so they like to sleep a lot.
but playing with your cat is a great way to establish some healthy exercise.
it's also great for mental stimulation
you know it's it's like simulating the hunting experience indoors.
cats get a lot of mental stimulation from that.
they have to hunt and kind of like figure out what to do
how to catch the prey aka toy and then they have to wiggle their butts and then they pounce.
and then they catch and kill that prey aka toy.
playing with your cat is also great for bonding.
and then playing with your cat throughout the day can also help your cat sleep through the night.
now i'm not saying to force your cat to be like a human.
but we live together so we have to figure out different ways to co-exist.
and playing with your throughout the day so that he sleeps through the night is better than
not playing with your cat and then he's awake all night getting into trouble.
i've also had many people tell me that their cats don't like to play.
i've had a lot of clients say this, friends, family members.
but then i give it a go after a couple visits the cat's playing
and the person says wow i've never seen him play like this before.
you just need time and patience and dedication.
again cats are creatures of habit so if the routine in place
is sleeping all day that's what your cat wants to do because that's the routine that's in place.
so when you introduce play session routines start with one minute a day.
grab the toy that your cat goes to the most when he's most playful.
pay attention to your cat to see like when he likes to play.
maybe he gets the zoomies right after he eats that's the perfect time to introduce play time.
so start with one minute a day.
just get your cat pawing at something.
you don't have to make him run a marathon the first time you make him play.
just get him interested in the idea of playing. get him interested in the toy.
the next day you can add another minute so now you're playing for two minutes.
then the next day three minutes.
work your way up to five minutes.
then you can add a second play session.
again start with one minute and gradually work your way up.
ideally you would play with your cat at least 30 minutes every single day.
and that's broken up into multiple play sessions daily.
so again choose times when you're home.
when your cat seems most playful.
again a lot of cats get the zoomies right after they eat.
or you could play with your cat before he eats.
because technically in the wild they would hunt,
they would run around a lot, and then they would eat.
but sometimes randomly during the day jericho will scratch
on his scratching post and then he'll run away.
so i noticed all right he's in a playful mood, he's like really excited.
so i'm gonna grab a toy and take advantage of that.
litter box maintenance routines are crucial as well
because cats prefer and deserve a clean bathroom.
just like you!
ideally you will scoop the box after each use and clean it out completely once weekly.
that way your cat always has a clean bathroom every time he steps into the box.
i mean we flush the toilet after we go every single time we go.
and hopefully you're cleaning your bathroom regularly as well.
so we should do the same for our cats.
since your cat's eating at the same time every day
he should be using the box at the same time every day.
and that'll make planning your maintenance much easier as well.
it only takes 15 seconds to scoop and then i spend about
five minutes every week cleaning out the entire box.
so i dump the litter, clean out the box with soap and water,
and then put fresh litter in the box every single week.
so jericho's entire day looks like this
he wakes up around 7 30 and then he starts crying for food.
he usually pees around eight and then i get up around 8 20 to get his breakfast ready.
after he eats he settles in his little bed by
the window. I play with him a little bit and then he grooms.
and then after half an hour i clean his teeth.
then we go back into the office.
he hangs out by the window watching the birds and eventually he falls asleep.
then around 11 45 he's up again.
and i try to make him run around and play before i feed his treats.
i scoop his box and then i put out his treats for hunting.
and i try to make him play a little more just to make him run around after he eats.
he usually gets the zoomies after he eats so this is very easy to play with him during this time.
then he usually settles by the window again.
he likes to sit in the sun and watch the birds and watch the people walking by.
and then he usually takes a nice long nap.
usually i'm done working around three or four so we'll go down on the bed for a nap together.
we've actually had this routine in place since i adopted him in 2017.
as i mentioned before i worked as a cat sitter and a dog walker so
i was leaving my home really early and then coming back really late at night.
so in between visits a.m and p.m i would come home and take a power nap.
so jericho is already used to taking a nap with me in the afternoon.
so he comes over lays down purrs and he gets a little massage.
and then he just relaxes and naps until about 6 30 7 o'clock.
he pops up because he knows it's almost dinner time.
so i'll use that time to play with him on and off.
we're not playing the entire 30 minutes
but throughout that 30 minutes i'll play with him on and off.
try to make him run around and catch and kill his toys.
and then he eats his dinner.
usually he goes to the bathroom before or after he
eats his dinner and i'll scoop that one literally right after he goes.
because then usually he'll poop right after that.
so again i'm cleaning out the box so that it's clean every single time he goes into the box.
then after that we play a little more or he'll go up on his ladder and people watch again.
or he'll sleep until his next meal around 9pm.
and again i'll play with him a little bit before and after he eats.
half an hour after his second dinner meal i'll clean his teeth again and then we go to bed.
i have printable planners and feeding schedule chart printables.
so you can check those out in the description below.
thanks for watching!