Here at PetKeen, we consider fall to be one of the best seasons of all—especially if you share your life with a feline friend. For us, it means chilly evenings spent nestled on the couch with our cats, a blanket, a cup of tea, and a movie—heaven!
That said, for some, fall signals the end of summer and so it is more of a gloomy period. If you and your cat find yourselves feeling a bit fed up during the cooler seasons, read on for some ideas of fun ways to spend fall together.
The 13 Fall Activities You Can Do With Your Cat
1. Give Your Cat a Show
If you have a yard, fall offers the perfect opportunity to crack out birdhouses, feeder stands, and hanging bird feeders. Sprinkle some wild bird seed and let your cat sit at the window to enjoy the show!
One of a cat’s favorite pastimes is perching on the windowsill, watching birds and other wildlife fluttering or scuttling around outside. Don’t be surprised if you hear some very excited (and adorable) kitty chattering.
2. Watch a Movie Together
While some cats completely ignore whatever is going on on the TV, others simply can’t get enough of all the drama. Whether you’ve got a nosy cat that can’t bear to miss a single movement on the screen or a chilled-out cat that prefers curling up on your lap, we can’t imagine a better way to enjoy fall downtime.
3. Leaves, Leaves, Leaves
If your cat enjoys spending time outdoors, you could try putting all those crispy leaves in your yard to good use. Pile those babies up and let your cat jump in and roll in them to their heart’s content! If your cat is 100 percent of the indoor variety, an alternative is to bring those leaves inside and fill a cardboard box with them.
Just a little reminder that, if you do let your cat outdoors, it’s best to only allow them out into secure areas for their own safety, like a yard that they can’t exit or an outdoor enclosure. If your cat does roam outside of your yard, make sure they’re microchipped and are wearing a breakaway ID collar.
4. Bake Some Pumpkin Treats
For those who like getting creative in the kitchen, why not give baking some pumpkin-based cat treats a shot? We found some pretty amazing recipes online for homemade cat biscuits, made up of ingredients like pumpkin and fish like sardines, salmon, or tuna.
5. Make a Fall-Themed Blanket
Everyone needs a snuggly fall blanket, and your cat is no exception. If you enjoy doing crafts, a Halloween or fall-themed blanket for your cat could be your next project.
If you’re a beginner, you can find plenty of online tutorials—from our research, it appears that fleece blankets are some of the easiest and most common ones to make. What’s your cat’s job in all of this? Supervise, of course!
6. Go for a Hike
Not every cat is a fan of the great outdoors, but if yours is, fall is a wonderful time for a hike. Just remember to pop a leash and harness on your cat before you head off on your adventures.
7. Arrange a Treasure Hunt
After all, all those leaves in your yard offer some great hiding spots for cat treats. Give your cat a variety of their favorite treats to find to keep things interesting. If your cat is indoor-only, you could always put some leaves in a box and let them dig for treasure!
8. Read a Book Together
It turns out that there’s a program in Pennsylvania called “Book Buddies”. The program organizes visits to shelters for children to read to the cats with the goal of relaxing the cats, teaching them social skills, and teaching kids to empathize with animals.
Though we think this activity sounds incredible for any time of year, curling up on the couch with a book and your cat on your lap, reading to them while they snooze on a cold or rainy fall day seems like a dream.
9. Have a Pamper Session
No plans to head outside? A pampering session with your beloved fluff could be just what the doctor ordered. After all, fall is one of the shedding seasons, so crack out the brushes, combs, and de-shedding tools and finish up with a nice kitty massage.
10. Go to a Cat Festival
If your cat is the extroverted type and is okay with being around large numbers of people, you might want to consider heading to a cat convention or festival. Several take place in various locations across the U.S. and in other countries, and at these festivals, there are typically cat adoption booths, fundraising events, celebrity cat meet-and-greets, and activities like cat yoga.
11. Take a Vacation
With its cool but not freezing weather, multi-colored leaves, and bright blue skies, fall vacations can be a very soothing experience. If you’d like to take your cat with you, you could look into pet-friendly accommodations like an Airbnb so you can hit the road together.
12. Pick Out a Pumpkin
Some pumpkin-picking spots welcome pets, so how about taking your cat along to pick out the absolute best pumpkin this Halloween? Bring along a harness and leash or your cat’s stroller if that’s more their thing.
13. Have a Fall Photoshoot
The season of colors offers the perfect backdrop for a kitty photo shoot. You can tie this in with another fun fall activity like leaf-rolling or pumpkin picking.
Conclusion
If you’re more of a summer enthusiast and get stuck for fun activities to do with your cat in the fall, we hope you feel more ready to face it! Or, if you love nothing more than kicking up the leaves, walking under crisp, clear blue skies, or hanging out on the couch in your comfies, we hope you’ve got some great ideas under your belt for sharing fall with your cat.
Featured Image Credit: Daykiney, Shutterstock
