Summer is over, which means school and work are here again. Your cat probably got used to you being there all the time and playing, cuddling and enjoying the mornings and afternoons together. While you may have felt excited that you were back to school, your cat was probably not. He/she probably felt your absence. So, we decided to give you some tips to help your cat cope with it and keep him/her occupied until you come back.

1. Prepare your cat a treasure hunt.

You can leave some of his/her favorite toys hidden around the house so he/she can play with them. In the same vein, you can also leave some food treats hidden— just keep in mind their diet. You don’t want to overfeed them. There are also some food-dispensing toys that release treats when your cat turns them in the right way.

2. Get your cat some interactive toys.

Regarding toys, you should always beware of the ones that are not safe for your cat to play with while he/she is unsupervised. Besides those, there are plenty of interactive toys that can keep them entertained and don’t present any immediate risk. There are many kinds of toys he/she can use to play alone. For example, circular tracks with a ball trapped in a rail or boxes with holes with small toys inside for them to interact with. Just don’t have them accessible to your cat all day long— take them out before you leave so there is always something fresh and interesting.

READ MORE: HERE ARE THE SAFEST TOYS FOR YOUR CAT

3. Give your cat boxes and more boxes.

We all know how much cats love boxes, even if we may not fully understand why. Leaving a bunch of boxes of different sizes and shapes while you are gone will surely keep him/her busy and entertained.

4. Give your cat tunnels.

Besides boxes, cats love tunnels. It probably has to do with the feeling of enclosure. You should definitely leave a tunnel in your house for your cat to play with. The point is to create a fun zone for him/her while you are gone. The fun zone can include the boxes, the tunnel, the interactive toys, the furniture, some climbing areas and everything that you can think of that your cat may enjoy. Just be as creative as you can.

5. Cat furniture.

Scratching posts entertain most cats, but cat furniture goes beyond the posts— you have towers, tunnels, palaces and even tree houses. It all depends how far you are willing to go with it.

READ MORE: THESE CAT HOMES ARE SO LUXURIOUS IT’S RIDICULOUS

6. Give your cat a view.

Don’t underestimate the power of an uncovered window from where you cat can look at birds fly, cars pass and people or animals walk. Cats love having a view of the outside world. So make sure the curtains are open and he/she can climb to a spot to look out the window. You can even install a feeder to make sure birds stop by to eat and give your cat more entertainment.

7. Leave some music or soothing sounds for your cat.

Leaving some music programmed in your stereo can help your cat relax. Most cats love music, so just leave him/her something they enjoy. It looks like cats really like classical or soft jazz.

8. Expand the family.

Another companion could definitely help your cat cope with loneliness, but this must not be taken lightly. If you decide to add another member to the family, you have to understand it is a process. It takes time to introduce two animals and even though they will eventually keep each other company, they may not become best friends.

READ MORE: HERE’S HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR DOG AND CAT GET ALONG

9. Leave your scent for your cat to cuddle with.

Find your cat’s favorite sleeping spot and leave them some of your clothes or your pillow. The point is to find something that has your scent on it, so your cat can sleep with it and feels you close even if you’re gone. It will definitely help them relax.

Via Princeton Vet | Pet MD | Catster | Petcha | Best Cat Art | Conscious Cat