I do not own pets as of now, but I'm interested. I read that dogs should be walked at best twice a day, but I was wondering where the cats get their exercise. Do they need any?
Cats stretch, scratch, run and climb and jump for normal exercise. Some cats can be taught to enjoy going outside on a lead, but this isn't really for exercise as the cat will be stopping every few feet to sniff at things.
To exercise cats, play with them. Give them something to pounce and chase like a laser-pointer dot or a string or a light ball or a feather wand. Give them climbing/jumping opportunities -- all the better if the jump is a bit challenging but is rewarded with a good resting/watching spot or a view out a window. My two, siblings, sometimes like to wrestle or chase each other around the house.
Remember that they're taking a pretty good jump for their size every time they leap onto a chair or your lap. Simply living in a human household gives them some exercise.
Just give them enough space in the house to run and jump around and they're the happiest pets in the world.
My cats love to go out sometimes, especially when they want to chase birds.
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3This answer is not really an improvement on the two existing answers. Can I suggest expanding it and adding references in an attempt to create a better answer then the two short answers already present? – James Jenkins Jul 22 '15 at 14:14
