Hang out with your cat when you get home from work

15. Dec 2025

3 min

“Like a dog, a cat may sit waiting for their owner to come home. Although cats are not as socially dependent as dogs, they still enjoy companionship.”

Indoor cats rarely exhibit destructive behaviour when left alone. They don't attack the furniture or howl for hours longing for their human, as we sometimes see in dogs as a result of separation anxiety. But this is not to say that indoor cats are unaffected if left alone for long periods – like when their human is at work.

"Many people are pleased with having chosen a cat, especially when the cat comes to greet them after work. "Fortunately, as you’re a cat who doesn’t need walking, I can head for the sofa". But remember, the cat has probably been inactive for hours and, like a dog, needs to be activated," says cat behaviourist Ayoe Hoff.

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En sort og hvid kat, der ligger på en seng

Rylle is eager to play when her owner, Ayoe Hoff, comes home. But not every day – after all, Rylle is 15 years old.

Train your cat

She encourages cat owners to spend time with their cats, playing, training and activating them when they get home:

“If you had a dog, you’d be forced to go outside. As the owner of an indoor cat, you can stay inside, but use the time you would otherwise spend on a walk on your cat. That's in the back of my mind when I get home – I don’t have to go for a walk, but I have to be active with my cat," says Ayoe Hoff, who has clicker trained and activated all of her cats over time.

When she gets in, she routinely asks her cat, Rylle, if she is up for playing or training today.

The invitation isn’t always accepted – as a 15-year-old cat, Rylle enjoys a slower pace these days.

Two cats?

Ayoe Hoff has noted that Rylle has been more relaxed after her dominant partner, Elvis, died last spring.

On his older days, Elvis wasn't always nice to Rylle. Elvis even attacked her once, around six months before his death – pain from illness might have been the cause, Ayoe Hoff later concluded.
Having two cats isn't always bliss:

“Many feel guilty about leaving their cat alone throughout the working day and imagine that two cats could keep each other company. It can work, but the chance of success is greatest if the cats are from the same litter. But there’s always a chance that it won’t work – or that it will only work for a while.”

That’s what happened between Rylle and Elvis, and after the attack, Ayoe Hoff chose to separate the two when she left them at home.

I’ll definitely recommend a pet camera for monitoring. It's good to know how the cat passes the time.”

- Ayoe Hoff, cat behaviourist.

Pet camera

She monitors her cat(s) with a pet camera and therefore knows a lot about what goes on when she is not there.

I’ll definitely recommend a pet camera for monitoring. It's nice to know how the cat passes the time and to see if it seems happy or is walking around restlessly.”

Ayoe Hoff lets Rylle work for her food through different types of food enrichment – as cat owners will know, you can buy food enrichment toys that encourage the cat to use its brain to get it. Or you can devise your own systems to make your cat work for its food.

“It's also a good idea to leave toys for the cat to play with. Make sure you have a range of different toys and alternate what you put out to make it more exciting for the cat to play with."

Cats may also take great delight in a window left ajar, secured with a grille or other safety feature.

“Cats often enjoy sitting on the windowsill, observing and picking up scents. It can entertain them for hours.”

Noget for katte

If you need new ideas on how to keep your cat active while you're at work or when you get home, Ayoe Hoff recommends this page:

Activation for cats