You know that if your cat could go outdoors, days would be filled with adventure, independence and inspiring workouts. But a shorter life span may be the inevitable downside, and you can't live with that gamble. Not to worry! There are ways you can design an interior environment that provides recreational exercise and endless entertainment for your indoor cat.

CLIMBERS
For the sure-footed cat with a streak of the mountain climber, place an indoor ladder by the wall so your cat can scurry up the ladder and leap to the tops of nearby cabinets. A basket at the top of one of the cabinets would serve as a lookout tower and a time-out spot. You might want to opt for one of the commercial cat trees, or you could build a cat tree from scratch and cover parts of it with scratchy carpet. If your cat favors catnip, sprinkle it onto the carpet.

TOY STORAGE
Toss all of your cat's toys into a convenient basket. Some wind-up mice will provide your cat with a gamely sprint and are always good to keep on hand... but don't be surprised if your cat fetches a toy for the basket and appears before you with a toy of choice - a request you can't refuse.

HANGOUT SPOTS
A window seat will provide a bit of a climb for your loll-about cat. Maybe a passing or landing bird might even spark some movement. An enclosure can be attached to the outside frame of a window so your cat can have a private outdoor porch. You can search the Internet for cat-friendly porches. Such a porch wouldn't be advisable for an excitable or speed-freak cat. Putting an object on a windowsill that will reflect the light can provide great entertainment for your cat as well.

LITTER BOX EXCLUSIVE
Where to put the litter box can be a real trick at times. After all, it's not the most impressive highlight of your house - but it's absolutely necessary. It's possible to construct a built-in wall compartment to conceal the litter box, or you can build a chest to act as the camouflage so that you can keep the litter box from taking center stage... and to give your cat some privacy.