I sometimes feel guilty when looking at my cat. He is mainly an indoor cat, and at times I feel that I'm depriving him of a "normal" life. I know cats have been domesticated for thousands of year, but it still seems to me that we are forcing them to a life which is different from their nature.
I know I am providing him safety, warmth and love, but I can't shake the feeling he'd be happier to just fight for reproduction, stalk a prey, explore his surroundings.
I've gone to great lengths to find a compromise between keeping him safe and giving him a varied and interesting life. There are only so many things he can do in a house, and stretching out on the grass probably beats most of them. I started to take him out for walks. It would surely be much easier if I had a garden, I've seen the way people make those wonderful cat-proof enclosed gardens, but alas I live in an apartment.
Another thing I found useful was to understand their natural behavior. Knowing that I try to not get angry when he does something which humans perceive as bad, but which is actually natural for him. I make an effort not to force him to do things he doesn't want to do, and I leave him his spaces.
Perhaps I'm worrying too much, probably cats are much simpler creatures who just want to be well-fed and comfortable. What do you think?
