Although they might seem like confident and independent creatures on the surface, cats need a good amount of playtime with you, just like any other pet. Taking the time to play with your cat can help considerably in allowing you to form stronger bonds and get a much better sense of what kind of personality they have. There are quite a few ways to play with a cat, so in this article we take a look at a few of them to give you a better idea of how you can start better engaging with your feline friend.
Simple ways to entertain your cat
Even the best cat insurance in Australia won’t help a lethargic, overweight cat, so keeping in mind some good ways to keep your cat active can help a lot during play time. In order to achieve this, consider playtime activities that arouse your cat’s natural hunting instincts, as this is a sure-fire way to help get them moving quickly and speedily. Playtime activities that stimulate these instincts include using sticks that have little ends attached (such as feathers) that you can use to mimic prey, and also unpredictable objects like motorised mice that will unfailingly get the attention of a cat. You can even endlessly entertain your cat by attaching something to the end of a shoelace or a stick and move it around while you’re watching TV! Another fun way to entertain your cat is by using a torch to cast a beam of light on a flat surface and have them chase it. Laser pointers are also a great option if you have them, as you can use them to highlight specific things very easily.
Creating things for your pet
Although you might think toys for your cat will carry a hefty price tag, this is actually far from the case – your cat can be very easily entertained with a lot of things that you can find around your house, with cardboard boxes being the perfect example –you’d be surprised how much fun a cat can have a paper towel roll! You can very quickly and easily create a little hideout for your cat by cutting some holes in the cardboard box, and you can throw some simple little play bits in there, like a scrunched up ball of paper and a paper bag. Plastic things should generally be avoided (unless you’re very closely supervising) as cats can choke on them very easily. This means you can also easily improvise and create areas for your cat to climb and explore. Creating little obstacle courses allows your cat to naturally wear down their claws, so if you have the room setting up a little area out of bits you have lying around the house or buying a pre-made enclosure can help them strut their stuff.
A few things to remember
Play times need not last forever – eventually your pet will get tuckered out, or will feel like they’ve won, and at this point you can feel safe wrapping up your little play session. At this stage, it also never hurts to give your cat some love for participating! There are a few other things to keep in mind to keep your cat enjoying its play time. First, dedicate some time to playing a few shorter sessions every day, allow your cat to have some victories, mix up the toy selection and never, ever force them to play.
