If You Need a Way to Keep Your Indoor Cat Mentally Stimulated, These Four Pieces of Advice Might Help
Indoor cats can look perfectly content curled up on the couch, but that calm routine can hide a need for more mental stimulation.
For cats that spend most of their time inside, simple games, toys, and feeding tricks can help break up the day and keep boredom from creeping in. The challenge is finding small ways to make home life feel a little more interesting without turning the whole house upside down.
These four ideas offer a few easy places to start.
1. Good Old Interactive Cat and Mouse Game
Domestic felines are very skillful hunters, so it’s no surprise that they enjoy games that simulate hunting. They love activities that engage their predatory instincts, so why not take five or ten minutes out of your day to enjoy a cat-and-mouse game? Take a rubber toy that resembles a mouse or bird, attach a string to it, and tease your cat with it.
But don’t make it too easy for them; when they get close, pull it away. When they eventually catch it, reward them.
2. Get a Good Scratching Post
To reduce stress, exercise, or release some energy, cats like to scratch. If you don’t have a dedicated item for them to scratch at home, they will use your furniture instead. You can buy a scratching post for your cat, but it is probably cheaper to make one yourself. A solid wooden log will do the job. Cover it with sisal fabric, and you’ll have a scratching pole for your cat.
And if your cat is suddenly turning your water glass, pen, or potted plant into chaos, see why cats knock things over and what it really means.
3. Play Hide and Seek Using Their Food
Cats enjoy hunting, so it’s a good idea to add some dynamism to their eating routine by combining a game of hide and seek with their meals. Hide the food in several places around your home and let them hunt for it. This will provide them with a bit of exercise, indulge their predatory instincts, and keep them entertained and fed. When you start doing this, guide your cat along the way so they understand where to find their meal.
4. Cat Toys Are Important
You should regularly buy toys for your cat or maintain a toy box with various toys that you rotate. If you always have the same toys in the box, cats can become bored with them.
Wand toys are the best solution because you can make them yourself with rope and a clip or stick, or you can buy them. Don’t leave your cat unattended with a wand toy, as they could get entangled in the rope, which could be hazardous.
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