How To Provide Mental Stimulation For Your Cat
Cats get bored just like people do and can express boredom in a various ways. Some of the most common ways include tipping over glasses and scratching furniture upon other mischievous behaviors. Learning how to entertain your cat is important to you and your cat's relationship (and sanity!). Here are some tips and tricks on how to provide some mental stimulation for your cat using toys, enriched environments and human interaction.
How To Get Your Cat To Play
All cats are different when it comes to their taste for toys and play. Therefor, it may take some trial and error before you find the right toy and playing style that gets your cat’s attention. For example, while some cats react well to feathery toys, others may not and may only get excitement out of playing with a catnip infused ball or a laser toy instead. Cats can be very picky and particular with what catches their eye, but the idea could be as simple as placing out a couple cardboard boxes for them to play in.
Another thing to consider when playing with your cat is how fast or slow your movements are. For example, some cats may like it when you quickly jolt a feather toy around whereas other cats may like the slow crawling movements because they see appreciate the anticipation. You can also try tossing a toy between you and a friend or family member. Some cats only want what they think they cannot have.
Mental Stimulation Puzzles
Not all cats will play with their owners so you may want to provide toys that your cat can play with when you’re not home. Food puzzle toys are great solution for this. You can use dry food or treats to fill puzzle toys, either homemade or store-bought. A paper towel roll, with one side stapled closed and the other filled with kibble, can be batted across the floor like a mouse to dispense food. Even stubborn cats usually LOVE this!
Environmental Enrichment For Bored Cats
You could turn your home into a kitty play fortress without breaking the bank. Things such as cat trees, high places to perch and scratching posts help greatly when trying to spice up their environment. Tunnels, shelves and caves are all fun, cat-friendly additions to your decor. Shy cats appreciate having safe spaces to hide when you have guests over. Some cats feel safer when they can nap in high places. You can even set up a bird-feeder or birdbath outside your window to give your cat something to watch during the day!
Hire A Pet Sitter
If you have to your cat for an entire weekend, or for even longer, an enriched environment and fun toys won’t provide the mental stimulation and socialization they need to be happy. It’s good to have a reliable, professional pet sitter that you can call (or conveniently request using our awesome client app!) whenever you’re going to be away from home.
Set up a free Meet & Greet with a Denver Pro Pet Sitter so you’ll always have a familiar, readily-available sitter for your cat. Our professional sitters aim to offer you a peace of mind so you always know that your cat is loved and cared for when you’re away. Call or contact us today!