A house cat needs to expend their energy and be physically and mentally stimulated on a daily basis. Discover the different ways you can help your cat to tap into their hunting instincts.

The importance of playing with your house cat

Cats need to play in order to develop their physical coordination. From a young age, kittens express themselves in all sorts of crazy ways in order to unwind. This improves their social competence and their ability to communicate. Playing is an important part of your cat's day whatever their stage in life. However, it is important to know that their needs and desires are not always the same and evolve with their age. This is especially relevant for house cats, whose environment stays the same for all of their growth.

These tips will transform your home into a playground for your cat, which is integral to their wellbeing.

Create a hiding place

The principle is simple: all you need is a fairly deep cardboard box that you can customize. You can stick two together, create windows, place cushions or even toys inside. This will keep your cat interested.

Provide different toys

There are so many different toys designed especially to amuse your cat. Most of them are based on replicating the act of hunting in order to develop this instinct. Smaller toys such as mice, bouncy balls, feathers, are especially good as they mimic a cat's prey. This will help a cat play to keep them occupied while you are not there. You can also find toys that hang or stick to the walls, such as bells or feathers.

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Another tissue please!

We're not sure why, but cats absolutely adore them! All you need to do is insert a bottle cap into an empty tissue box and let your cat go wild. As cats are very curious, they will love to try to find out what is making that noise and how to access it.

Scratching posts

Scratching posts are essential to the well-being of your cat. They allow them to stretch out properly, sharpen their claws, mark their territory and groom themselves.

Scratching is part of the process of marking their territory and therefore your cat won't be interested in scratching something in the corner but will prefer the sofa, armchair, or even curtains.

Play with your cat

In order to reinforce your relationship with your cat, it is important to play with them for at least 20 minutes a day. You can use a bouncy ball or a laser pen in order to tease them. Your cat will love it!

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Cat trees

These are indispensable! Cats jump a lot in order to catch their prey, to hide, or to take shelter up high. If you can, let your cat have access to the tops of cupboards, etc. But if not, you can buy a cat tree. These are essentially a playground for your cat, who will be able to jump, hide and track to their heart's content.

Kibble-distributing balls

House cats don't have the option of hunting their prey. However, there are kibble balls designed especially to make your cat work for their dinner. They only release the food after being shaken and rolled in a way that will interest your cat. The principle is simple: fill the ball with kibbles or even treats and roll it near your cat. Your cat will learn very quickly how to work the ball in a way that will give them food. It is also a nice way to reward them for their effort.

Now it's your turn! See what you can do with the above to increase entertainment and stimulation for your cat.

What creative ways have you explored to entertain your cat?

2 comments

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    Suzanne H I can'f feed my cat treats as it makes her tummy upset (she's got a sensitivity to certain cat food/treats) i tried her dry cat food and she gave me this look like,"Uhhh... these aren't my treats!" It took a lot of different foods (and a lot of throw up/carpet cleaning products) to finally find a cat food that works (Iams Indoor hairball/weight loss)

    Suzanne H Ivy LOVES boxes, she loves to sleep in them, i got one on my oak chest in my bedroom by the window that she always jumps into to "people watch".