While dogs are the most popular pets, there are many loyal cat lovers out there. Cats are great companions to their human friends. They are basically hunting animals who love the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of catching their prey. Although wild cats are great hunters, the domesticated cats which are mostly found indoors are much tamer. Do not let that fool you though! The natural instincts of cats are to hunt and while your pet may be an excellent companion, he may find it boring to stay indoors all day.
If you are an ardent cat lover, you must realize that cats cooped up in the house all day need to do something exciting to refresh them. Cats need their entertainment, and it is your duty to provide it to them. So, how could you entertain your feline friend and have fun in the process?
It is simple really! Playing games with your cat is an excellent way to chase away the monotony and boredom and bring in the much needed excitement into the fray. Games are also an excellent way to bond with your cat. We have all heard about anti-social cats or grumpy cats that are famous all over the internet. Their owners would probably enjoy nothing more that engaging them to play with them.
Know your cat type:
Before you start playing games, it is important that you understand your cat. Animals have their own distinct personalities like humans and cats are no exception. You might own a curious cat, which likes to prowl about and on the lookout to observe and sniff through everything around. Or, your cat might be the hunting type that enjoys the thrill of the chase above everything else. Some cats may be very physical, picking fights with other cats they encounter or your cat might just be a shy thing that prefers subtle games that do not make it nervous.
It is up to you to identify your cat type, know his little behavioural quirks and interests. Only then will you be able to identify the types of games your pet pal would enjoy. This way, you will guarantee a fantastic time for your feline companion.
There are various games out there that you could play with your cats. You could go creative and devise your own new games, games that would tailor specifically for your cat type and boost up that fun quotient. A few starter games that you could play are listed below, games which your cats are bound to enjoy.
- Bouncing Balls: Cats love playing with balls. Just roll them across the floor to your cat and he is bound to come jumping towards it. You can play alongside your cat, rolling it over to him back and forth. Make the game more entertaining by using different variety of balls – plastic, rubber and so on. Ensure that the ball isn’t too small; you do not want your cat swallowing it accidentally. A big ball would be difficult for your cat to paw with. With the right sized ball and the right play buddy, you are going to be on a laughter riot. Even when you are away, your cat can entertain itself with its play toy ensuring that boredom is banished.
- Catch a Mouse: Most people might have a cat at home, so that it could hunt down that elusive mouse you find lurking around in your house. An excellent way to train your cat to be a better hunter is to play with him with a toy mouse. Hide that toy mouse around the house, possibly one with a catnip scent, so that you cat can sniff its way towards its prey. You could even move the toy mouse around the house, keeping your cat on its toes. Either way, your cat will love the feeling of discovering the toy mouse and will play with it. This will help him hone his hunting skills and have enormous amount of fun too. Ensure that the toy mouse isn’t too small and does not have any small parts (like eyes) that may come off with intense play. You wouldn’t even know if your cat swallowed a small bit accidentally.
- Feathery Delight: Cats don’t only love mice. They love chasing away any bird that they might find. While indoors, your cat wouldn’t be able to spot any real birds to chase. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have any feathery fun. Get a long feather, attach it to a piece of string and hang it at a height. Make sure that your cat can reach the dangling feather if it leaps. This is going to be an extremely fun game. It doesn’t require you to be right next to it, but you can have a lot of fun watching your cat leap gracefully and try to snatch the feather. If you can hang the feathery close to a breezy entrance, the slight gust of wind will toss around the feather causing more of a challenge to your cat. Not only that, you could even construct your cat a feathery toy, sewing a few feathers together. Rest assured, your cat would love tossing the feathers around.
- Obstacle course time! : Cooped indoors all day would be annoying for your cat, unless he has his own mini obstacle course indoors to play with. Design a small obstacle course that your cat would enjoy. If you have a spacious house, you could erect a few ledges that your cat would have to leap skilfully on to reach its prey, a toy mouse at the end. This would improve your cats agility and ensure that he doesn’t get tired playing with the same toys. Unleash your creativity and come up with obstacle courses that will challenge your cat and keep him on his toes!
These are just a few games that you could play with your cat. As you go along you will figure out your own unique and creative ways to entertain your cat and play with him, so that his boredom and grumpiness vanish. It isn’t only going to be your cat that is going to enjoy, you will have tons of fun too!