Cuddling and caressing is not everything. Cats also enjoy time spent together playing a game and moreover, this activity leads to strengthening your relationship. Your furry friend will let off some steam and will be definitely grateful that you spent time with it.
Cats are independent animals, some more, some less. However, almost any cat will be grateful if you play a little game together during the day. Most of them are very social animals and enjoy your company. Therefore, spending time another way than on your lap will be great distraction. It will also burn its energy it could otherwise use for some mischief-making.
You’ll play it safe with any cat if you choose hunting and catching. After all, it still has hunting instincts. You’ll do great with a stick and a feather or a toy, or you can find various twigs or rods on the market. A simple twig with common feathers always worked the best for me, but there are also variants with stuffed swishing or rattling toy or a catnip toy.
It doesn’t matter if your cat has too much energy or you wish to make it really tired, you can opt for a laser pointer instead of a rod. That gives you much more space for hunting as it can be easily moved. The prey is simply faster, nimbler and the game can take place all over the room. You only have to pay attention to the spot you point to as you could easily lose a vase on a shelf, spiceboxes or a TV. However, this is not for everyone. Some cat hunters may be frustrated that they never manage to catch the red light. And a game with shadows works on the same principle, sometimes even unconsciously. It is one of our favourite games in the evening on a sofa when a cat catches the shadows projected on the sofa.
Another game we like is “surprises from hidden shelters”. Cats love getting into small space such as paper boxes or bags and similar things. Whenever an empty box happens to be in our house, we will use it for games and damage it a lot before we throw it away. I usually cut out several small holes we call “spying holes” and then it only takes putting it on the floor and it is almost immediately occupied by a furry tanker. Then, it’s enough to move something around the box and paws are everywhere. As our cat usually has its claws out I don’t use my hands but a twig.
Some cats also learn to fetch quite easily. It’s perfect to use crumpled paper for this. I can’t give you advice about the technique as all my attempts ended up with a disgusted “are you kidding me?!” look and kicking the ball under the sofa. However, you can find the instructions in this video.
Another simple and very efficient game is a shell game. Cats practice their concentration and attention with it. But beware – this game can be strongly addictive for cats as well as people. The advantage is that they won’t lose all their dry food :).
In summer, a pot or a washtub with water and straws will be enough for a refreshing game. Cats will not only enjoy hunting them on the surface and also dip their noses and paws into pleasantly cold water.
What’s your favourite game together?
Arthritis ranks among the most frequent diseases of the joints in dogs. It is accompanied by pain and limitations for physical activity. And because it cannot be cured I’ll give you some tips how to make the life of your buddy with arthritis easier.
It is nowadays completely normal to have dog restaurants, saloons and spas. People try to indulge their pets with all the luxurious things. Some procedures are more helpful than others. But thalassotherapy is one of those that can have a positive...
Nowadays even our pets are subject to diseases of civilization. Obesity is no good for them as well as for people. Do you know how to tell if your cat is obese and what are its causes and consequences?
The season of ticks is back again and so it is the right time to start protecting our pets. These parasites also bring anaplasmosis except from borreliosis. And the fact that this disease is not generally know does not undermine its serious impacts on...
You, as cat keepers, will probably be frightened when hearing “cat plague”. But precisely this phrase is sometimes used for panleukopenia which is a very dangerous cat disease. You may not only prevent it thanks to information obtained but to identify...
The whiskers on cats’ face are probably too noticeable to ignore them. But do you know all the places where cat’s whiskers with sense of touch are? And do you know how this comprehensive tactile body functions?
As you might know, the assistance dogs help people with various physical or mental disabilities nowadays. But there is a program in the US and in other countries which helps children to improve their reading and communication skills.
We are all try to give our dog companions the best, from health care to the leisure activities. Nutrition is no exception to that and it is prone to modern trends similar to those of regular human food. Reducing or opting out the grain from the diet is...
Whether it has undergone castration or any other surgery, your dog needs to rest more after it. But this can sometimes seem almost impossible. To “force” your beloved pet to rest is not easy, indeed. A few tips how to handle this situation follow.
The last time, I shared with you my opinions on castrations in general and I’ve named the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure in bitches. Now, let’s take a look, how it is with dogs.
Castration is still quite a tricky and discussed topic. Today, I will introduce you to the facts about this procedure and about its consequences and I will also share my opinion.
If you have one of the furry furring balls at home, maybe you know, in what kind of devil some of them are capable of turning into, if you need to give them a pill. If your cat belongs precisely among those, in which it’s almost a superhuman task, I...
