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?
Every one of us has for sure encountered diarrhoea in our fuzzy friend. Usually, there’s nothing to fuss about, the body reacts to food that it isn’t capable to digest or that didn’t do it good. However, it is good to know, when we are capable of...
I have been sharing with you my experience with dogs and other animals for quite some time now and it occurred to me to wander a little bit into history as well, but into an interesting one! I’d like to introduce you to several well-known dog...
Allergy is a disproportionate reaction of the immunity system to common stimuli. It cannot be cured, but we can suppress its manifestations. In the last years, allergies in pets and dogs especially are on the rise. Currently, about 10% of house-dogs...
Today, we are going to take a look at the Feline Infectious Peritonitis - FIP, an utterly exceptional virus illness that always has a fatal end. Most of the cats get into contact with the viruses that cause FIP in their lifetime, even though the...
We can divide dog owners into two groups. The ones that allow the dog in bed and those that feel that this is no option. Let’s take a look at what such bed sharing with a dog actually entails.
If you like going on treks with your fuzzy friends, geocaching is something precisely for you. This way, you will liven up your trips and maybe you even discover places that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. I and my pack can’t get enough of it.
Contrary to dogs, cats have a strong bond with the place where they live. That’s why moving is very stressful for them and this stress may cause a number of diseases. It’s a good idea to plan everything well, so that you could make the situation of a...
Even though the dogs went through long years of domestication, they still retain fundamental instincts as we do. They might not be as strong as in wild dogs, but they still play a very significant role in the life of a dog and in their behaviour. So if...
Even though it’s been a long time since our four-legged furry friends lived a feral life, they still have the laws of the pack rooted deep down inside them. It is not acquired behaviour, the need to live in a pack is determined by genetics. And if...
It is no news that the dog isn’t only a pet and that it can also help saving human lives in various catastrophes. But have you ever thought about what it means for dogs to become rescuers? You haven’t? Well, then it’s the right time to set off together...
The usual pregnancy period in female dogs is indicated at about 58 – 65 days, the average is 63 days. In case of the nutrition of a pregnant female, possible changes in diet can be likened to the changes in diet of pregnant women. Pregnant female dogs...
The most frequent reason why your dog starts to gain weight is simple, as in most of people: they consume more energy than they spend. Some owners wave their arm at a well-intended warning that their pet has gained weight, stating that the dog is...
