Seven Tips for Making the Most of Playtime with Your Cat

Playing with your cat is fun, enjoyable and even relaxing, but there’s actually more happening during playtime than you might realize. Interactive play helps with your cat’s physical and mental development. It also helps bolster the relationship between you and your cat. But not all toys and forms of play are beneficial to your cat’s development. With this in mind, here are a few expert tips for playing with your cat from your local cat clinic in Alexandria, VA.

Play like prey

Have a variety of toys that mimic your cat’s natural prey. Playing with these types of toys can be very satisfying for your cat. Some good examples of prey-like toys would be a toy mouse or waving a feather through the air. Just be sure to let your cat catch the prey eventually to give them a satisfactory end to the playing session.

Rotate your cat’s toys

A good way to keep your cat interested and energetic about playing with you is to constantly rotate and update their selection of available toys. Cats are just like toddlers in that they need something new to pique their interest. If you rotate their toys, old toys become like new again.

Solo play is important too

Obviously, you can’t interactively play with your cat all day (even if you want to). For this reason, it’s important to have toys that your cat can use to play by himself when you’re busy or not at home. Perches, cat trees and even access to windows can all be great solo activities for your cat.

Homemade toys are fun too

Want to mix up your playtime? Household items can make great cat toys too! Cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls, socks and even crumpled-up paper can all become exciting new toys for your cat to play with.

Hunger actually makes playtime better

When we’re hungry, probably the last thing we want to do is play, but hunger actually makes cats more playful. Giving your cat small but frequent meals throughout the day can actually make him more energetic about playtime and help with managing his weight.

Know when to stop

If your cat walks away from you or seems disinterested in the game or toy, don’t try to force it. Either try another activity or leave him alone for a while. He’ll come looking to play with you again when he’s ready.

One-on-one time is important

If you have multiple cats, you may be tempted to initiate group play all the time. However, while having your cats play together is good, there should be a healthy balance between group play and one-on-one time with each individual cat.

Playtime with your cat should be enjoyable for both of you and, by following these few tips, you can make it even better. For more tips like this or for general questions about your cat’s wellbeing, be sure to come visit us at Kingstowne Cat Clinic, your local cat clinic in Alexandria, VA. We look forward to working with you and your cat!

Categorised in: Cat Clinic

This post was written by Writer