Mary Allen
Playing is one of the basic needs of your cat – regardless of age or breed. Some cats play more and more exuberantly than others. But if your velvet paw completely ignores the stuffed mouse, feather, and Co., you should first clarify with the vet what the reasons are. If your cat is healthy, it is likely due to your gambling behavior. We’ll tell you here how you can animate your cat to play and turn the laziest house tiger into a playful kitten.
This is How You Can Encourage Your Cat to Play
Find the right toy
If your cat doesn’t want to play, you may simply not have offered her the right toy yet. So try different toys: balls and mice, feather bars, fishing rods, and laser pointers. Some cats are particularly animated by sounds. Rustling paper or mice with sound effects sometimes work wonders. The smell of a toy is also important. Very few kitties like the smell of plastic. The fur noses, on the other hand, are downright addicted to valerian and catnip.
Pay attention to your cat’s mood
You just have an hour and you want to spend time with your lovely cats. You enthusiastically get the cat rod out of the closet – but Kitty barely opens an eye. Every cat owner knows that. Cats also have their own will when playing. Therefore, pay attention to when your cat is in a playful mood. Is she twitching restlessly through the apartment, chasing after apparent phantoms or loose threads on your clothes? Then now is the time to encourage your cat to play.
Awaken the hunting instinct
Playing is a way for cats to express their hunting instinct. So it’s no wonder that toys lying around for days or the feather held in front of the cat’s nose won’t lure your kitty out of the reserve. Prey animals zigzag and hide. You can imitate this with the cat toy. This of course also means that your fur nose “catches” the toy at the end – otherwise frustration will result.
Lure with food
If your cat doesn’t get excited about hunting games, you may be able to use food to motivate them to play. Hide treats or dry food around the house – on shelves, under the sofa, and in empty kitchen paper rolls. Your velvet paw will enjoy looking for the food and has to move around when climbing the treats.
Offer hiding places
Your cat’s play behavior includes lurking and stalking prey. Therefore, provide your kitty with cardboard boxes, caves, and tunnels so that she can hide while playing. If you pass her hiding place innocently with the toy, she will take the chance and try to catch it.
Put away toys
After playing with your cat, you should always put the toy away immediately. So it stays new and interesting for your velvet paw for longer. When fishing for cats, there is also a risk of your cat becoming tangled in the line if left unattended.
Take your time
It is now known that cats are sensitive to the mood of their owners. Of course, this also applies to gaming. Are you half-heartedly waving your pen while your thoughts are elsewhere or do you throw a ball every now and then while you prepare dinner on the side? Your cat will notice immediately when you are not doing the right thing and will only be half-heartedly interested in it. Playing together strengthens the bond between you and your furry friend. Therefore, consciously take time every day to deal with your cat.