Mary Allen
As a cat owner, you know: Our house tigers are smart. There are actions with which cats want to achieve something in a targeted manner. They achieve their respective success through careful observation, the urge to discover, and the establishment of connections between different events. One speaks of animal intelligence. This can be encouraged, for example with intelligence toys for cats. Did you know that Siamese cats are considered to be particularly intelligent? But of course, just like with us humans, that depends on the individual.
Why is intelligent play so important for indoor cats?
In the wild – or in the garden – cats are exposed to numerous environmental stimuli. Your intelligence will be challenged on many levels. The house tiger in the apartment is in a much less irritating environment. However, too little stimulation has a negative effect on the general condition – and not only in cats. With intelligence toys, you can create a variety that goes beyond purely motoric utilization with hunting games.
What intelligence skills do cats show?
Cats are observant animals, noticing small details, movements, and subtle changes. What we interpret as intelligence achievements and what is relevant for playing with the cat depends to a large extent on the following impressions:
The intelligence of cats
- Object permanence: A cat understands that an object temporarily out of sight has not vanished into thin air: it “remembers” its existence. For example, if it’s a popular toy, she’ll look for it if you hide it in front of her. However: The object permanence of dogs is far more pronounced. With them, therefore, longer-lasting rummaging games are possible.
- Causal connections: Cats understand the cause and effect principle of objects in their environment – for example, that they have to hang on the doorknob to open a door.
- Understanding numbers: According to scientific studies, cats differentiate between differences in quantity to a very limited extent.
- Ability to associate: Cats can access the knowledge they already know and relate it to similar, new situations.
Which cat toy is suitable for intelligence promotion?
The best incentive for a cat is and always will be the food. Velvet paws are in top form to get treats. There are different varieties of intelligence toys that require the cat to solve “problems” in order to get the coveted reward. The animal will initially use a “trial and error” principle. But as soon as the velvet paw has figured out how the game object works, she will be able to handle it better and faster.
So that the game doesn’t become too challenging after a while and the cat gets bored, you should use several different toys alternately.
Food ball and food labyrinths
The ball – or a comparable hollow body – is filled with treats or dry food. Sometimes the inner workings of the balls consist of a labyrinth or uneven surfaces. To get the food, it is not enough to simply roll the ball around: the object must be manipulated in such a way that the content finds its way out. One variation is to paw the reward out of voids.
Fumbling boards
Fummel boards work on a similar principle but are usually much more complicated. A fiddle board consists of various cavities, tubes, rails, nubs, and cracks, from which the cat has to get the treats out with paws, claws, and tongue. Some boards also require the cat to combine multiple actions in order to succeed.
Sniffing carpet
Such blankets are the textile equivalent of the fiddle board. Various pouches are sewn into the carpet, which can be filled with treats, but also with interesting-smelling samples such as catnip. When it comes to sniffing carpets, pay particular attention to the material: the cat’s claws must not get caught in material that is too coarse-meshed
Roundabouts
In these intelligence toys, balls or paw toys are fitted in such a way that they can be reached and moved with the paws, but cannot be retrieved. Additional sound effects such as rattling in the balls stimulate the hunting instinct.