Edited by: Ingrid King. Last updated: February 6, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Playtime is vitally important to a cat’s mental and physical health, and it’s especially important for indoor cats. Even though cats can sleep for up to 16 hours a day, when they are awake they need stimulation, and the best way to do that is through play. In the wild, when lions, tigers and other wild cats aren’t sleeping, they hunt or teach their young to hunt. And the game is nothing more than channeling your pet tiger’s hunting instinct into play.
Advantages of the game
Exercise
Obesity is the number one health problem in cats. According to a recent survey, 55% of American cats are overweight or obese. Along with feeding a species-appropriate raw or canned diet, exercise is the best way to keep your feline loads fit and healthy.
Relief from boredom
Cats that aren’t challenged or entertained become bored, which can lead to depression. Boredom can be a problem, especially for single cats. I learned this the hard way when Amber passed away shortly after adopting Allegra at 7 months old. We both learned together what it takes to keep a single cat happy.
Stress relief
You might be wondering why our pampered house cats might be stressed. Feline stressors range from changes in their environment to their humans’ perception of stress. One of the best ways to combat stress in cats is through regular playtime.
Help with behavioral problems
Play helps cats burn off energy that might otherwise be used for behavior that humans would consider less than desirable. If you watch Jackson Galaxy on My Hell Cat, you’ll have noticed that “play therapy” is among Jackson’s recommendations in almost every case he tackles.
Binding time
Playing with interactive toys is a wonderful way to increase the bond between you and your cat. Cats playing with each other can help bond cats in the same household.
Creative play time for cats
Toys that simulate play and satisfy a cat’s innate hunting drive will be more effective at creating a fun play experience for your cat that will also help burn off excess energy. While there are plenty of cute little catnip-filled toys on the market, simply placing one in front of your cat and hoping they’ll play with it doesn’t work with most cats.
Interactive fishing rod type toys
Interactive toys are the best way to get your cat to play with you and satisfy their hunting/prey instincts. Certified Cat Behaviourist Pam Johnson-Bennett provides some wonderful tips on getting all the right moves with interactive toys in her article on Interactive Play Therapy:
How you move the interactive toy is important. Don’t wave it frantically just to give your cat an aerobic workout. This is not how cats hunt naturally. Stick to what is natural for your cat. In the wild, a cat stalked its prey while remaining as silent and invisible as possible. She got closer and closer, then, when she was within striking range, she leapt. Cats don’t have the lung capacity to hunt to exhaustion, so don’t run marathons all over the house. Move the toy like prey, alternating between fast and slow movements to give your cat time to plan its next move. Here’s a tip: Movements that stray or cross your cat’s visual field will trigger its prey drive. Do not dangle the toy from her face or move it towards her.
Puzzle Toys
Interactive puzzle toys can be a great way to entertain and mentally stimulate your cats when you can’t play with them. The toys are designed to be filled with treats, and they challenge the cat to retrieve the treats through various openings in the toys.
Rotate toys inside and outside
Don’t keep the same toys in the same place all the time – this will almost guarantee your cats will get bored with them. Put a few toys away for a week or two, then bring them out again. Your cats will think they have a brand new toy. Of course, you don’t want to do this if your cat has a favorite toy that she plays with all the time. I turned my family room into a giant kitten playroom. There’s no human furniture in the room, just cat trees, scratching posts, and a ton of cat toys. Every once in a while I take some stuff out, bring out some stuff, and rearrange everything to keep Allegra and Ruby interested.
Cat toys don’t have to be expensive
For a cat, almost anything can become a toy: grocery bags with the handles cut off, boxes, rolls of toilet paper, milk cartons, tissue paper – in a cat’s mind, anything it was only made to play with. Some cats like to chase bubbles or tap cotton swabs around the tub. Think like a cat, and you might be surprised at the things you already have around your house that make the cat toy purr perfectly.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite toys for you in our product guide.
Schedule time for one or two play sessions, lasting 10 to 20 minutes, each day. You and your kittens will find that you look forward to these sessions every day.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite toys for you in our product guide.
How do your cats like to play?
Image at the top of the post Pixabay
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital director, and veterinary journalist with a passion for cats.