We all know that cats aren’t as lazy as they’re perceived to be by non-cat parents. Cats like to be stimulated on a regular basis and it’s healthy for them. They’re intrigued by sound, smell and motion. There are many things that can stimulate your cats, but here are a few of our favorites.
How to stimulate your cats when you’re home
- Playing with toys. This is a no-brainer, but stimulating your cats with toys is a great way to increase activity and exercise. The red dot laser toy and strings with feathers really seem to stimulate our cats and get them playing with each other.
- Going outside under supervision. Since our kitties were made to live outside, you can really stimulate your cats by taking them outdoors for supervised play time. Taking your cats for a walk in the stroller or on a harness in a safe environment is a great way to stimulate their minds to new smells and sounds.
- Hiding their food. This might sound cruel, but cats are designed to hunt their food so using feeding time for stimulation can be great fun! Put their food in small bowls or containers and hide it around the house. Then grab your camera phone and catch the hunting moments! Note: If you feed kibble they actually make a hunting feeder system and you can check it out by clicking here.
How to stimulate your cats when you’re NOT home
- Open some windows before leaving. Indoor cats shouldn’t be left outside without supervision, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have access to the fresh air and sounds of outdoors. Leaving a window open while you’re at work allows them to be stimulated by the sights and smells.
- Turn on the TV. A few of our cats love to watch Animal Planet and cartoons! If you’re at work all day, try turning on some TV so they can watch and enjoy while you’re away. Note: We don’t recommend allowing your cats to be close to the television screen because of the radiation frequency it gives off. Turn on a TV that they can’t reach instead.
The key takeaway is this: Whether you’re home or not try to stimulate your cats as much as possible. This helps decreased boredom, over-eating, health problems and makes for a better behaved kitty!
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