Crazy Fun for Your Indoor Hunter

In the same way that toddlers love to play, cats love to hunt. It’s a combination of an inner “calling” as well as outrageous fun (for the cats, not the humans….and, most definitely, not the hunted.)

Even house cats need to feed this calling and benefit from this fun. Don’t worry, as a card-carrying animal lover I’m BY NO MEANS suggesting you buy small rodents for your baby to toy with. There are a lot of kinder, cleaner options out there. Consider the following list my cats came up with:

1. Buy your cat(s) some great little toys and play with her/him often. When you aren’t playing, leave the toys in different places for the cat to find on its own. The toy will develop a recognizable scent to the cat and he or she will find it whererever it’s hidden.

2. Buy little cat treats and place them randomly around the house. By all means, find the least offensive to a human’s nose - unless you have a great deal of confidence in your cat finding the treats immediately, use GREAT caution with fish-y smells!

3. Buy PLAY-N-TREAT BALLS (Pictured Above). These are incredible! You put actual dry food inside the balls. When your cat “manhandles” the ball, food comes out. She/He gets the sensation of “hunting” for their reward and it’s like a natural kitty high. These are an absolute brainstorm - you and your cat will really, really, really want to try them.

4. Never, ever underestimate the allure of catnip. I recently bough some totally cute little catnip mice for my cats and my 18 year old Prissy started playing with them like she was a kitten. I enjoyed the show so much, I sat in the floor for over an hour playing with her. Prissy actually stayed entertained with the mice longer than Alexa, who’s only 2. In fact, she wore herself out and slept right through supper (which she never does!), but she had almost as much fun as I did.

It’s as important to keep an older baby entertained and amused as it is a younger one. Just like us humans, their minds and bodies need the exercise!

August 18, 2007 | Filed Under Personal, Cat Health, Prissy, Alexa, Cat Toys