Playing with Your Cat: Expert Tips to Encourage Playtime
Playing with your cat offers numerous benefits, from alleviating boredom to promoting physical movement. It harnesses their natural predatory instincts and promotes both physical and mental engagement. However, many cat owners find their feline companions are less enthusiastic about playtime. Dr. Mikel Delgado, a renowned cat behavior expert and author of the book Play With Your Cat!, shares effective strategies to stimulate even the most play-averse cats.
Benefits of Playtime
Engaging your cat in play not only provides exercise but also helps prevent behavioral issues. By encouraging your cat to tap into its hunting instincts, you enrich its environment and foster a deeper bond.
Expert Tips to Get Your Cat Playing
- Act Like Prey. Make the toy flutter and hop like a bird, slither like a snake, buzz around like a bee, or hide like a mouse!
- Move the Toy Slower. Slow down your movements—perhaps even try a little slower than you think.
- Vary Your Movements. Cats can become bored with repetitive actions. Change your toy movements—try moving it on the ground and in the air, or alongside walls. Alternate between fast and slow motions. Observe what captivates your cat’s attention!
- When all else fails, use the stick end of the toy and move it under a towel or rug to intrigue your cat.
- Ensure Success. Allow your cat to “catch” its prey and interact with it in its own way.
PRO TIP: Playing with your cat can help prevent behavior problems.
Cat Won’t Play?
Many pet owners express frustration when their cats show little interest in play. Often, they leave small “solo” toys like ping pong balls and fuzzy mice scattered on the floor. While these items might get a brief glance, true playtime means recreating the hunting experience for your cat. Those toys quickly become lifeless prey.
Interactive play is the key! Using an interactive wand toy with a lure can imitate live prey, giving your cat the thrill of the hunt. Invariably, when I’ve demonstrated new toys and techniques, even the most indifferent cats often become engaged and playful.
This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Cat magazine. Subscribe today!
