Caturday ~ Cats just wanna have fun

Part of your pet’s health includes entertainment through physical activity and mental stimulation. Boredom leads to depression, disruptive behavior, and a slower metabolism.

Just as important as it is to make sure your cat has food and water, it’s also necessary to make sure your cat has play. Cats are very intelligent creatures, which means they are especially prone to boredom.

Cats are independent and therefore likely to play by themselves with whatever toy or random object they can get their paws on — especially as kittens. However, with age, cats become lazier, less excitable, and more easily disinterested.

Keep your cat entertained:

• Buy cheap little toys at your local pet store and keep them scattered around your home.
• Save money and make your own toys by recycling old things — usually cats prefer boxes over cat beds, paper towel rolls and hair ties over store-bought items, etc.
• Get your cat a friend — cats are generally loners but still have fun being social. You can get multiple cats, a dog, a little rodent, a tortoise, etc. — of course be careful and use proper training, supervision, and borders to keep the animals safe.
• Make sure your cat has things to freely climb and scratch, such as a cat tree, scratching post, perch, etc.
• Let your cat have a good view out the window. Keep the blinds open and even open the window if possible. Make sure it has a comfortable spot to lay. For cats, a window is like their version of TV.
• A similar option, literally let your cat watch TV. They prefer cartoons, but your best option is to open YouTube and stream a live birdwatch cam.

Having said all that, the best way to keep your cat entertained is to play with your cat yourself. Use toys like lasers, strings, etc. Do anything that simulates their instinctual needs to hunt. Be sure to use discipline such as yelling or making loud noise to stop your cat from getting too frisky. They may scratch and bite with good intentions as they are just trying to play, but obviously it’s important they know when to stop.