Playtime is important for cats. Not only is it fun, but regular play will help keep your cat’s mind and body sharp– two thing that will help her lead a longer, happier, and healthier life. Getting a cat excited about toys isn’t always easy though. Cats can be finicky, especially when we don’t take the necessary steps to keep the toys stash interesting. Here are 7 tips for putting an end to toy boredom and waking your cat’s inner playful kitten.
#1 – Rotate toys Keep your cat interested in her toys by rotating them on a regular basis. Keep a few available to her at a time and hide the rest.Then switch them up every week or two. Seeing something unfamiliar will re-ignite your cat’s curiosity and keep her toys from becoming old news. Related: 5 Tips For Choosing The Right Toys For Your Cat 10 Toys To Bring Out the Kitten In Your Senior Cat
#2 – Be strategic with catnip toys
Catnip tends to only affect cats for about 10 minutes at a time… but those 10 minutes are wild! After that initial “high”, cats will become immune and lose interest in catnip-stuffed toys. In order to make your cat go crazy for it again you’ll have to take it away for several hours to give her time to “reset” her ability to be affected by it. For the best results, you may want to only bring catnip toys out every once in a while. In the meantime, store catnip and catnip toys in tightly sealed containers in the freezer to keep them fresh.
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Does Your Cat Go Bonkers For Catnip? Find Out Why (Or Why Not)
#3 – Learn from history Pay attention to what kinds of toys excited your cat in the past and use that knowledge when purchasing new ones. Each cat will be excited by something different, whether it be a ball that easily zooms across the floor, one that makes a strange crinkling sound, or a toy that’s stuffed with catnip. Something that has interested her in the past is likely to interest her again in the future. Related: 8 Ways To Excite Your Bored Kitty
#4 – Encourage your cat’s instincts
Your cat is still very in touch with the instincts she inherited from her wildcat ancestors, even if she has never lived in the wild herself. Those instincts make her a fantastic hunter who’s ready to pounce on anything she interprets as prey. Activate her natural prey instincts by finding toys that look and/or act like live critters. Consider toy mice, toys that make squeaking noises, or toys that move on their own.
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