When it comes to cat care, playtime is just as important to the overall
wellbeing of felines as a trip to the vet. There is no need to spend a lot of
money on cat toys. Most of the time, your cat will find many things in your
house to play with.
The toy can be as simple as the plastic ring from the milk jug or a crumpled
receipt from that day's groceries. Cats will throw their toys in the air, bat
them around on the floor, pounce on them, hug them close with their front paws
and kick at them with their back paws, having a blast shredding the toy to
pieces.
Whether you spent a lot of money on the toy or not won't make a
difference. Why buy an expensive toy when you have so many free options readily
available?
Cats love to climb and rest in places where they can see a lay
of the land. When one couple decided to renovate their home office, they
discovered they had to throw out their cat's favorite perch, an old bookcase
near a sunny window.
Since the office had to be redesigned, they built
the desks and bookshelves in such a way they led to an additional shelf above
each window in the office. Now the cat would have both a sunny spot to snooze
and keep an eye on the front and back yards – and the cat gets some well-needed
exercise jumping from shelf to shelf.
While you don't have to go to such
an extreme as home renovation that caters to felines, you can make things more
interesting by stacking boxes and tables for your cat to climb on.
Cats
love boxes. Much like children, a cat can occupy itself for hours on end playing
with a box. You can cut holes in it, line it with carpeting or old towels, and
your new kitten will love it. Take a few boxes, tape them together, and build
your cat a fort.
Boxes are cheap and you can get them in all different
sizes. When they wear out, you can throw them in the garbage and give the kitten
a new one. Add carpeting to the outside for the cat care need of
scratching.
Catnip toys are easy to make too. All you need is a little
bit of cloth or furry material to sew into a pouch. Fill it with catnip and
stitch some Velcro on to hold it closed. You can make it into a size and shape
that appeals to your cat.
Some cats like big toys, others like smaller
ones that they can carry easily. Try a couple of different sizes. For cat care
enthusiasts, don't worry; catnip is perfectly safe for your cat to
enjoy.
Ever see a cat play fetch? Cats will do that. Some cats will start
playing fetch without any prompting from you. You might be tossing their toy for
them and find that they enjoy bringing it back to you to throw again.
Do
you have a cat that likes to play rough? Get yourself a leather work glove and
let your cat wrestle with your hand. With a glove, cats can bite and use their
claws in a little bit of friendly roughhousing without tearing you up in the
process.
Teach your cat care for human hands while allowing him to play,
as cats will also learn not to use their claws unless you have the glove
on.
If you have one of those laser pointers in your computer bag or
briefcase, see what happens when you shine the red dot on the floor. The light
from the laser almost looks three-dimensional, and your cat will enjoy chasing
it. Just make sure that you don't shine the laser directly into your cat's
eyes.
Sticks with strings are always a favorite. All you need is a thin
stick and a string with an object tied to the end. This could be a small plastic
ball with a bell inside or a cluster of feathers.
Your cat can chase the
object while you jerk the stick to make the “prey” bounce and jump. Toys don't
have to be fancy or expensive at all and aren't a reflection of your level of
cat care. The only investment required is your time.
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