It's nothing new that we tell you that cats are very intelligent and sensitive animals, revealing an active and curious character. Although your feline may seem like a real sloth during his mid-afternoon naps, just show him his favorite toy or suggest an activity that awakens his hunting instinct and you will see how your feline companion enjoys testing his senses and work your intelligence to get what you want.
Currently, we can find many interactive toys, smart scratchers, mazes, hiding places and even wellness centers ("Wellness Center") specially designed to stimulate the body and the mind of our kitties. The basic idea of these accessories is to make the cat exercise his body and, at the same time, work his senses, express his curiosity and thus develop his intelligence. Of course, these intelligence games also offer a rewardto the feline to recognize his effort and encourage him to continue learning, without frustration interfering with learning. the.
However, it is also possible to make intelligence games for cats at home with simple and cheap materials, often even recycled. In this new article on our site, we show you 4 homemade and super fun ideas to train your cat's intelligence at home. Read on to discover them!
Homemade puzzle with a cardboard box to stimulate your kitty's mind
Without a doubt, puzzles are among the best intelligence games for cats. And if you share your home with a beautiful feline, you will know very well that cardboard boxes are a world of possibilities to stimulate the body and mind of your companions.
With this inexpensive item, we can make shelters, hiding places, labyrinths and even intelligence games for home cats. This time we will teach you how to make a very fun puzzle to work on your feline's intelligence. Also, remember that on our site you can find many other versatile ideas to make cat toys with cardboard.
To make a basic homemade puzzle you will need:
- Sturdy cardboard box that is not excessively deep
- Scissors or a cutter
- Your cat's favorite toys
- Candies
The preparation is very simple: with the help of the cutter or scissors, you must make several holes in the upper part (or lid) of the carton. If you want to make neat circles, you can use a glass, compass, or any other container with a round mouth and mark the circles before cutting them. But you can also make cuts of different formats, always respecting a minimum size that allows a kitten to put your paw inside the box to " hunt the prey".
Then, you must take your feline's favorite toys, such as balls or mice, and some treats and place them inside the cardboard box. Clever! You can now offer this cheap puzzle to stimulate your cat's mind to work to discover how to catch the prizes.
Another very interesting idea is to make a puzzle using a tupperware or another resistant plastic container with a lid. To do this, you can apply the same production process, making holes in the lid of the container and inserting the toys and snacks inside theof the Tupperware. The advantage of this idea compared to the cardboard puzzle is that, being a transparent container, your cat will be able to see more easily the prizes that await him inside the puzzle, which will also stimulate his vision.
Intelligence games for cats with paper rolls
The rolls of toilet paper or kitchen paper are used to make various recycled toys for our cats and we can also use them to stimulate the intelligence of our cats. One of the easiest cat brain teaser ideas with recycled paper rolls is to join them together to build a pyramid, using tape or non-toxic glue to secure this structure. Then, we'll take advantage of the holes in the rolls to hide treats, toys or croquettes from their feed. In this way, your feline will be able to entertain himself and exercise his sense of smell and his mind to find the prizes he wants to get
With the same scrolls, you can also reproduce the format of the body of some animals to awaken your cat's hunting instinct, make it expend energy and work on its intelligence to reach its prey. By binding the rolls together with sturdy twine and reinforcing the seams with non-toxic tape or glue, for example, you can make a paper "snake" for your kitty. In addition to playing catch with your kitty, you can also make small holes to hide your kitty's favorite snacks.
Playing hide and seek with your cat: an economical and effective mental stimulus
Cats really love to play hide-and-seek, especially if you take a good part of your day to have fun sharing this activity with him. Although it may seem like a very simple game to us, the truth is that playing hide-and-seek with your feline is an excellent way to stimulate its senses and train its obedience, teaching it to go to your callAnd best of all, you only need a few treats to practice it with your feline…
To introduce the game to your cat, you will start with the most basic: you must call from a place where he can see you, and then offer him a treat, toy or otherreward once they answer your call. Then, you will repeat this procedure from a place where your cat cannot see you and again offer a treat to reward him for his good behavior. When your cat has successfully executed these first two steps, you can increase the complexity of the hideout. So, you should change rooms while you keep calling your feline, always remembering to give him a reward every time he finds you.
Homemade shell for your cats
The trilero is one of the classic intelligence games that can be played with cats and dogs, at any time and without leaving of home. To practice it with your cat you don't need to have any specific toy, you just have to have some treats or croquettes from their feed and three similar containers or small vases that you can recycle from yogurts, for example.
The idea of this game is as simple as the materials you need to play it. All you have to do is hide the snack in one of the cups and then mix the containers so that your kitty points out where the treat is. To start, you need to slowly make a simple change when mixing the containers so that your kitty can follow the movement and discover which cup his treat is in.
Little by little, you will be able to perform faster and more complex movements to increase the difficulty of the game and challenge your kitty's intelligence. Of course, you should always give your kitty his well-deserved treat every time he finds the treat.
Tips to play and train your cat's intelligence
Playing with your cat offers numerous benefits to its physical and mental he alth. In addition to giving them the opportunity to entertain themselves while strengthening their muscles and bones, which is essential for managing a he althy weight and a balanced metabolism, intelligence games also stimulate their cognitive abilities, social and emotional. It is also worth noting that physical and mental stimulation is key to preventing behavior problems and stress symptoms in cats.
However, intelligence games for cats must be objective and specific to not generate frustration These activities must allow the animal to exercise your hunting instinct, express your curiosity and develop your skills freely, always being rewarded for your effort and gaining the chance to enjoy the success of catching your "prey"or prizes. In addition, it is essential to offer games appropriate to the age of each cat, always starting with a basic degree of difficulty and, little by little, proposing more complex activities.
Last (and not least), we want to remind you that environmental enrichment is a key factor in providing a stimulating environment to your kitty, which allows him to stay active and entertained even when he is left alone at home. Sensory stimuli, such as interactive games and videos, as well as catnip, for example, are also excellent ideas to stimulate your cat's senses and complement the intelligence games that you propose.
