Playing with your cat is just as important as keeping it well fed and offering it a comfortable bed to sleep in, since without fun the animal You will end up suffering from stress, anxiety or depression. To do this, it is advisable to set a daily game schedule, and always follow the same routine to establish a pattern.
If you don't know how to play with your furry companion or what games you can play with him, in this article on our site we show you 10 games to entertain your cat at home, easy and lots of fun.
The importance of play in cats
Cats are curious animals by nature and, therefore, offering them elements that keep their minds stimulated is practically mandatory for us if we want to enjoy he althy and happy animals. A good way to achieve this is through the game, since through it we will be able to cover their need for fun and their hunter instinct. The lack of play generates boredom in the cat, which in turn can develop stress and derived problemsas the destruction of furniture.
As you may have noticed if you live with a feline, chasing possible prey to hunt them down is one of their favorite activities. If this instinct covers it with objects, nothing happens as long as it does not involve the destruction of things relevant to us, such as underwear, slippers, etc., and does not cause any harm to the animal, such as cables. The problem lies when for him the prey is us or other animals, trying to attack our hands and feet or bringing dead animals home. As we say, it is part of their instinct and it is not a behavioral problem, but a wrong education on our part. When we decide to play with our puppy by constantly moving our hands, without realizing it we are telling him that this is the toy he should bite, resulting in constant attacks during adulthood. In this way, we see how the game is essential for the cat, but the way to play and educate it correctly for it is also relevant.
It is best to offer toys that guarantee the cat's safety, avoiding those with small parts that can easily come off and get stuck in his throat, and avoid the that can produce frustration in the animal. What causes frustration in cats? The games they can't win or the toys they can't catch. A clear example of this is the laser. Although it may seem like the most fun to us to see our feline chase a light that it will never catch, this very fact produces frustration, stress and anxiety for him, disorders that can generate serious he alth consequences.
We will choose toys that allow us to entertain the cat and let him play alone, and those that also involve our interaction in order to strengthen the bond between the two and improve communication. In general, cats are selective animals, so getting the most expensive toy does not guarantee that our furry companion will love it. Therefore, getting to know our feline, his tastes and preferences is crucial to provide him with exactly what he needs.
Games for my cat to entertain himself
Some cats are more independent than others, preferring to have fun on their own or don't want to spend their leisure time playing only with their human companion. For this reason, the ideal is to mix both types of games and allocate hours of the day to entertain the cat alone and others to play with it. For the first option, we must be clear that felines are animals that tend to tire easily of thingsThis means that probably after a few weeks, some even days, the cat will stop playing with that new toy that he loved so much, because it no longer seems new and curious. Remember what we said at the beginning of the previous section: they are curious by nature and constantly need to discover new smells, textures, etc. To help you with this, we advise you to have a box with several toys and games, and offer them alternately In this way, in a while that toy that bored you will find it interesting again.
A cardboard box, many possibilities
Something as simple as an empty cardboard box can be the best game to entertain your cat at home, and it hides endless possibilities for him! You have the option of leaving it within his reach so that he can decide when to enter and play, or introduce other stimulating elements, such as toys, treats, etc. This way, you will not only capture his attention to start the game, but you will also make him associate it with positive stimuli.
And if you want to make the game to entertain your cat even more fun, get three or four boxes and create a maze with them, joining them together and creating different openings so that you can go in and out. Don't forget to distribute various treats and toys to guide him! Especially if you plan to go out for a couple of hours and the cat must be left alone, this game will keep it entertained for a long time.
Multi-storey scratching post with toys
It is no secret to anyone that cats love to file their nails, and what better way to do it than on a scratching post that also offers fun. We can offer you the traditional scratching post that has nothing more than a sheet to file the nails, or get one that has more than one floor, even has a small shed, feathers as prey and other toys that keep the cat entertained. To do this, don't miss the following article in which we teach you how to make an easy and cheap homemade scratching post: "Step by step homemade scratching post for cats".
Paper bag with surprise
Put that way, it doesn't seem like a very stimulating game to entertain your cat, but knowing that cats love to hide and get into any hole they see empty, isn't it starting to earn a little more money? interest? A paper bag can be a very fun game for the animal if we know how to motivate it. Thus, we suggest you introduce various sweets or place one of his favorite toys inside, he will quickly come looking for him and start having fun with the bag. And if you leave the paper bag with a surprise inside a cardboard box…, the fun is more than guaranteed!
Kong, perfect for entertaining the cat
The kong is a food dispenser toy ideal for entertaining the cat while we are at home or alone. In this sense, it is a very effective method to treat separation anxiety, so getting one is more than recommended. For the cat to start the game of it, it is enough to introduce food or treats inside it, pressing it slightly to make extraction a little more difficult, and give it the kong. The feline will quickly smell the food and start the game to try to get it out, keeping it entertained and motivated.
Currently there are many brands that bet on food dispensing toys, so you don't necessarily have to get the kong brand. Of course, we recommend that you review the material and opt for a resistant one. On the other hand, you also have the option of making a homemade kong following the instructions in our video: "How to make a homemade kong".
Find the candy, a game with cardboard tubes
Do you usually throw away the cardboard toilet paper tubes? Well, stop doing it! They are perfect for making fun, easy and cheap cat games. One of them is made with tubes and the lid of a cardboard box. To do so, follow the following steps:
- Take the lid of a medium-small cardboard box, approximately 20 cm long.
- We cut the tubes in half, since at the end of the game we will introduce sweets inside.
- Fill the inside of the lid with the tubes placed vertically and stick to the base with a resistant glue.
- Let the glue dry.
- We put various treats inside some tubes and hang the game on a wall, at cat height, so that it comes following the smell of the food and tries to get it out.
As you can see, it's easy, fast and will entertain your cat and keep its mind active. And if you have a little more time, with a box and cardboard tubes you can prepare a game like this: "Circuit with box and cardboard tubes".
Games to play with my cat
It's good to let the cat play alone, but it's still better if we participate in the game. By playing with our feline we manage to keep it entertained while reinforcing our bond, we increase confidence and keep away from it disorders and conditions such as stress, boredom, loneliness or anxiety. Next, we show the funniest, simplest and cheapest games to play with your cat at home:
Hunt the prey
We said that cats are hunters by nature and, therefore, we must cover this need if we want to prevent them from chasing prey on their own. A good way to do this is by calling " cat fishing rods". In the market we find them in different colors and shapes, with feathers, toy mice and other animals that act as prey and capture the attention of the feline. Choose the one that your furry companion likes the most, set an hour of play a day and enjoy a good time with him moving the cane and making him chase it.
Remember that not winning can make cats frustrated, so let it capture the prey from time to time to avoid let this happen and don't make the game too difficult.
Get the ball
Fetch and fetch is not just a game for dogs, cats also enjoy these toys. To teach him this exercise, follow the following steps:
- Find the ball that your partner likes the most and throw it so that he goes in search of it.
- At the same time, say "fetch" so that he associates the act of searching with the command and reward him when he reaches it.
- Once this is done, you can move on to teaching him to fetch the toy. To do this, when he has the ball in his mouth, call your cat to come to you, remove the toy gently and give him a treat so that he understands that when he gives it to you he receives a prize.
- Gradually introduce the "release" command as you put the toy down, and practice until he does it on his own.
And if you are one of those who prefer to make homemade toys, you can make yourself a ball with esparto rope that, in addition, will allow your cat to file its nails with it. Do not miss this video and discover the steps to make the homemade ball and the fishing rod: "3 homemade toys for cats".
Hide and Seek, a classic that never fails
Do you remember how much fun you had as a child playing hide and seek? You can do it again with your cat! To start this game and entertain your cat alone you must hide, call your partner and let him find youAt that time, run, hide again and perform the same ritual. And if it is your cat that is hiding, before starting its search say "Where is (your cat's name)?", so that the animal associates those words with the beginning of the game.
Another simple game to play with your cat at home that reminds us of our childhood is called " pilla-pilla". You probably shouldn't teach your cat to play, because it will be the one who will ask you to do it. Have you ever seen your cat run like crazy right in front of you? At that moment you run too and start a chase. When you catch up with him, he'll probably run back for you to chase him again.
With these two games for cats we not only keep them entertained, but we also get them to exercise, something totally necessary to avoid being overweight.
Game with old socks
Take a pair of old socks, tie them together with a very strong knot and make cuts at each end to create a sort of fringe. Once the toy is made, grab your cat's attention and start the game. To do this, move the socks briskly across the floor for him to chase after them, letting him catch them from time to time.
Which cup is the prize in?
The famous game known as "trile" can not only be played between people, we can also play it with our animals. It's as simple as taking three plastic or cardboard cups and a sweet with a lot of smell. We place one of the glasses on the candy and the other two on the sides of it, keeping the three in line. Then, with our expectant cat, we begin to move the glasses and let the glass that contains the prize drop through the smell. This game is perfect for entertaining our cat, reinforcing the bond with us and having a fun time together.
