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12 Ways to Entertain and Keep Your Cat Happy

Paul Grey once said about cats that “Cats were put into this world to disapprove the dogma that all things were created to serve man.” Cats are demanding little creatures who require it’s master to nurture them with utmost delicacy and warmth. 

Quotes about the friendship of man and dogs have been around since ancient times and to be honest, it’s the animal putting in most of the effort here but in the case of felines, they prefer to have some serious input and work from the human end if it has to work. 

Cats are energetic balls of fire usually and lack of activity will not only make them dull, bored and detached but it may also have negative effects on their health. They say that a cat has nine lives, when you stick around that long then you definitely ought to have a whole list of activities to keep you entertained and happy. 

We’ve put together one such list and tried to provide links for products available at ‘Amazon’ to keep your cat’s whiskers stretched and it’s tail held high.

Interesting Ways to Entertain Your Cat and Keep Them Happy

One of the most important things to remember as a baseline rule is that your cat loves to interact with you. Now based on different factors like it’s training or lineage, felines may prefer indoor or outdoor activities and may not like being surrounded by unknown faces. But as a master and friend, your cat sure loves to be your center of attention.

1. Peek- a- boo

Ever noticed how a child’s face lights up when you peek at him from behind an obstacle and utter the words? Well, felines are not resistant to the charms of the game either. The Motorized Pop n Play cat toy is what will keep your kitties physically active and mentally charged. It brings out your cat’s natural hunting instincts and comes with an interchangeable feather and mouse toys.

2. Chase

orange cat running on grass field during daytime

Felines of all ages, breeds and sizes love a good game of chase. Especially if the target is approachable yet distant. Even though the chase toy is fairly easy to construct yourself, the Retractable cat feather toy set is a ready-made product which comes with numerous advantages. It is retractable going from a length of 15 inches to almost 40 inches which means that you can play tease and have your cat jump around the whole house or park while you comfortably sit on the couch or a park bench. The value pack comes with a number of interchangeable cat tails and bird feathers as teasers, each attached to a miniature bell. Every cat lover knows that the cat loves anything that mysteriously makes crisp sounds. Chase is a fun activity which will also help your cat to get some exercise without even realizing.

3. Build a DIY Maze for Your Cat

Felines are as mysterious themselves as they love a mystery. For years researchers have been trying to solve and understand the nature of these mysterious creatures and why they behave a certain way. But besides them being a mystery for the world, there’s a fair chance that your cat loves to solve mysteries too. Make a maze out of everyday items like empty or half-filled water bottles or rolls of paper towel and let your cat find a way around it. You’ll be amazed at the kind of effort the animal will make in order to understand the whole thing. They’ll go back and forth, jump over the obstacles, maybe even try and break through it. Either way, it’ll keep your cat and you both entertained for a good few hours.

4. Tease

Remember the scene from Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 where in the underground bunkers of District 13, Katniss is shown playing tease with her sister’s cat using a torchlight? Well, that’s definitely an activity one can try with their own feline too. The rechargeable pet training exercise tool is a light toy that’ll help you train your cat by pointing a light and making your cat do all sorts of stunts. The idea is that you exploit the hunting instincts of your pet to train it for running around, jumping over things, getting under objects while simultaneously making it enjoy the exercise by means of a light source.

5. Spin and Roll

All cats love being spoilt while being kept active and charged up. The Petstages Tower Toy is a great choice to satisfy your cat’s hunting, chasing and exercising needs while also keeping it entertained. It’s a circular tower toy with the added accessory of 3 brightly colored movable balls for your cat to kick around and chase.

6. Built or Buy Them a New Condo Set

short-furred white cat on cat house

A new piece of furniture especially that is exclusively for them and allows them to conduct a myriad of activities like playing, scratching, hiding, lounging, and jumping will definitely be something that’ll make your cat very happy. Click here to get a better idea about what we are talking about. You may also find other similar products in the suggestions.

7. Digging

Whether it is to dig around the garden looking for bugs to dine on or a sophisticated treat digger toy which you might buy for your cat, digging and making that extra effort to get their food will definitely keep them engrossed and make food hunting an act of entertainment.

8. Water Works

If you live in a region which is dry and warm, try entertaining your cat with a bit of water fun. Most, if not all felines enjoy splashing around. Try letting a shower run loose over your pet (at a slower speed preferably) or allowing just a streak of water to run through your garden pipe or challenging your cat to a water fight.  You can choose to sit back and let the cat play around by itself or it’s other friends of the same species or you can be its playmate yourself. Your cat loves to interact with you especially if it involves running around, jumping over you and messing things up (in this case, wetting things up.)

9. Outdoor Fun

short-fur brown cat

It’s a good idea to train your cat to be social as it makes them more loving, affectionate and friendly. A good way of doing that is to take them out to public places like parks or for walks around the block to help them loosen themselves and play around with other animals. If you yourself are not so social and prefer keeping your circle limited even then you must plan some kind of outdoor fun for your feline once in a while. Buying a play tent for your beloved might be a good idea as it’ll allow them to spend a few hours in the sun while being safe from predators. Click here to find exciting product lines and gear up for a sunny playdate with your favorite animal.

10. Chew It Up

It’s always a good idea to keep your pet’s toys away once they are done playing with them as there is a fair chance that the toy might end up all chewed and ripped. Cats, like many other pets, enjoy chewing up things so we recommend keeping around items which are harmless such as stems and stick of a catnip plant. The plant helps increase intestinal peristalsis of the animals and improves digestion. Silver vine sticks are another choice as it is said to improve your cat’s oral health and keep away plaque and tartar.

11. Get Them a Play Mat

Felines are playful masterpieces of nature. Like a child of your own creation, your feline pet loves to be pampered with interactive and relaxing gifts. A play mat consists usually of soft padding as a base with colorful balls or toys hanging above it. It allows your cat to leisurely lounge on it and stretch its muscles which are still playful with the toys hanging above it.

12. Tunnel the Energy

Understanding your cat’s likes and preferences and providing it with activities accordingly is very important. Most cats like dark, comfortable places, which is why you often find them behind couches or under the table or even hiding away in a cardboard box. Get your little ball of energy a safe tunnel like a toy set to properly channelize it’s notoriously. Allowing it to find it’s way through it will also help in improving your pet’s mental and physical abilities. Click here for a product on amazon which is made of crackle paper. The material is not only durable but also additionally entertaining for your cat as it creates crackling noises when your cat moves around in it.

What do you think?

Written by Spencer K