Is your cat bored at home and in need of some excitement? Entertaining your furry friend is an essential and joyful experience that benefits you and your feline in numerous ways. Let’s deep dive into this article to learn how to entertain a cat to give them butterflies!
How to Entertain a Cat – 11 Ways to Keep Your Cat Engaged and Happy
Try these ways to play with your cat and develop a strong bond with them:
1. Puzzle Feeders – A Fun Challenge for Your Cat
Puzzle feeders are an excellent way to turn your feline’s mealtime into a delightful activity. These feeders enhance cat’s natural hunting and foraging abilities and provide both mental and physical benefits. While it may be fascinating to treat your cats like princes or princesses, their well-being needs to work for food. However, the study found that food puzzles reduce cat’s stress and make them less demanding.
2. Hide the Food in New Locations
To entertain your cat, hide the food in different places to spice up mealtime! Instead of simply giving food in the regular place, try hiding it in various spots around the house. This encourages your cat to use their natural hunting instincts as they sniff out and hunt for their meal. You can also use this trick for treats, hiding them in harder-to-reach places to make your furry friend work a bit harder for their reward. Just keep treats to a maximum of 5% of your cat’s regular diet! This entertaining feeding game will keep your cat both mentally and physically stimulated.
3. Engage Your Cat with a Kitty KONG or Egg Carton Puzzle
Use a Kitty KONG to make treat time more engaging for your feline. Originally, the KONG toy was popular for dogs, now it is available in a smaller size for cats also. Its unexpected bounces keep cats interested, but it works best with larger treats that do not fall out easily.
Alternatively, you can use an empty egg carton as a DIY puzzle feeder by placing kibbles or treats inside. Your cat will have to work to get them out, providing both mental stimulation and physical activity. These simple methods make snack time more fun and enriching to entertain your cat!
4. Teach Your Cat Some Fun Tricks
While cats may not be as quick to learn tricks as dogs, with patience and positive support, they can be trained for sure! It may be more time-consuming, but it is a precious way to entertain your cat through teaching. Begin with simple commands, like training your cat to come when you call its name. Gradually, you can teach more entertaining tricks like giving a high-five, sitting on command, or even fetching toys.
5. Use games to stimulate your cat’s Mind
If you have a playful cat, you can try different games with your fluffy friend to keep them entertained. Like babies and dogs, cats also have their own favorite games. The essential step is to find the right one.
You can make a labyrinth out of boxes by connecting a few boxes and making doors between every box. You can easily make a DIY labyrinth where your cat can play and hide. Fetching a ball game is not only for dogs, cats also love to fetch. Throw a ball near to your kitty and see if they will kick it or back to you.
Moreover, you can try different games to entertain your cat, like hide and seek, moving a stick under the door, guessing the food game, or dragging your cat on a slippery material. If you don’t have the energy to play physical games with your cat, you can play different games on your smartphone. Popular entertaining games for cats are Catching the Mouse, Pocket Pond, paint for Cats, and laser chase.
6. Entertain Your Cat with Toys
There are hundreds of cat toys available on the market to keep your feline entertained for hours. If your cat seems bored with their toys, try hiding them for a while. When they rediscover those toys later, they’ll be thrilled to play with them again. If you’re not keen on spending money on expensive toys, consider making your own DIY options to keep your cat engaged.
· Foil Balls
Foil or paper balls are simple to make and provide hours of fun, but ensure the foil is clean and free of any food smells to prevent your cat from trying to eat it, and supervise them during playtime.
· Laser Pointer
One of the most exciting toys for cats is a laser pointer, as cats will do almost anything to chase that elusive red dot!
· Ping Pong Balls in a Bathtub
Cats can be entertained with a variety of simple and fun DIY toys. For instance, try placing ping pong balls in a bathtub—your cat will love chasing them as they bounce around.
· Paper or Wool Balls
Crumpling paper into balls is another simple option, and if you know how to feel, you can craft lightweight wool balls that cats can easily carry and toss.
· Remote Control Toys
Motion toys, like remote-controlled or automated ones, keep cats entertained for hours, and hanging toys around the room, such as from door handles or tables, will tempt your kitty to play as they pass by.
· Wand Toy
A wand toy, which you can easily make using a stick, string, and a small attachment, is a beloved favorite among cats. These simple ideas will keep your feline active and entertained!
7. Scatter Boxes around the Room to Entertain Your Cat
Cats are naturally attracted to boxes, and research discovered that boxes can help to reduce their stress levels. Besides being a warm hiding place, boxes give the perfect playroom for your cat. Your furry friend will love jumping and out, hiding inside, and having fun in all sorts of playful activities that cats seem to enjoy with boxes. To get things jazzed up, you can turn a few boxes into a simple DIY cat playhouse, creating an even more interesting environment for your cat to explore and enjoy!
8. Install a Cat Tower or Climbing Shelves
Cats enjoy climbing and watching from high places. Install shelves on the wall or get a cat tower to give your cat vertical space to explore. These not only entertain your cat but also help keep them off counters and tables.
9. Creative Play Ideas for Your Cat
Enhance your feline’s playtime with simple, fun, and engaging activities. Fill a box with cloth scraps or plastic balls to make a fun digging and exploring environment. Leave shopping bags and packaging out for your fluffy friend to investigate, they love exploring new surfaces and hiding places. Consider making a cat tent or teepee as a comfortable hideaway where your cat can rest and feel safe. For an additional dose of fun, make a blanket fort just like you did as a kid. Your furry friend will enjoy hiding and playing inside, making these playful setups an excellent way to entertain your cat and create a strong bond with your true friend.
10. Take Your Cat for a Walk
To entertain your cat you can take them for a walk on a leash to provide exercise and new experiences. If you have a safe backyard, your cat might explore off-leash but always emphasize security. In areas with potential dangers, using a leash is crucial, especially for their first time outside, to ensure felines adjust well to new surroundings.
11. Enjoy Quality Time with Your Cat
One of the easiest to entertain your cat is spending quality time with them. Spending quality time with your feline is an outstanding way to develop a strong bond and help both of you relax. Cuddling with your fluffy friend provides comfort and vanishes stress as you enjoy their soothing purrs and warm presence. Brushing your cat not only reduces excess hair all over the house but also provides a chance for a calming bond.
Talking to your cat can be a soothing activity for both of you, and you might even hear some pleasing meows in response. If your cat is sympathetic, giving them a gentle massage can be a lovely change from regular petting, giving them an extra dose of affection and relaxation.
Closing Sentiments
As a cat parent, we all love our cats and always want the best for them! It is significant to know how to give them the best possible entertainment through indoor activities. This article will help you to know how to entertain a cat and give them butterflies. Felines require a lot of attention and care and we must provide unbeatable entertainment throughout the day so they can stay as happy and healthy as possible.
