Cats are known for being easy going. You’ll see them lounging around in the sun when outside,reclining against the couch at home, and yawning lazily as they stretch their paws on a sunny afternoon.
However, all that resting and reclining can limit your cat’s physical activity.
Here’s what you should do to keep your pet healthy and give them their daily dose of exercise.
Use Lasers
Lasers are one of the most popular tools used for cat exercises. They stimulate cats to stay focused and move along the shifting position of the laser beams. However, chasing around the dot of laser can get quite frustrating for cats after a while.
To keep them active and interested, follow the laser beam with an actual toy they can play with and “catch”.
Hang a Piñata
Another way to get your cat to stretch its paws is by using overhead toys such as piñata. Cats particularly enjoy pouncing at hanging object, and a piñata is the perfect way to encourage them to do that. You can even add treats inside for further motivation, compelling your cat to reach up for them. This can be done by hanging a transparent or translucent container such as a yogurt cup with a hole at the bottom to let out the goodies if the container is hit the right way.
Incorporate “Prey Play”
Cats are natural hunters. Don’t be surprised if your cat walks in with a dead bird and places it at your feet! This is their way of showing off their hunting abilities and expressing their appreciation to you.
Hunting can be a difficult task if your cat doesn’t get to go outside of the house much, especially not on its own.
One way to get your cat to move and be physically active is by catering to its hunting tendencies and mimicking “prey play”. This means using toys and tools that stimulate your pet’s predatory behavior.
For instance, feather wands or toy mice will catch the cat’s attention and bring about a predatory response. It’ll become more attentive and involved in the game, pouncing at or chasing the toy in question and stretching their paws.
Cats also tend to enjoy playing with toys that allow them to sink in their claws or teeth firmly and express more predatory behavior.
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