10 games for your cat, you and your kids

Cats are often quite docile creatures, but get them in the mood for fun and you’re in for a wild burst of play. Playing with your cat or kitten is not only good exercise, but it gives your feline friend a chance to bond with all members of your family.

21 Feb 2017 By Kat Pekin Comments

Despite what you might think, older cats never really lose that kitty playfulness, you just have to find the right trigger to bring it out! So what games to play? Here are 10 great games for your cat and your kids to enjoy.

1. Go for the classic – string! - It’s a stereotypical cliché, but it still holds true. Drag any sort of string (e.g. an old shoe lace, a thread of fabric, a bag strap), and cats go nuts. Kittens especially get a kick out of string being dragged across the ground in front of them.

My cat, Finley, particularly adores chewing my headphone wires, which probably isn’t recommended but hey, he has soo much fun!

2. That’s so random! - Cats will play with whatever they deem acceptable to play with, whether they have your permission or not, but sometimes you can find them getting a kick out of common items around your house. Things such as a milk bottle lid or a toilet roll can prove just as thrilling as any other toy.

My youngest cat, Miso, goes absolutely mental over those cotton ear cleaner things. Also, straws.

3. Fetch - This one could be a complete failure, or a pleasant surprise! Your cat might be so enthralled with whatever they’re fetching that they won’t bother bringing it back to you. But some cats do actually fetch! Give it a try and see what happens.

4. Fingers - Be careful with this one, as it’s bound to result in a few love-bites and love-scratches. Probably a better game for those of us young-at-heart but not so young in years! Tap your fingers in front of your cat like an impatient lady at a bank, then dart your hand from side to side. If they’re interested, your kitty should pounce!

5. Kitty peek-a-boo - This can be played in a few different ways. Perhaps your kitty is sitting on the couch, your children can peek-a-boo behind them to get little fur balls attention. Maybe your kitty is in another room, your kids can peep around the edge of a doorframe to catch their eye. You can even use a simple tea-towel to hold up between your face and your kitties, then yank it aside to surprise them. They might end up more interested in chewing the tea towel than letting you play peek-a-boo, but they’ll still be having fun.

6. Boxes are fun! - Something about that big, weird thing in the room can just send cats wild! Make sure the box is empty of anything sharp or possibly harmful to your pet before you set it on the floor for play, then sit back and see if your cat jumps on in.

7. Light ‘em up - Just flash torchlight around a dark room. We all know cats are smarter than they let on, and they probably know that they’ll never be able to bite down on that bobbing light that’s bounding all over the wall. But that doesn’t mean they can’t stare at it, bundle themselves up into a ball of energy and then spring into a wall to try!

8. Paper play - Scrunch up old paper and toss it about to your cat like a ball, or tear strips in a piece of paper to play with your cat. Newspapers are especially fun, those claws sure can shred when they get the chance.

9. Socks. Yes, socks - Maybe it’s the fabric or the thin sock-weave, but some kitties just love to get their claws stuck into socks. You’d be surprised at the frenzy an old sock can strike in your cat!

10. Toys - Put last, because as you can see from the suggestions above, sometimes cats find joy in the most random things around the house. You needn’t spend money to entertain your fuzzball, and often the strange smell of a new plastic toy can deter rather than attract. But that’s not to say store-bought toys won’t excite your kitty!

If they seem hesitant to play with a new toy, you can entice your cat to play with it by rubbing some of their tinned food on the toy. There’s a (good) chance your cat will just lick of the food and abandon the toy, which is another good reason to try homemade games before going out and purchasing expensive toys that’ll just end up a kitty dinner plate.

What games does your feline pal love playing?

21 Feb 2017 By Kat Pekin Comments

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