Benefits of Playing With Your Cat

By: Zara Willmott

Benefits of Playing with your cat: Playing with your cat is the best possible way to build up a bond between the two of you.

Bonding:

Regular play periods, coupled with petting and regular grooming, are beneficial for your cat’s whole life. This will help in creating that special bond you and your cat will have. Playing will help your cat release aggression. Cats often display aggressive traits through boredom.  Use praise to reward your cat for playing gently, as soon as he shows any sign he is about to use his teeth or claws – end the play session. This will teach your cat that aggressive cat behavior is best directed to his toys, and not you!

Health Benefits:

The best way to ensure that your cat does not become overweight is by feeding him correctly with a balanced diet.  That being said exercise also plays a part in keeping your kitty healthy. If yours is an indoor cat, then playing with you may be his only opportunity for this exercise. Playing will help your cat develop his hunting abilities. Hunting is a natural instinct for all cats, a cat confined indoors usually has little chance to express and develop this instinct. When given the chance your cat will wow you with its natural skill. Playing with your cat is good for you too! It’s so rewarding to see your beloved kitty on the hunt.

Enrichment:

Cats need fun in their lives, just like humans need it. If your cat is bored you may see some of these behaviour problems

1. Increased stress and anxiety
2. Decreased activity
3. Aggression to other cats in the home
4. Aggression to family members
5. Excessive grooming

Help relieve the monotony of eating, snoozing, and using the litter box by putting a bit of fun in your cat’s life. Here are some great tips on how to engage your kitty in play

• Rotate toys: Don’t always use the same toys, put some away and reintroduce them later
• Engage all senses: don’t just focus on what they can see, cat’s love rustling sounds.
• Be prey-like: avoid repetitive motions, try to mimic what a bird or mouse would do
• Alternate speed: cats are stealth hunters and love to sneak up and pounce. Try moving toys slowly to see your cat in all its pouncing glory

What Toys To Get:

These days there are so many options for cat toys. How do you know what is best for your cat? Much like humans cats have preferences. You may need to experiment to see what toys your cat loves best. I suggest starting with homemade toys, a simple crumpled up piece of paper works to see if your cat likes chasing balls. Other good options are paper bags, cardboard boxes and bottle caps.

Once you know your cat’s preferred toy you can choose to invest in some great options or stick with DIY. Whatever works for you and your cat.

What To Do Now?:

Make playtime a part of your daily routine. Your cat will love knowing that each day they get to have this interaction with you. Incorporating a good play routine into your cat’s life will have wonderful effects. The bond between you and your cat will grow stronger every day.  You will have a happier, more confident, and less aggressive kitty. And isn’t that what we all want? To give our cat’s the happiest life possible.