It is usually very rewarding to have cats for pets. They're generally very affectionate and show their appreciation by rubbing all over you if they're pleased or happy. Cats however, by nature are predatory and get easily bored in the absence of prey or some other form of amusement. Unless you're keeping a cat to function stereotypically as a mouse-catcher (which is not what should be for any self-respecting pet lover), then consider looking for ways to amuse your cat. Otherwise, your furniture and personal belongings may suffer permanent makeovers.
Cats get amused with toys or playthings and it may be easy to get them preoccupied once your have the right stuff. Just like humans however, cats may become restless and bored if you give them the same toys everyday. Consider alternating or rotating cat toys. Chances are, if toys are reintroduced after an interval of a few days, cats may not remember them or may miss them and start playing with them with renewed enthusiasm.
Before you start worrying about how much you're going to spend for your cat's continued happiness, you should know that cats can be perfectly happy with inexpensive toys. Look around you and you may realize that there are hundreds of things cats may want to play with without you having to spend a single penny.
Cats for example like things made of cardboard specifically boxes of all sizes. Instead of just giving a box however, consider cutting out square pieces on the face of the box and playing toys inside for your cat to poke at. Cats also like boxes even without contents inside. They can toss smaller boxes around or jump in and out of bigger boxes. Cats also like to play around with empty toilet paper rings.
Balls are also an all-time favorite among cats. Don't give them rubber balls that are too soft or that can easily chip off. Cats may gnaw on rubber balls and ingest the rubber which may prove dangerous for your pet. Give plastic balls instead like ping pong balls. Your baby's old plastic balls with bells in them may also be fun to roll around for your cat.
The common grocery paper bag can be a plaything for a cat too. Just remember to cut off bag handles if they have any and do not, under any circumstances, let your cat play with plastic bags. Again there is a danger of accidental ingestion.
Cats may be amused with soft stuffed toys. Just make sure that these toys do not have harmful pieces that may be accidentally swallowed. Remove a stuffed toy's eyes, nose, ribbons and other small plastic pieces. As a variation, you can make stuffed toys yourself by using old socks or pieces of used cloth and stuffing these with catnip. Catnip is a common term for species of flowering plants that have come to be known as catnip because cats love them so much. A simple piece of cloth can excite a cat and make it roll and rub over it.
There are many other simple things a cat may want to play with, but always be cautious. Anything that is made of thread, yarn and plastic among other things may be potentially harmful for your cat. A small piece of these materials may seriously injure a cat's tummy.
No comments:
Post a Comment