Cats and Playtime
Did you know that cats need playtime just as much as dogs? Just consider how cats live in the wild, and it’s easy to understand why.
Cats can spend up to 16 hours per day asleep – and wild cats, when they aren’t sleeping, spend their time hunting prey or teaching their young to hunt prey. Pet cats obviously don’t have this to keep them active, so they need the exercise that play provides.
Besides exercise, playtime also offers several other benefits. For starters, it can help relieve stress and anxiety, which can be harmful to cats and promote the development of behavioral problems such as urine marking or aggression.
As cats are naturally curious, playtime can also relieve boredom by adding engagement and challenge to the cat’s day. Playing with your cat helps him feel more comfortable around you and other pets and people, and this can even have the added benefit of making visits to the vet easier. And playtime is fun, and having fun makes your cat feel good – just like it does for you.
So make sure to give your cat plenty of playtime! Cats love toys, catnip, and scratching posts, so provide these for entertainment.
Here are a few other ideas:
- Throw your cat’s favorite toy across the room and watch him run after it!
- Bat a crumpled piece of paper around and encourage your cat to get in on the action.
- Lay an open paper bag on its side for your cat to crawl into – then scratch and poke the sides.
- Use light – a reflection from a watch or phone, for instance – to catch your cat’s attention.
- Keep a shipping box and put it on the floor. Your cat will have endless hours of fun jumping in and out of it. And may even turn it into a comfy new bed.
There are lots of fun ways to play with your cat! What is your cat’s favorite? Let us know in the comments.
PS – When you use VIP Pets, your pet sitter will make sure your feline friend gets lots of playtime to keep them happy and occupied in your absence.
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