Does Your Cat Need a Job?
Last week, we published a post about canine enrichment in the form of food puzzles. Did you know that cats thrive with enrichment as well? I learned about feline enrichment the hard way. Who knew that cats would misbehave when bored? I sure didn’t. Slinky was our first cat and his shenanigans were “extra”. We even had to hire a cat sitter to sleep over while we were away. Left to his own devices, there would have been a lot of kitty smash destruction moments. Lucky for me, my misbehaving cat is what led me to becoming a professional dog (and sometimes cat) trainer.
Slinky needed a job and became gainfully employed through enrichment. Providing enrichment for your cat may help dial down your cat’s energy levels and give him a positive outlet for his natural feline behaviors.
Play Enrichment
Playing with the Go Cat Da Bird and the Cat Dancer really tire my cat out quickly. He crouches then soars through the air pouncing on the “prey”. Play with these and let your cat “catch and kill” the toy every so often. Doing this prior to feeding your cat may help him calm down after meals.
Need the equivalent of a child’s coloring book (or iPad) for a hands free way to tire your cat out? Try the Tower of Tracks Cat Toy and the Kong Kickaroo. Your cat can entertain himself with these while you catch up on your life.
Feeding Enrichment
I do not free feed my cat, meaning I do not leave food in a dish for my cat at all times. He is fed wet food twice a day and given kibble throughout the day.
Slinky works for his kibble in different ways. His kibble is used for training, and sometimes placed inside the PetSafe Slim Cat. My new favorite way to feed his kibble is to fill and hide the Doc & Phoebe’s Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder throughout his cat tree.
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Dedicating a few minutes throughout the day to enriching your cats’ lives (all nine of them) may improve everyone’s mental health. If you’re interested in training plans and explanations for your cat’s behavior, read Pam Johnson-Bennett’s, “Think Like a Cat” and contact us!