5 Ways to Enrich your Cat Indoors
Try these fun ways to keep your cat busy and to stay happy and healthy. Lockdown is a great time to spend some much needed time with your pets. Enrichment for your cat can be as simple or creative as you like. Let your imagination run wild!
1. Make your own food puzzle
Food puzzles are a simple and effective way to keep your cat's brain engaged. Loo roll tubes can be stuffed with treats for your cat to roll and bat to get to the treats. You could also place food in an old muffin tin and cover the tin with paper or tennis balls. This one is a step up and really gives them a challenge!
2. Teach them a simple trick
Cats are not as easy to train as dogs, but not impossible. Teaching a cat to sit is a great place to start. Hold a tasty treat just slightly over your cat's head. This will encourage them to follow it with their head and ease them into a sitting position. Reward your cat with the treat as soon as they sit. When your cat is more confident doing this, you can starting adding the command to sit. Over time, your cat should sit on command with treats only every once in awhile. Practice makes purrfect!
3. Scent games
Scent games are a wonderful way for your cat to explore indoors and keep things exciting. Cat nip is a popular option that can be bought in dried or liquid form. Try sprinkling dried cat nip in different areas around the house for your cat to find by smell. Diluted essential oils such as lavender, copaiba, helichrysum, and frankincense are safe to be used around cats and can used in the same manner as the cat nip. Be sure to consult a veterinarian for before using essential oils, not all oils are the same. Another option is to simply hide treats around the house for a game of hide and seek!
4. Sight enrichment
With amazing eyesight, cats can get so much enrichment through just sight alone. Allowing your cat an area in a window with a comfortable place to sit is a great start. Bird feeders can be added for extra stimulation and excitement. No bird feeder? No problem! Pop some videos of birds or even a fish tank on your tv for your cat to enjoy.
5. DIY Wand
Wands are a fantastic way to tap into your cats wild side and bring out those hunting instincts. Easy wands can be constructed from a stick with either string or ribbon attached at the end. For something a bit more creative, you can glue a small mouse toy at the end of the ribbon. This provides wonderful exercise both physically and mentally.
We hope you have been inspired to take up some of these activities for yourself and your cat.
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Supervision is a must when giving enrichment activities, toys, and food to your cat. Always check to ensure that they are safe for your cat.