Most indoor cats tend to be under-active. Like people, cats also benefit mentally and physically from keeping fit and active. Exercise is essential because it relieves any stress or boredom your cat may be experiencing, improves its circulation, builds muscle tone, and prevents or alleviates behavioral problems.
Keeping your feline friend engaged with cat toys is easy if you remember to offer them a variety of toys. Of course, like most cats, your cat probably has a favorite toy. However, you can keep them happy by replacing any worn out or old toys with new ones.
An Essential Cat Toy
A toy that all cats love is a scratching post, which is essential to their physical and mental health. Cats need a scratching post for several reasons. They need to stretch their muscles, which they accomplish by hooking onto surfaces to properly extend their arms, back, and shoulder muscles.
Without the resistance provided by the scratching post, a cat cannot stretch properly. Furiously clawing at the post also helps soothe a cat and relieve aggression, leaving it totally calm and comforted afterward.
As far as a cat’s claws are concerned, their nails form a sheath that sloughs off when they scratch. In addition to cleaning and sharpening their nails, the removal of the sheath feels great.
When cats scratch, they are also marking their territory. Their scent glands are located in their paws, and the scent is released when the cat scratches whether it is on wood like a tree or on your couch. Therefore, you should keep a scratching post and other scratching items until they are so frayed and worn that you have no choice but to replace the item.
Catnip Cat Toys
Many cat toys contain catnip, but over time the catnip inside the toy will become stale and your cat will become less interested in playing with them. One catnip toy that is sold online is called the Purr-Fect Kitty Toy Set. It really is the ideal catnip toy because the set consists of five resealable toys that can easily be filled with fresh catnip. Also included in the set are four bags of organic catnip.
Most cats in the United States find catnip stimulating. Adding this herb to toys can do wonders to increase your cat’s playtime enjoyment. You can even sprinkle catnip onto a piece of newspaper or into a cardboard box or paper sack, and your cat will be drawn to play with those items.
Some toy makers stuff catnip inside toys or pack it into balls. For instance, a fun cat toy found online is the Yeowww Yellow Banana, a banana toy chocked full of organically grown catnip that cats cannot resist. Cats can safely ingest catnip, so there is no need to worry – especially if it is an organic brand of catnip that has no additives.
Be aware that some cats become overly excited at the smell or taste of catnip. Therefore, you should be careful about petting your cat until you know for sure how he will respond to the catnip. When cats become overexcited, they tend towards biting.
Wand Cat Toys
A wand cat toy is a simple toy consisting of a stick with a lightweight object attached to the end. Despite the simplicity of this interactive toy, your cat will only remain interested in it for as long as you are willing to play with your pet.
There are many variations of the wand toy. For instance, peacock feathers or feathers from other large birds sometimes serve as the entire wand toy. Even though there are numerous kinds of wand toys, the lightweight ones usually provide the most fun for a cat.
The wand portion of the toy is typically made of anything flexible but firm such as wire, wood, or plastic. A variety of objects can be attached to the wand that will attract your cat’s attention such as a piece of string, a thin piece of fabric, soft ribbon, feathers, or even a small stuffed toy. Bells, electronic noises, a catnip scent, or fur that smells good to your cat are often used to accent these objects.
The wand toy should be put away after playtime for the following reasons:
- Availability – In order to build a relationship with your cat, this interactive toy should only be available when you and your cat are playing together with the toy.
- Safety – Each time you put up the toy after a play session, make sure it’s still safe for your cat to play with. Pieces of string or other parts can fall off the toy and get swallowed by your cat. If there are any loose toy parts, it’s time to retire the old wand and get a new one.
- Appeal – Putting the toy away after each play session keeps the wand attractive and interesting to your cat when you begin the next playtime.
Jingling Balls and Ball Toys
Many cats are also attracted to ball toys. A ball is another simple toy that appeals to the natural instincts of a cat. The way it moves along the floor mimics the movement of mice scurrying about or other prey animals darting across the floor, which entices cats to chase the ball.
To make playing with a ball more rewarding and exciting for your cat you can insert catnip or treats into a ball. Cats also enjoy balls that make any kind of sound. Some balls have small objects that make noise or bells inside them to attract your cat’s attention.
However, your cat may like an ordinary ball just as well. The only drawback to ball toys is that they often roll underneath the couch or other furniture.
Visit Pampered Paw Gifts to Find the Perfect Toys for Your Cat