Cats are visual movement addicts, so when you need to amp up the entertainment factor for the fancy feline in your life, reach for an interactive toy that brings out her natural instinct to stalk and chase prey.
Dr. Laurel Davis, WNC’s homeopathic veterinarian, offers “Stories from a Holistic Veterinarian”, the blog of a holistic vet and “animal interpreter.” With a clinic in downtown Asheville, NC. Dr. Laurel also offers animal health, lifestyle and vaccination advice for cats, dogs and their human friends across the country.
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I Live for the Cattercizer…and Other Cat Toy Stories
As any cat will tell you, they and their kind are vastly intelligent creatures who get bored just as easily as dogs do. Don’t let your kitty’s fiercely independent streak fool you. Inside, she’s wired to hunt and play, and, whether your love-bug is a loner or the most affectionate lap-cat, she will benefit from a generous play session and having some enriching, interactive toys in her life.
Let’s face it: the domesticated life can be tough for an indoor cat!
That’s why it’s so important to do everything we can to make sure our homes are as cat-friendly and enriching as possible.
When I ask Bee, my sweet little Siamese mix, “What is the hardest part of being an indoor cat?” she reports that the hardest part for her is the isolation when she is left home alone. When she can’t be outside, she feels doomed, since she finds being inside static and boring. Because there is so much activity outside, being in the outdoors brings her a sense of wonder and happiness.
While access to the outside world may not be appropriate for some cats, they still may crave the same wonder and happiness as Bee does.
At least five times a week, I work with clients whose cats are bored out of their minds.
Lack of stimulation for inside cats is a major problem. Despite the added benefits of longer lives and fewer diseases, most house cats tend to be overweight and underactive. Like people and dogs, cats benefit from keeping fit and active, both mentally and physically.
Cats are visual movement addicts, so when you need to amp up the entertainment factor for the fancy feline in your life, reach for an interactive toy that brings out her natural instinct to stalk and chase prey.
The best interactive toys for cats can provide these benefits and many more:
- Stimulate your cat’s natural instincts for hunting and exploring.
- Awaken all five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing.
- Provide the satisfaction of foraging for food, independently of “being fed.”
- Offer the opportunity for interaction with other household cats and with YOU.
- Generate an interest and enthusiasm for physical activity, play and exercise.
- Bring out and enhance new aspects of your cat’s intelligence, agility, and creativity.
When I asked Bee how she likes toys, she answered: “Playing with toys brings me vitality!” I then looked up the definition of vitality: the state of being strong and active; energy. Seems about right!
You might be wondering, how does playing with your cat enrich your life and hers? That’s easy…
Shared laughs and entertainment = joy!
If I climb into bed at night without playing with Bee, she will sit at my bedroom door. Her laser beam eyes penetrate my sleepy, fuzzy mind, and I find myself grabbing her favorite Jackson Galaxy caterpillar toy for a good-night round. If I ignore her and choose to go to sleep instead, she is upset and won’t join me on the bed that night. Ha!
How to Make a Cattercizer in 4 Easy Steps:
- Find a stick or buy a dowel that’s around 15 inches long.
- Tie a 20-inch or longer piece of string or cord to one end.
- Tie a little mouse toy, a feather, a handkerchief or even a wadded up piece of paper to the other end of the string.
- Hold the non-string end of the stick like a fishing pole, and flick the string and its appendage at and around your cat.
You’ll see if they, too, like many cats I know, come to live for the cattercizer!
Does your cat love interactive toys? Head over to our Facebook page and tell us how your cats benefit from a good play session !
Shine On,
Dr. Laurel Davis is WNC’s homeopathic veterinarian, offering phone and Skype consultations for animal lovers everywhere. Call 828-254-2221 or order an Ask Dr. Laurel™ phone or Skype session or bring your dog or cat to her downtown Asheville, NC clinic. Read more patient stories.
Get to know Dr. Laurel by reading her blog.
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