Cat toys for entertainment and training

Suitable toys for keeping your cat occupied in a species-appropriate way

Why should you keep your cat busy?

In the nature, cats don't need to find activities, as they spend a lot of time exploring the environment, hunting, etc. Although cat owners cannot offer their pets the same opportunities as in the wild, cats can be kept busy in other ways so that they don't get bored.

If the domestic cat is not given any attention at all, this can lead to disruptive behavior or even have health consequences for it. For example, unoccupied cats often take their anger out on the furniture because they don't know what else to do. Uncleanliness or aggressive behavior can also be signs of this.

Entertainment ensures that the cat is mentally and physically exercised and can relieve stress or worries. Remember that an indoor cat never gets to know the world and is dependent on what you offer it in your home. It should therefore be a matter of course to devote time to her and provide toys and other items with which she can occupy herself. If you play along, this will also strengthen the bond you share and make your cat very happy.

When and for how long should the cat be kept busy?

There is no specific time at which a cat should be kept busy and there are no guidelines as to how long, as this can vary greatly. Basically, the age and fitness of the animal can influence how much energy it has, but whether it is an outdoor cat or only kept indoors also makes a difference. If there are several cats in the household, they often spend time together and therefore need less additional exercise.

The easiest way to find out if your cat wants to play is to pay attention to its body language and simply try to get it to play. The same applies to stopping play: if the cat turns away or is no longer interested in playing, you should stop. This does not mean that the cat was not happy about the attention from you, but short, demanding sessions are often enough to keep the cat busy and make it want to do something else again. It also always depends on the cat's mood on the day as to how much activity it needs.

Instead of starting to play at certain times, you can incorporate a little entertainment into everyday activities. This could be while eating, for example. In the natural environment, food is not presented to a cat on a plate, but it has to make an effort to get its food. So instead of putting the food in an ordinary bowl, you can use the “Tiger Diner” food bowl, for example, where the cat has to push the dry food out between the struts in order to eat it. You can also put dry food or treats in a suitable toy that the cat has to roll around to get to the food.

In a similar way, you can combine the wearing down of claws with an activity. In addition to normal scratching posts, there are accessories with a combination of scratching surface and toy, such as the Scratch Disk, to which a small toy mouse is attached with a string.

Your cat will not only want to do something exciting when you have time, but also when you have other things to do. You can provide a toy that the cat can play with on its own, such as an electronic toy.

However, you should not make any toy permanently available, as it is then nothing special for the cat and will quickly become boring. Put it away after using it and take it out again when the cat is active. To make the activity even more varied, you can buy different toys or choose a toy in which individual elements can be exchanged, such as a play rod with different pendants.

Does every cat need to be kept busy?

Although there are different ways of keeping cats occupied, just as the duration of play is always different, every cat should generally be able to occupy itself. If there are several cats in the household and they like each other, they will play together so that they usually need less attention from you. You can encourage them to play together by providing toys that they can use together. You can also provide enough space and separate accessories for each cat to prevent arguments between them.