How To Play With Your Cat Without Toys
Some people tend to think that, just because they enjoy sleeping a lot, cats aren't active animals. However, if you have a pet cat, you'll know that this simply isn't true and, to the contrary, they can actually be quite playful. However, many people don't know how to play with their cat without sustaining any injuries caused by accidental scratching. If you want to have a fun time with your pet without being scratched, keep reading this OneHowTo article on how to play with your cat without toys correctly.
Steps to follow:
Playing with your cat is very important for bonding, physical exercise and, therefore, boosting health and well-being. This is particularly important if you have a a neutered cat as they tend to become lethargic and gain weight. If you don't want to spend too much money on toys, here are some homemade alternatives!
Cats are natural hunters, so games which encourages them to catch pray are their favorite. One of the most famous is the ball of yarn or any other thread- see if your cat enjoys it.
Buy lint-free, strong yarn, making sure that your cat's claws do not become stuck. Loosen a little of the yarn, keeping the end in your hand. Place it on the floor and move back and forth, inviting your cat to chase after it. It will love this game!
Though you can simply use object like yarn, we'd also like to give you some DIY ideas with things you will probably have at home.
For example, a tube of toilet paper could be transformed into 'prey', attaching it to a piece of string and moving it around for it to chase. If you want the cat to pay more attention to this homemade toy, you can put a bit of colored cloth. Avoid painting the tube as this could be toxic and harm your feline friend.
You can also create a small prey for your cat to play with out of an object as simple as a sock. This is perfect to play with your cat without toys, as everyone has these materials at home.
You simply need to fill in the sock with either cotton wool or another sock and sew it. Don't fill it to the top in order to sew it halfway and create a tail with the remaining sock fabric. You can also sew in some eyes and nose if you want to use the discarded part of the sock.
In this case, if you want your cat to be more attracted to the mouse, you can also put a pinch of catnip in it before sewing it together.
Any nontoxic object lying about your home could make a good 'prey'. However it is important that the cat has at least one toy bought from a pet shop so that it can enjoy when it's left alone in the house.
Play with your pet daily, especially if it's young. Spend quality time together and you'll notice how your cat repays you with love and affection.
It is very important that, when you play with your cat, you take he following into account:
- Never touch the animal on the parts of your body that you know that it dislikes. Many cats hate to be touched on their bellies, and tails, etc. Avoid bothering your cat.
- Never corner your cat as it may feel trapped and scratch you to escape.
- Do not make sudden movements that might frighten our pat and cause it to lash out in fear.
- Don't practice games where your cat needs to jump in the air. Cats are used to hunting prey that crawls on the floor. Making it chase things in the air could frustrate your cat and make it anxious.
- Never use your hands or feet when playing with your cat, as it will get used to it and may attack you at times when you are not playing and thus harm you.
If you want to read similar articles to How To Play With Your Cat Without Toys, we recommend you visit our Pets category.
