How To Entertain Your Cat

Try these cheap and easy feline boredom busters!

Bored cats can act out with destructive behaviour like chewing, scratching where they aren’t supposed to, waking their humans in the middle of the night, and fighting with their feline housemates. If your cat isn’t getting the stimulation she needs, try these cheap and easy boredom busters for the stay-at-home cat!

1

Hide treats or kibble around your home. Or make an interactive DIY treat puzzle! Grab an empty paper towel roll, securely duct tape a piece of paper over one end (make sure your cat can't eat the tape: use this toy supervised), and then drop the treats down the tube. You’ve got an instant treat puzzle that your cat can spend hours attempting to defeat!

2

Move your cat’s food to a new location. Cats in the wild hunt for their food, and your cat’s instincts are the very same. By simply moving the food dishes to another room, you are encouraging her to hunt for her dinner! Or try the NoBowl Feeding System ($60, nobowlcat.com). This unique indoor hunting system replaces your cat's food dish with a set of five NoBowls that allow your cat to stalk, trap, and play with her food in a natural and healthy way!

3

Try out an interactive camera to check in on your cat while you're at work! The Petcube Interactive Wi-Fi Pet Camera ($98 on Amazon) not only allows you see, via your smartphone, what your cat is up to while you’re away, it also lets you remotely play laser pointer games with her! Plus, you can record videos or take pictures of your cat, and the camera has a microphone and speaker so you can talk to your cat too. (Goodbye office productivity!)

4

Solo play toys are a great way to add excitement to your cat's alone time. We love P.L.A.Y.’s Peek-a-Boo Mouse Interactive Toy ($20, petplay.com). The mouse pops up, hides, and even reverse direction to stimulate your cat’s curiosity and keep your kitty engaged and playing for ages! Pro tip: Keep it fresh. Put your cat’s toy in a drawer while you are home, and then take it out for them just before you leave. Hiding it from them will add extra intrigue and excitement for your cat, and they’ll be more likely to engage with it. Also be sure to rotate the toys your cat has access to, keeping things fresh and interesting!

5

Brush up on grooming. Grooming is an essential social function for cats, so add to your bond by brushing your cat. Most cats will like some kind of brushing, but you may have to try out a few different grooming tools to find the right one for you and your cat. We’ve had good results on lots of cats with the Wahl Grooming Glove. Bonding time plus it’s good for your cat’s skin and coat!