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Interactive play time with your cat

Interactive play time with your cat

Posted by PetDirect on 26th Aug 2021

Cats often don't get enough exercise, especially indoor cats, so it's important to provide plenty of mental and physical stimulation such as hunting or, at least, engaging in hunting behaviours. This is where interactive cat toys come into play.

Cats need to stalk and pounce, which is what their instincts drive them to do. By engaging in these behaviours, they feel a sense of accomplishment, and it feels natural and good to them. Interactive toys help cats move, promote playing and keeps their mind active.

What Are Interactive Cat Toys?

Interactive cat toys are toys that your cat engages with alone or with you. They are designed to provide cats with the exercise and mental stimulation they crave and can keep indoor kitties busy and out of trouble.

Some cats are also not people-orientated or crave human interaction. If that sounds like your cat, they may enjoy interactive cat toys, like a treat puzzle or dispenser, that allow them to entertain themselves. On the other hand, if your cat loves human interaction, they may prefer to play with you and their favourite teaser or wand toy. You'll have to try different things, there is no easy answer on which interactive toy is right for your cat. That’s why there are so many out there.

When you do find the few your cat likes, the trick is to rotate them to keep things exciting and prevent your cat from getting bored. You should have two or three activities and toys to alternate to keep your cat interested, active and healthy.

Different Types of Interactive Cat Toys

There are plenty of products available to help keep cats engaged and entertained.

Teaser Toys
Teaser cat toys do exactly what they say—tease your cat in all kinds of ways that provide mental stimulation and engage their hunting instincts. Teaser toys include wand toys, catnip toys, spring toys and mice toys. Most cats will interact if their owners are involved.

This is why most wand toys, like the Trouble & Trix Bliss Wand, are usually a hit for kitties. You can wave the wand around to get you cat to chase and jump in an effort to catch it. They are not only great for stimulation, but it can be the perfect thing to do together to bond with your cat and get them moving.

Puzzle and Treat Toys
Puzzle toys stimulate the feline mind by encouraging the cat to figure out how to get to the prize, usually a treat or a toy. The KONG Treat Dispensing Ball Cat Toy, for example, works by teaching the cat to roll and chase the ball until a treat falls out. You can also find puzzle toys with a variety of activities such as a scratching board, balls on a track, and hidden treat compartments.

But first, you have to find the treats your cat likes.

After all, if your cat is not tempted by the treat, they'll have no desire to play. Tasty treats, like the Feline Natural Healthy Bites Beef Treats and the NZ Natural Pet Food Co Meow Freeze Dried Cat Treats, are good treats to try out to see if they pique your cat’s interest before stuffing them in a cat puzzle toy.

Game Toys
Game toys can be great for a cat that has a very high prey drive. Some of the game toys can be electronic, which could be a hit or miss for cats. Anything that is mechanical tends to make a lot of noise. Your cat may get excited from the noise or it can be a deterrent. Because of this, it could be ideal to start them off young. Kittens almost go for anything. If you give a kitten an electronic toy when they are young, they may continue to play with it when they are an adult. 

Tunnels and Hideouts
A cat tunnel and a cat hideout both appeal to a cat’s natural instinct to hide and burrow. On top of that, they are also great for playdates.
These kinds of toys are best for two cats, so they can play and hide from each other. Some tunnels, like the Trixie Crunch Rustling Tunnel crinkle when moved and multiple have entry ways.

What Interactive Toy to Try First

It can be hard to know which toys your cat will like best without trying them out first. Talking to other cat parents and checking online reviews can help you decide which toys to try out first. Choosing a toy is purely a matter of guess work.

All cats are different and what one cat may like, another will not. That said, most cats would rather have their owners play with them and the toy than play alone. It’s much easier to get a young kitten interested in a particular toy than it is to get an older cat to play with a new toy so make sure you introduce your kittens to toys early on. This will help you know the kinds of toys your cat enjoys so you can make a good decision when picking the best interactive cat toys for kitty now.

Feel free to reach out to our friendly Pet Direct Customer Care team on 0800 200 240 for advice on different cat toys and treats to try to keep your cat happy.

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