5 enrichment ideas for your cat

Cats are natural hunters and explorers. In the wild, they’d keep their own minds busy just hunting for food. Domestic cats have an easy life but can sometimes get bored, and bored cats, lacking proper stimulation, can often become naughty cats.

Here are our 5 favourite ways of avoiding this:

A box

Cats love boxes! Look around the house and you’ll be surprised how many potential cat toys you have lying around (or worse, ready to throw out!) Egg cartons or anything with a simple open/close mechanism is ideal. Put some treats inside, shut the box and watch your cat figure out how to get them!

Cats also love hiding in larger boxes, not to mention jumping on top of them. You could try arranging boxes into a kitty jungle gym, minutes of prep work would provide hours of entertainment for your cat. This is especially useful if you’re about to spend a long time away from home; poke holes in the boxes and put treats inside –  whenever you can, it’s great to combine feed time with play time.

Lots of tricks

Dogs aren’t the only pets that can learn tricks! You can teach your cat a number of tricks in the same way. Just as you would with a dog, always use positive reinforcement (clicker training, for example) and reward them with tasty treats. Again, feed time and playtime mixed together works wonders! 

Interactive toys

Playing with your cat on a regular basis is a great way to strengthen the pet-owner bond. 
Wands or Catnip teasers make great interactive toys, they have strings, feathers and fabric to attract your cat’s attention and let’s face it, when your cat is amused, you’re amused!

Toys your cat can play with alone

Puzzle feeders and problem solving toys are great, especially if you work long hours or are busy and need to distract your cat, as your cat can play with them when they’re alone. There are lots of these toys available to buy, but you need not spend money! So long as you have cardboard and some healthy snacks, making your own puzzle feeder can be easy enough.

A high perching point

Cats feel safe when they’re high up because the good vantage point lets them see more of what’s going on around them. Your cat should be able to see out of the window whenever they like. If your house doesn’t facilitate this, you could invest in a tall scratch post, or even build a jungle gym for your cat to perch proudly on top of.

Need more info?

For more advice on your cat, their behaviour or their welfare, have a chat with your vet.

Find your nearest vet using our Find a Vet page, or speak to a vet online using Online Vets.