Home

>

Cat

>

New Pet

>

9 Ways to Mentally Stimulate Your Cat

9 Ways to Mentally Stimulate Your Cat

Updated On October 7th, 2016

Image profile

Reviewed By Petco’s Animal Care, Education and Compliance (ACE) Team

As the old adage goes, “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”. This also applies to our feline friends. **Cats are intelligent creatures and need to have their brains stimulated to maintain a happy and healthy life.** If your cat has become "uninspired", these tips will help you turn things around!

Play With Your Cat

There are many toys on the market today that are designed to entice cats into play. Choose ones that are easy to throw, roll or swing around to get your cat's interest. Having regular play sessions each day is not only a great way to bond with your pet, but it gives your cat the opportunity to work its muscles, as well as its brain.

Interactive Toys

If you spend a lot of time away from home, then you may want to consider an interactive toy that your cat can trigger on its own. These "intuitive" cat toys are designed to work on a motion sensor, so when your cat moves, the toy will respond. Some toys can even reset themselves if they become flipped over or stuck in a corner.

Puzzle Treat Dispensers

Particularly good if your cat is a food gobbler, puzzle treat dispensers make your cat work for the reward. They are designed to mentally stimulate your feline with mazes, balls, food trees and diggers. A perfect companion for cats that tend to be alone during extended periods of time.

Another Feline Friend!

One of the best ways to mentally stimulate your cat is to bring in another feline friend. Once both cats are comfortable with each other, they will run, play, chase and mentally challenge one another.

Cardboard Boxes and Paper Bags

They are inexpensive, recyclable and cats go crazy over them...yes, we're talking about good old cardboard boxes and paper bags.

Get a large box and cut peek-a-boo holes in it or a large crinkly shopping bag and watch your cat have the time of its life. And the best thing about these mentally stimulating activities is that once they become worn out they are very easy to replace, and you won't regret having made a significant investment.

Cat videos

Bring nature indoors with specifically produced videos for cats. These films feature up-close views of birds, squirrels, fish and other active wildlife. Your cat will love to chirrup and swat at the featured wildlife from the comfort and safety of your home.

After several viewings, your cat may even learn the patterns of the nature-critters and begin to stalk and hunt these television "stars."

View From a Window

If you're into feeding birds or squirrels, attaching a feeder near a window of your home is a great way to stimulate your cat's brain. Put a tall scratching post or another sturdy object by the window so your feline friend can easily perch on it and watch nature at its best.

Homemade Agility Course

Although we may think that agility courses are primarily a canine-centric activity, you can design a simple feline agility course in your own home. Kitty tunnels, cardboard boxes and the furniture itself can all be incorporated into this mentally stimulating activity.

To get your cat interested, grab a dangling toy on a stick or wand and take your feline through the course. Once finished, reward with a yummy treat.

Leash Training

Teaching your cat to walk on a leash opens up the outdoor world to them in a safe and healthy way. Manufacturers make specifically designed harnesses for cats that will keep your pet safely tethered to your hand. Allow your cat to explore the world by pouncing on bugs, climbing over objects and just being outside to sniff the fresh air. Always be sure to introduce this activity to your cat in short durations, conducting the leash training indoors to make certain your cat is comfortable on leash before venturing outside.  It is also a good idea to ensure your cat is microchipped and the microchip’s information is current in addition to an ID tag attached to their harness should you become separated during your outdoor adventure. 

Mentally Stimulated Means Happy and Healthy

Given that cats sleep around 15 hours per day, it's important to make sure you keep your feline companion active while awake. Mentally stimulating your cat's brain is the first step to ensure a happy, healthy and long life. So, follow the previous tips to get your feline off the sofa and in the game!
Vote icon

1091Pet Parents found this article helpful

Related Questions

I have a cat that as a kitten was very ill. We got him from 7 months old. We knew he’d had cat flu prior to him coming here. He is now nearly 5 yrs old. He picks huge fights with our other cat. He keeps urinating and scratching at doors and windows around the house. We allow him to go out via the cat flap unlimited. What is happening to him

I'm glad to see that Pippin has been neutered because this eliminates that possibility of hormone-fueled behavioral changes and aggression. Behavioral changes in cats can occur at any point in time, and could be related to anxiety or stressful situations (even rearranging furniture or introducing new people to the home can be stressful to cats). Without a lot more information and observing Pippin's behaviors, I can't precisely tell you why these changes are occurring. It may be best to consult a veterinary behaviorist in your home so that they can observe everything firsthand. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers (Feliway is one example), and discussing the use of anxiety medication with Pippin's vet. I hope that all goes well!

Read More

Hi! My cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He’s taking insulin and taking antibiotics for a Uti. It’s been 4 weeks and he wobles when he’s walking. He can’t jump up on the bed like he used to.He’s blood sugar is 250 it’s better than it used to. I don’t understand why he’s so wobbly.

Cats can develop what's called diabetic neuropathy, where their hindlegs become progressively weak. The best thing to do is try to get his diabetes under control as quickly as possible. Here is a link describing the conditon: http://www.diabeticcatcare.com/DCCCOK/Neuropathy.htm

Read More

My senior cat has metastized cancer.17 yrs old. My vet gave her predizone1 and one half tabs a day.i wanted to know if i can just stop the meds.

Is there a reason you want to stop the prednisone? I would recommend not stopping it and if you feel it is better to stop the prednisone then I would recommend weaning off of the prednisone. I would discuss how to wean the prednisone with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.

Read More

My 3 year old long haired tuxedo female pees just fine in the litter box, but she preferred to poop on the bathroom rug or on the carpet behind the sofa. Then, she will go weeks and everything is fine only start pooping outside the box again. I have 4 litter boxes and 3 cats. I clean all several times a day. She is the youngest. I've put wee wee pads down and she lifts them up and poops under them. Any ideas to help? Thanks!

A good first step, if you haven't already, is to rule out any health issues with your vet such as arthritis that may be causing the accidents. Secondly, making sure none of the other cats are bullying her away from the litter box may also alert you to any issues. Thirdly, a good enzymatic cleaner may help reduce the smell/discourage use of these areas in the future. That said, if you've done the above and the issue is still happening, it's probably time to call in a veterinary or animal behaviorist that can visit in person to see what may be going on. They may be able to check for stressors that could be causing the accidents where they are, look for issues with refusal to defecate in the box, or see if there is a cycle that is happening that is triggering this reaction. From there they may be able to set up a more tailored plan to help reduce the accidents and encourage use of the litter box at all times. If you're in the US, you can use this website to help find someone available in your area: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

Read More

There seems to be two wounds underneath my cat’s ear. There is not one on the other side. Does it look like ringworm or caused by fleas? What can I use to help her? It was smaller a week ago.

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Tor and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. Yes, I see the two wounds, and they could be caused by her scratching at her ear. While that could be due to fleas, it may be she has an ear infection causing her to scratch at her ears. Continually scratching at them would cause the wounds to get bigger. This does need to be checked out by a vet, as if she does have an ear infection, it could be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria. In addition, the ear drum needs to be visualized through an otoscope to make sure it's still intact before any medication is given. Ear problems can be considered an emergency as leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss. Given that these wounds are getting bigger, I'd see if you can get her into her vet asap. I hope this helps!

Read More

My cat is having trouble passing a turd... He keeps producing small amounts of this brown mucous on the pee pad I have in front of the litter box, but hasn't been able to completely eliminate the actual piece. He's eating normally & drinking plenty of water, & he's at a healthy weight. I realize that I'm going to have to take him to the vet if this doesn't clear up, but in the meantime, is there anything I can do to help him?

Seeing your vet ASAP is definitely a good idea to make sure there isn't an impaction causing the severe constipation that may need an enema or stool softeners to resolve. In the meantime, you can try offering a little bland yogurt to try and help the soften the stool, as well as make sure he's drinking plenty of water by mixing some into his food, but if Booboo is in severe distress, hasn't passed any stool at all, or is having other symptoms such as abdominal pain or stops eating, you should seek out veterinary care from your vet or a local ER clinic immediately.

Read More

image

Have a Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Filed Under

Sponsored