How to Get Your Cat to Play

by Lisa Selvaggio

August 2nd, 2023 1:14 PM

Do you have a lazy cat who isn’t all that interested in playing? Here are some tips on how to entice kitties of all ages to be more active.

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Playtime can help keep your cat active and happy, and can help her maintain a healthy weight. Plus, being able to “hunt” allows your feline to experience the satisfaction that comes with taking down prey, so playing is physically and mentally beneficial. In other words, playtime is important in the daily life of your pet.

Kittens and young cats are eager to play, so it doesn’t take much effort on your part to get them moving. But older cats and seniors might need some encouragement. If you’re noticing that your kitty isn’t up for playing, there are some things you can do to entice her to get active. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Tips for Getting Your Cat to Play

1. Interact with Your Cat

Sure, some toys are safe enough to leave out for your kitty to find and play with, but interacting with your cat and really being engaged in the play session is a wonderful way to bond with your pet, and can also be the ideal way to get her moving.

A toy that’s just lying on the floor may not seem entertaining to your cat, but if you grab a wand toy that has feathers, a stuffed mouse, strings, or other eye-catching elements, you might be surprised by how quickly you get your pet’s attention. Wave the toy around in the air and drag it along the floor to get your cat to chase and jump after the “prey.”

A great example is the KONG Active Feather Teaser Cat Toy, which has a lot of the things that cats love. It features a stuffed animal with feathers on the end of a long string. And it makes a crinkle sound when your kitty grabs it. Plus, it’s filled with catnip, so your feline is sure to be satisfied when she’s able to snatch this out of the air or chase it down on the ground.

2. Mimic a Hunt

Your fluffy little feline is a powerful hunter, and she wants to let that energy out. Playtime is the chance for your cat to feel like she’s tracking and tackling prey. So, if you’re using a wand toy with a mouse or feathers on the end, move it in a manner that mimics the way small mammals and birds move.

For example, a bird will fly through the air and then land on the ground, while a mouse will move slowly and then quickly before stopping. With the right movements, your cat is more likely to lock her attention on the toy and follow it until she’s ready to leap, pounce, and grab, so see what gets her going.

You can also give your cat some food or treats at the end of the play session – just like a feline in the wild would eat their prey – and if your cat begins to associate playtime with treat time, this strategy might make her even more excited to exercise.

3. Offer a Variety of Toys

Giving your cat the same toys to play with all the time might result in her getting bored, so provide variety. Add new toy styles, such as kicker toys, tunnels, and electronic toys, to the mix. You can even rotate the toys you already have by putting some of them away for a while and bringing others out to keep things interesting.

Although many cats go nuts for catnip, some don’t experience the same euphoric effects. If your kitty doesn’t show an interest in catnip, you can try silvervine toys instead, as silvervine is another plant that can cause kitties to feel amazing.

One option is Mad Cat Gnome Sweet Gnome Catnip & Silvervine Cat Toy, 2 count. These feature a blend of silvervine and catnip and they’re soft and plush, so your kitty can play with them on her own or you can toss them around for her to chase down.

Other Things to Consider

Age and play preferences

Different cats will have varying preferences when it comes to playing. If you have more than one kitty, you might find that they don’t like playing with the same toys, or one might like jumping while the other prefers staying on the ground. It might take a bit of time to figure out what each cat’s play style and preferences are, so be patient.

Also, as your furry friend gets older, you may notice changes in the way that she plays. For example, she might prefer a different style of play or she may play for a shorter amount of time. So, you might need to change the routine when playing with a senior cat versus a young cat.

Take your time

Some cats won’t immediately be ready to play as soon as you grab a toy for them. It might take a few minutes before your cat decides that she wants to interact, so even if your cat isn’t interested right away, keep moving the toy to see if she changes her mind.

Remember, if your kitty lounges around all the time, try different types of toys, such as wands with feathers on the end of a string, a laser pointer, catnip toys, etc. to figure out what motivates her.

Approach each cat differently in a multi-cat home

If you have more than one cat and they all love playing together, that’s great! But if you have a shy kitty who doesn’t like playing when your other cats are jumping and running around, create a space where she can play with you on her own. That way, all of your pets will get the attention and exercise they need, and they’ll all be able to have some fun in their own way.

Find the Cause of Your Cat’s Unwillingness to Play

There are several reasons why a cat might not be interested in playing like she used to, and simple changes to the toys or techniques you use might make all the difference. But if you can’t get your kitty to play no matter what you do, it’s wise to consult with a veterinarian. Medical issues or stress might be affecting your cat’s behavior and making her avoid activity, and if that’s the case, addressing the underlying issue(s) is imperative.

Even short play sessions every day or multiple times a day can be beneficial to your cat, so keep the tips above in mind if you want to ensure your pet will get the physical activity she needs.

Lisa Selvaggio

Lisa Selvaggio is a freelance writer and editor, and our resident cats-pert, with certifications in pet nutrition and pet first aid. An advocate for better treatment of all animals, she enjoys producing content that educates others, helps them understand animals better, and inspires them to help, whether that means volunteering at a shelter, fostering strays, or simply giving their own pets a safe and happy home to live in.

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Trap, neuter, release: A program designed to reduce the number of feral cats living on the streets. Millions of cats are euthanized every year in shelters because there is not enough room to house them and because no one comes to adopt them. This heartbreaking reality goes on every day, but many people are completely unaware of it. Individuals who choose to not spay and neuter their cats in order to let them reproduce contribute to this problem indirectly. Also, individuals who purchase cats from breeders or pet stores, rather than adopting them from animal shelters, aren’t helping the matter. These are wonderful kitties who are perfectly healthy, friendly, and loving but waiting for homes. Related: Celebrate National With Jackson Galaxy But, on top of the millions of cats who are brought into shelters each year, there are also many who are still living out their lives outside on the streets. Entire colonies of feral cats can be found in your very own neighborhood if you look for them, and there may even be kind-hearted people who leave food out for them. But if they continue to reproduce, their colony will keep growing and they will continue to be susceptible to car accidents, diseases, injuries, predators, and abusive humans. Therefore, for those cats who are feral or for whom there aren’t any homes but are doing okay living outside on their own, the best solution is TNR. What is TNR? TNR stands for Trap, Neuter, Return. Essentially, a non-profit group will come in and set up traps to get feral cats. But, instead of bringing them to a shelter where they will fill up the cages and potentially be euthanized if adopters or other rescuers and fosters do not come in soon enough, these cats are simply brought to a trustworthy and experienced veterinarian to be spayed or neutered. Related: Reasons Why You Should Spay Or Neuter Your Cat Once the veterinarian determines that the cats are ready to be released back into their outdoor homes, they are brought back and let go. And, in order to be make it known that these cats have been neutered or spayed, one ear is clipped at the tip. So anytime you see a cat who has one ear that is clipped, you will immediately know that he is allowed to live out his life there and that he has already been fixed so that he cannot reproduce. Why is TNR Such a Great Idea? There is no denying that pet overpopulation is a problem and that millions of animals die needlessly in terrifying shelters because there aren’t enough homes for them or enough people and rescue facilities to care for them. While there are some noteworthy no-kill shelters, these, too, are limited in terms of the space and resources they have to care for rescued animals. And because feral cats are very difficult, or even impossible, to socialize, the best thing for them would be to live out their lives in the environment they know. Cats are capable of being independent and living outside when they grow up feral. Before they were domesticated by humans, this is how they lived. Provided that they have a safe and relatively clean environment to live out their lives, and especially if they have people coming around to leave out food and set up makeshift shelters to help them survive, TNR is the best solution. It really does save lives while preventing new kittens from being born who would otherwise go on to reproduce and increase the population and the number of animals who suffer. How Can You Help? If you really want to make a difference in the lives of feral cats, you can contact a local TNR organization that can help you get some stray cats neutered and spayed. Adopting a cat, whether he is a wonderful companion you met at an animal shelter or outside, is also a way to directly save a life. And volunteering or fostering will allow you to help pets find much-needed homes. Any steps you can take that will help in achieving the goal of reducing the pet overpopulation and getting as many animals into homes through adoption rather than purchase will definitely be worthwhile.

Adoptable Dog of the Week – Kenai

If you want a four-legged charmer to be your companion on all kinds of adventures, you’ll love this pooch! Our Adoptable Dog of the Week is Kenai, a 3 year old German Shepherd from Lake Odessa, Michigan. He is neutered, microchipped, and up to date on his vaccinations. Kenai is a friendly dog but would do best as an only pet in the household. Due to his size and energy levels, he should go to an adult-only home or a family with older children (teenagers). Kenai’s Tale A sweet, goofy fella with a big heart and appetite for adventure – that’s Kenai in a nutshell. Playful and curious, he loves spending time outside, running around and exploring, and needs owners that can keep up with his energy levels, ideally someone outdoorsy and active. Kenai is a smart cookie and a quick learner, so he already knows basic commands although he should continue his training (his manners are a bit rusty sometimes). A happy-go-lucky pooch, he loves his Kong and playing in the water – or, even better, playing with toys in the water! While Kenai is friendly, he can be very dog selective, so it’s best if he’s the only pet in the household although he could get along with some canines. Cats are a no-go, and so are little kids – he doesn’t mind children, but he’s quite big and energetic, and could inadvertently knock over or hurt small children during play. His new family should be only adults or with teenager kids that are dog-savvy. Ideally, his adopters would be experienced with dogs or the German Shepherd breed, in particular, so he could thrive under their care. If you’re interested in learning more about Kenai or giving him a furever home, contact Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary for more information about him and the adoption process.

Adoptable Dog Of The Week – Ned

Are you looking for your perfect match? We’d like to introduce you to Ned, our lovable Adoptable Dog of the Week. Ned is a young male Pitbull Terrier mix from Columbus, Ohio. He is already neutered and good with dogs. Ned’s Story: Ned is an outgoing boy! He can be a little timid when you first meet him, but once he warms up to you he is a very outgoing boy! Ned loves attention from people and will run to you when called. He is looking for an active family that will help him learn his manners. Ned does well with other dogs and would love to have a playmate in his new home. He loves to play fetch with tennis balls and will try to fit several in his mouth at one time. This smarty pants knows how to sit and lay down and would love to learn more tricks. Goofball: I’m a fun-loving, happy-all-the-time, glass-is-half-full kind of dog looking for someone who loves to laugh and play around. You must have a great sense of humor and a bunch of tennis balls. To learn more about Ned or to adopt him, please visit the Franklin County Dog Shelter.

Shelter Sensation Rami The Pitbull/Dachshund Mix To Become Therapy Dog

A true rags-to-riches story, one-of-a-kind mutt Rami is using his uniqueness to raise awareness for shelter dogs. It started as a dog-gone love story. A Romeo and Juliet “tail” of forbidden love between a Pitbull and a Dachshund that culminated in, well, take a look for yourself:

How to Perform the Dog Heimlich Maneuver

No owner looks forward to facing emergencies with their pet. Whether it is an injury, an accident, or choking on food, it’s bound to be a lot of stress, for your and your pet. Still, it pays to be prepared for all scenarios. There’s always a possibility something could happen out of the blue, especially related to food and choking, and a diligent owner needs to be prepared for such a situation. Dogs can choke on many things: food, toys, or random objects that look edible. After all, doggos are known to be silly and put everything in their mouth, and often gulp down food voraciously. In case of an emergency, do you know how to perform the dog Heimlich Maneuver?For many people, if someone near them started choking, they wouldn’t hesitate to take action and administer the Heimlich maneuver. It is one of those classic life-saving performances that everyone knows, at least to a degree. But what do you do when a dog starts choking? The procedure is entirely different, right? There’s a real possibility that it could happen to you at some point of your pooch’s life. There is such a thing as the dog Heimlich maneuver; it just takes a slightly different approach than you would have for a human.When a dog or cat chokes, it can be a scary situation for any pet parent. Fortunately, if you know the most common choking hazards in pets, then you can get your pet the help she needs and, in some cases, prevent choking all together. Here are five common causes of choking in pets.What Would Make A Dog Choke?There are several reasons a dog might choke and need the Heimlich. Here are some of the most common.Foreign ObjectsThis is the biggest thing you need to worry about with dogs and choking. They are curious by nature. They like to eat by nature. They find stuff and destroy it, naturally. But dogs accidentally inhaling whatever it is that they’re chewing on can choke. Sometimes these are super tiny toys or their fragments, a piece of trash they found interesting on their walk, or anything in between. A particularly naughty and overly curious doggo might gulp these down with zero hesitation. And that’s not just things they shouldn’t have. It can be as easy as them inhaling parts of their chews, their bones, their stick…essentially anything smaller than their windpipe or the back of their throat can lodge and choke them. While the dangers of all this are fairly minimal, the possibility still exists.Supervise chewing, and take chews that are too small away. Never give them rotten and crumbling sticks to chew on, and quickly forbid their snooping into forbidden tiny things.Collapsing TracheaThis is a common cause in senior small breeds. The Heimlich may not always help because it’s an actual collapse of an organ but if your dog has something lodged in combination, you can still save his life with the procedure.Constricting CollarsMany owners seem to have trouble finding appropriate and fitting collars, or mistakenly think that collars should be tight. This is wrong. Be careful of constricting collars. This may prevent them from swallowing appropriately, or their airways to be fully open as they eat, and this can cause a problem. Make sure there is enough room for two fingers to slip under their collar to prevent issues. Also be careful with natural leather collars that might shrink in size if they dry out after being wet. All in all, you want to be as careful as possible with your choice of dog collars – they might do more harm than good if not chosen with care. First Steps to Take with a Choking DogIf you suspect that your dog is choking, the first thing you need to do is remain calm – becoming hysterical will not help anyone. In fact, dogs can sense what their owners are feeling and if you become worried and upset, your dog will too and that will just make matters worse. The next step is to confirm that he is choking and to attempt to remove the object by hand. If this first step is not possible, then you must proceed to the Heimlich maneuver itself.Related: Basic First Aid Tips for DogsCarefully approach your dog and speak to him slowly in a soothing voice. Even if your dog has never bit anyone in his life, he might snap if he feels threatened or afraid. And in the situation of choking, their fear might be off the charts. Place one hand on top and one hand on the underside of your dog’s muzzle and gently open his mouth – look inside to see if you can see something blocking your dog’s airway. If you see an object, try to remove it by hand, being careful not to let your dog bite you. If you cannot see the object or if you cannot reach it, you may need to administer the Heimlich maneuver on your dog.Administering the Dog Heimlich Maneuver

Bacon and Eggs Dog Muffin Recipe

The best part of waking up has to be our Bacon and Eggs Dog Muffins. This is one treat that’ll have your dog bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.Most dogs don’t have a problem getting up in the morning – well, at least that’s the case with my dogs. But these Bacon and Eggs Dog Muffins smell and taste so good, they’d get us out of bed! A staple of breakfast plates everywhere, these tasty treats are made with bacon and eggs… with a side of peanut butter.Why Bacon, Eggs and Peanut Butter?We’re pretty sure you don’t need to ask why for bacon. That’s all we have to say — bacon. But eggs and peanut butter?Yes. Eggs are super protein ingredients and have tons of essential amino acids and fatty acids. But even better, eggs are considered a complete food source! They offer Vitamins A and B12, Riboflavin, Iron, Folate and Selenium to your dog’s diet too. Those are key nutrition components for their overall health and wellness. And since we’re talking about amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein (that your dog desperately needs), eggs are one of the most complete sources of amino acids out there. Simply putting a raw egg on your dog’s din-din daily will boost his protein intake and keep his nutrient absorption high.Sometimes, people worry about eggs and dogs because the egg whites contain enzyme inhibitors. Enzyme inhibitors may affect digestion in old or very young dogs because enzymes are what’s needed to break food down to its smallest particle for complete digestion. But that really only needs to be a concern if you were feeding your dog nothing BUT eggs. Adding egg to a well-balanced diet will only enhance his nutrition intake. And, since these are cooked muffins, you won’t have to worry about that anyway. The same goes for worrying about biotin deficiency in dogs. Because the egg yolk is very high in biotin, your dog will not be subject to a biotin deficiency.What’s great about this muffin recipe is that even if you get a few eggshells in the mix, even better because eggshells have almost all the amino acids dogs need to stay healthy. In fact, eggshells can offer calcium and phosphorous to dogs, so it’s okay to get sloppy as you’re cracking and mixing.And getting eggshell into the recipe means you’re getting the eggshell membrane in too. That’s full of collagen, chondroitin, Glucosamine and Hyaluronic acid–which are great for joint pain relief in dogs (and humans, if you want to crush some shells).When it comes to peanut butter, we’re offering our dogs another superfood that is full of protein. It’s a nutritionally well-rounded ingredient because it gives your dog fiber, protein and healthy fats. It also offers niacin, Vitamins B and E and folic acid. This helps their molecular cell growth, while magnesium helps cell metabolism too. Your dog goes crazy for it in his kong because it’s just.that.delicious, so it’s a natural mix with eggs and bacon.Bacon and Eggs Dog Muffin RecipeMakes 12 muffinsIngredients:

Bocker

Bocker Basics Both the Beagle and Cocker Spaniel are well-mannered, sweet dogs who would love to spend endless hours cuddling and playing with you. So you can imagine what a mix of these two dogs would be like – it’s a good thing there’s the Bocker! A designer dog with two purebred parents, this loving hybrid might not be one of the best known mixes out there, but he is rapidly gaining popularity. And for all the right reasons, too! The Bocker dog is sweet, easy going and relaxed. They make a perfect companion, family pet, and a cute little watchdog- all bundled up in one furry package. Of course, when it comes to designer breeds, every dog is different – your Bocker dog may look more like a Cocker Spaniel but their personality is like that of a Beagle’s, or vice versa. This is just a part of their unique charm- each Bocker is truly one of a kind! However, no matter how cute and sweet the Bocker is, these dogs are not a perfect fit for every dog owner. Like all breeds, this hybrid also has unique needs and quirks and will require a family that can provide him with the best life possible. To make sure that the Bocker really is the right dog for you, read on! Despite being sweet and easy going, training a Bocker may be a challenge as they like to do things their own way. Origin

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