ARISTOCATS spend most of their lives sleeping; studies indicate that they are awake for only one third of the day. They spend this small number of hours carrying out activities that increase their chances of survival, such as hunting skills. Although our furry friends are safe indoors, they still have the same predatory instinct as their ancestors: observing, stalking, running quickly, attacking, and hunting. Regardless of their age, we must stimulate their activities, such as playing and exercising.
Here we present some games that will help stimulate the minds of your ARISTOCATS:
Treasure hunt
Distract your cat through a treasure hunt. You can use treats or dry food for the game. The idea is to hide the “treasure” in your pet's furniture, on shelves, inside its toys, in paper bags, boxes, or any other place you can think of.
Start with a basic level and then gradually increase the difficulty as your cat learns. To begin, place a treat in front of your pet where it can see and smell it. At this level, it will have to walk to get it. Then move it farther away, making the task a little more complex by placing it in places where your cat will have to jump or use its paws to reach the treat, etc. Try to always keep it within your cat's reach; you don't want it to become frustrated.
Games
Exercise your ARISTOGATO's inner predator through play. Keep it entertained by imitating the hunting sequence: start by using a wand; it is very important that you never use your hands. Drag the toy over its scratching post, sofas, corners, shelves, etc. Let it catch the toy occasionally, and encourage it to stalk, run after, and hunt the toy. At the end of the session, let it catch the toy and reward it with a treat. It is recommended to do this activity twice a day.
Cylindrical or ball-shaped toys
Play a game in which your cat catches a toy that can roll around your home. It is important that the toy be small enough for your cat to carry in its mouth, but large enough that it cannot swallow it (for example, click here). These objects become very appealing to cats when you rub their treats on them. Throw the toy across the floor so your cat can chase and hunt it, then reward it with a treat when it catches it. If you have stairs at home, make the game more challenging by throwing the toy from the top, always making sure that your ARISTOGATO is physically fit for this type of exercise.
Be creative and come up with other games that can be adapted to your pet, always keeping in mind that they should be fun for your cat and allow it to express its natural behavior. In addition to improving mental and physical health, this will create a wonderful bond between the ARISTOGATO and its ARISTOPADRE.