Cats seem extremely independent and sometimes loners. My cat Scooter loves nothing more than to hunker down in closets and in the bottom cave of her cat trees. Often, cat owners will tell me that their cats are easy and all we need to do is place the food on the ground and go (or– suggest we just come by “every other day” – a “no-no” by the way for professional pet sitters to agree to that!) But …cats really do need exercise and playtime too with us. Not only does play and exercise with our cats help us bond with our kitties, this also keeps our cats’ minds engaged and active throughout all stages of their life. 

Cats in the wild have to hunt for their food and they even amuse themselves for fun with their hunting skills. (Sometimes they won’t necessarily even kill the mouse or bird they caught – they will just bat it around and play with it). Once they become domesticated and for their own good we don’t let them go outside anymore, it’s easy to forget to play with them – they aren’t panting at the door demanding walks or perhaps we miss subtle gestures that they might really want to play with us -especially if they are older, but even the older ones get excited to play- it keeps them strong and active and their muscles moving. My Scooter is 18 years old and she still loves it when I get out her favorite string toy! Moving around is good for all of us – humans, dogs, And cats! 

Cats natural instincts are to hide and stalk – then jump out when the exact time is right to catch their prey. Playtime is no different. Sometimes when we play with the cats that we care for, they will hide under the beds and stick their paws out to
“catch” the “prey” without having to reveal themselves (string toys or laser pointers are fun toys to use).  

Getting your cat to engage with the string toy can have them running all throughout the housekeeping their bodies in purrrfect working condition. Having cat trees to chase the string toy you are directing-  up and down and all around the house is fun for everyone involved! One thing about cats' behavior to know about is that when they “catch” the prey they do expect to be rewarded by it (when they catch the bird or mouse they are rewarded with something to play with and eat). Sometimes when we are playing with cats they will “catch” the string toy and take it and run down the hallway with it in their mouth –Ah! They have “Caught” the Prize! With lasers, they don’t have something tangible to catch, so they can get confused when they feel and see that they’ve caught the red dot but have nothing to show for it. It’s a good idea to have cat treats in your pocket to reward your cat for playing and give them the big treat mother load once they catch the “thing”. 

For pet sitters, playtime is especially good for shy cats to break the ice and get them to start looking forward to their visits with their sitters. Playtime is also an important factor in a multi-cat household where perhaps some of the cats may have some “disagreements”. We have found that managing 20-40 minutes of integrated playtime with all of the cats – teaching them when it’s their turn and how to share… really helps their social skills and general happiness with one another in the household. 

We here at Best Friends Forever Pet Services take care of quite a few cats with Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH) which is a brain condition in cats that affects their balance and coordination so they are very wobbly and unsteady on their feet. (It’s a congenital condition on a spectrum, is not contagious, and doesn’t get worse). One might think that a CH cat shouldn’t exert their energy more than daily getting around (which takes a lot of extra energy for a cat with this condition). However, we have seen that CH cats really do thrive with playtime activities and you’d be surprised at how agile they can really be! We’ve seen CH cats jump like you wouldn’t believe and truly enjoy their play activities and I truly believe that our playtime with them helps keep their muscles strong and their spirits up. (For cats with more severe CH there are cat toys specifically designed for them to play with even laying on their side). 

Cats can create toys and playtime out of anything! – My Scooter loves to dance around the sheets whenever we try to make the bed and that turns into a fun cat play activity. We suggest plenty of cat trees around the house so they can go from one tree to another or just hunker down inside of the caves in the tree or lounge on a cat tree hammock. Scratcher toys of all kinds are great for cats to work on keeping their nails trim and keep their paws and leg muscles exercised. Catnip toys they can bat around overnight, feather and string toys as well as the laser pointers, I’ve seen cats make toys out of bottle caps and clothespins too! Almost all cat owners know that their feline friends often prefer basic boxes that we were thinking of throwing out over the expensive cubbyhole triangle we thought seemed snuggly.  

A couple of words of caution with cat toys, though. We suggest putting the string toys away when you’re done with playtime because you wouldn’t want your kitty to get tangled up in the strings if you’re not there. Be sure to Never point the laser pointer near their eyes at all.  Cats do get bored with toys they see every day, so it’s a good idea to rotate the toys to keep them interested. And ….Scooter wanted me to mention…..Always have treats ready to reward your kitty cat once they catch the red dot, the feather or the string!  

Heather Branch

Best Friends Forever Pet Sitting and Dog Walking-Los Angeles

Dedicated NAPPS Volunteer and Director