For today’s #FelineFriday lets talk……..Cat Enrichment
What is enrichment? Enrichment is providing animals with needed environmental stimuli that satisfy their natural instincts, this helps promotes physical, psychological, and emotional well-being. Basically enrichment is activities to prevent your cat from being bored 😊 A bored cat can often lead to some unpleasant and inappropriate behaviours so let’s keep them busy.
Feline enrichment does not need to be expensive; we have several suggestions that are cheap or even FREE!
Make them a kitty fort – grab a few cardboard boxes, we know there are extra deliveries coming to your house these days, get the kids involved and make a fun cardboard fort that your cats will love. Cut some openings, stack them on top of each other and watch your cats have a blast.
Muffin Tin Cat Puzzle – You will need a muffin tin, some cat toys and some kibble or treats. Place a few kibbles or treats in each hole of the muffin tin and then cover the food with a cat toy. Your cat will need to search around the toy to get to the food/treats. If they master the muffin tin you can also try an egg carton or an ice cube tray for more of a challenge.
Reach Feeder – An old shoe box with the lid or a pop can box works perfect for this one. You will need the box, a few toilet paper rolls, a pencil, some scissors and some cat kibble or treats. Using a pen or pencil, trace the end of the toilet paper rolls on top of the lid; repeat in different locations on the lid, one outline for each roll. Using your scissors, cut the holes out on the lid. Make sure to cut along the traced lines – if the hole is too big the roll will not be sturdy. Slide rolls into each of the holes, and place kibble or treats into each roll. Give to your cat! This is a another great one for the kids to help with, just be careful with the scissors!
Bird Watching – This one is CRAZY easy! Place a soft bed or blanket near the window, up high enough that the cat can watch the birds outside. This works best if you have a bird feeder just outside the window.
A paper ball – This one is the easiest of them all. Crumple up a piece of paper and watch your cat bat it around all over the house. Most cats will go crazy over a simple paper ball. You can also give them an empty paper bag for hours of enjoyment.