How do I play with my cat?

Cats are generally happy in their own company and spend most of their time sleeping, so it’s easy to mistakenly assume that they can be left to entertain themselves.

Cats love to make it seem like they’re completely independent, but they still regularly need the help of their owners to keep them mentally and physically stimulated. During our busy schedule, as a cat parent, it may be difficult to understand or realise, how much time we should spend with our cat.

As we spend quality time with our cat, it will strengthen the bond between the cat and the parents. A cat is always a keen attention seeker; they directly or indirectly love the interaction with their loved one/s.

While cats may conduct their own playtime, watching shadows or climbing their cat trees, pet parents should engage their cats daily with interactive playtime. It’s important to consider why cats playing with toys is important in the first place, and with the humans that surround them.

Playing with toys is a form of exercise for the cat. It also mimics their natural prey instincts. They are running, bouncing, visualising, and jumping around the toys to keep them engaged with the environment. This will help them to release stress, beat boredom, have a better appetite, relaxed sleep and healthy mind and body.

We can experiment with different things to make our cat happy and healthy. Introducing different games, toys, and quality time with their humans are some of them. We should consider spending time with our cats at regular intervals every single day. This will encourage them to create a pattern of regular exercise in their daily routines.

Also, keep in mind, as we all know, cats are easily distractive creatures, so we should divide the play time into small sessions that last around 15–20 minutes, whilst alternating the activities in each short schedule. This will help the cats increase their adaptability and their curiosity with the world around them.

We could also spend quality time watching our favourite TV shows with them. The soft touch of fur during our stressful or busy schedules makes everything easier and more relaxed. When at home, where possible, try to include our cats to spend time with us in the kitchen, or take them around the garden.

We can explore their interests more by spending extra time with them. During weekends or days off, it is important to make time for brushing and grooming sessions. This is not only crucial for their overall health and well-being but most cats will find it enjoyable and it strengthens our bonds with them.

When we play with our cats, it can release stress and bring comfort to us, as well as our cats. We can use playing session to surround ourselves with positive energy.

Bonds are built and strengthened when we engage with each other. Little efforts can make a difference in our lives, and our cats’ lives.