myKotty Hello fall! Can you feel it in the air, fabCats? The vibe of colder, September evenings has definitely settled with us for good. And we can definitely see it by our cats’ behaviour and all the cat beds they take up in every corner of the house. Instead of the balcony and patio – a nap in OTI or EMI, where they can cosily coil up and get warm without laying in the sun. Unless some sun rays come through the window!
But does autumn really have to come with boredom and long evenings with nothing to do? Absolutely not. It’s now, as we spend more time inside, that we should really think about getting cats into some new activities and using their senses in a fun way. And we don’t only think about hunting for the wand toy here. Check out 5 ideas for the autumn boredom recommended by myKotty team.
Feast for the senses
Everypawdy knows that aromeowtic herbs packed up into our KungFu cat toy have the cats’ approval. Autumn and winter make it hard to roll around in fresh grass, scratch a real tree stump or sniff some fresh catnip bush, but toys like the KungFu will make up for it purrfectly. Depending on the cat, the smell of the toy may wind the cat up for playtime, encourage them to bite and kick the toy, but it can also make them calmer and sleepy (like with our team cat Tosia). One thing is for sure – on long autumn evenings it is irreplaceable.
Let the wand toy be a pray running away
Playing with a wand toy should never be about slowly wagging the feathers by the cat’s face. After all, it’s not how a real prey item would behave! If we truly want to get a cat’s attention and engage their inner hunter, we should take the role of a prey with more enthusiasm. Run away with the toy in a way a mouse or a bird would. Let the toy be visible and then disappear, catch their eye, show a little further away and let the cat observe. That’s what we call fun! After a successful hunt your cat should go for a sweet, long nap, as if someone took out his batteries.
We are aware, obviously, that not all cats will react to a wand toy the same and not all fluffy companions will jump around like acrobats on a trapeze. But here’s where you, fabCats, come in. Knowing your cats very well you can find the game that engages their inner hunters the best or, if you still don’t have the jackpot toy, experiment with different options. Maybe your kitties prefer observing instead of actively hunting, or they will fall in love with toys that hide under the duvet or behind the furniture, or maybe they pay attention only when the toy rattles?
Puzzles and logic games for cats
Fulfilling the hunting cycle can be realised in many different ways and it doesn’t always have to include a wild chase after a prey item. If you want to find your cat something to do on a boring evening or when you’re working, a good idea would be to get into puzzles and logic games. The leaders here are of course all sorts of interactive toys with moving parts or ones where you can hide snacks for your cat to find. The last case gives your cat a huge motivator to think logically and figure out how to get to the tasty treat.
A second category of cat puzzle games which we highly recommend including in your repertoire is training. Working on simple commands and tricks helps you build a strong relationship between cat and their Guardian, but it also allows the cat to connect certain actions with a pleasant reward – a treat. Learning commands can also make it easier to get a cat used to brushing, trimming their claws or brushing their teeth. Nice and practical 🙂
Playing with food
Nothing gives a cat as much satisfaction from hunting as a tasty treat afterwards. Can snacks play the main part in the playtime, then? Well, yes! At your hands, fabCat, lay classic feeders with moving windows, drawers and holes, as well as snack balls, sniffing mats and textured mats that your cat can lick their food out of. Such elements have two main purposes:
- For cats who eat voraciously and as if their bowl has no bottom, all sorts of feeders can help with slowing them down and reduce the risk of side effects like vomiting or constant begging for food (the cat has to work to get the food out).
- For cats who are not necessarily engaged in intensive hunting and crazy playtime, feeders and puzzles with food as a motivator can help them satisfy their need to hunt, at least partially (getting the snack at the end is closing the hunting cycle and working the puzzle is like the hunt itself).
Well deserved lounging
You didn’t think we’d skip naptime, did you? Living with cats by our side for many years now, we know exactly that lounging on a comfy cat bed, a blanket, right by the hooman or inside their own M1 is a mission of the highest importance for any cat. Autumn time makes for the purrfect circumstances for lounging as well, with the heat radiating from the fireplace or radiators and the general vibe of blissful lounging in a warm, cosy house.
Autumn is the purrfect time to get the OTI, EMI or PADI cat beds out of the closet – soft and cozy cotton covers and synthetic filling make for a nice spot to sleep on in the living room, by the fireplace or on the couch, right by the hoomans. And remember, fabCats, that cats change their summer wardrobe before winter time and they can shed a little more fur than usual – setting up cat beds that work like a magnet for cat fur around the house is one of the easiest ways to eliminate fur balls flying around the floor like tumbleweed on deserts in Arizona.
Autumn with a cat doesn’t have to be boring
Are you ready to officially say goodbye to the summer and high five with a warm mug of tea or mulled wine? We definitely miss the hot days spent on the patio and our forest by the house, but we also love the autumn vibes and can’t wait for long evenings with a good book and cats by our side. Teddy and Kitku Yoda also won’t be complaining about the greatest excuse to lounge around all day. We’re waiting in the comments for your autumn games and puzzle recommendations for cats.
