How to Entertain Your Cats During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We are living in trying times. Stress levels are higher than ever, and most of us are trying our best to enforce stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders from our states. As a small glimmer of calm in the storm, the upside of all this is that we now have the opportunity to be homebound alongside our beloved felines. Oh, don’t you wish they felt the same?

As you probably are aware, many cats are uncomfortable having their people interrupt their “me time,” whether it’s working at home in the day when they are trying to sleep or constantly making noise. Televisions and other such loud devices are nuisances that abound whenever those pesky humans are around!

For us, it is a great chance to spend more quality time with our kitties. Playing with the cat can be a calming, relaxing way to get away from all the cares and concerns that complicate our everyday existence. Hopefully, by engaging Fluffy in more game time, she will get the mental stimulation and physical exercise that is so vital to feline health. And, by the way, she may end up being somewhat less perturbed that you are there. Can’t guarantee it, but let’s talk about a few ways to have fun that just may prove to be the cat’s meow!

Hide and Seek: Cats who do not come when they are called will likely show up for the traditional shaking of the treat box. For this game, you need to hide in an easy location, shake the treat box and simply watch her come running. The better she gets at finding you, the more challenging the location you can pick to shake those treats. This game ends, of course, with the reward being a treat each time she discover your whereabouts.

Video Games: People are not the only species who can play high-tech. If you search “games for cats” on your iPad or tablet, you will discover any number of free or inexpensive options to amuse your fur friend. Featuring fish, insects and mice that digitally crawl across the screen, they respond to kitty’s pawing at the screen in attempts to catch them. Just make sure Fluffy’s nails are trimmed, and be prepared for her to assume your device is for her entertainment.

Wand Toys: Since cats are creatures of prey, wand toys provide them with the opportunity to hunt and chase. This is great exercise for you both as they will leap into the air, chasing you across the room or wherever you take her sneaky prey. If you don’t have an “official” wand toy, it’s easy enough to make one from anything long and stick-like, tying a feather or ribbon at the end to start the chase. Just be careful Fluffy doesn’t try to ingest any ribbon or tiny toys tied to the end of the stick.

Clubhouses & Obstacle Courses: Have you ordered her Armarkat cat bed or cat tree now that you are stuck in the house? Many people are spending time on ecommerce now that bricks and mortar stores are temporarily closed. If this is the case, you know you have been accumulating a collection of packing cartons and boxes of all shapes and sizes. Why not repurpose them into a cat clubhouse or fort? You can attach them together and cut windows and doors for Kitty to enter and exit. For an obstacle course they will go crazy for, open both ends of the boxes to create tunnels that run in different directions like a maze. Use treats to lure them through, and change the setup to give them new challenges. You can also hide toys and treats inside the boxes. This way, they will have the total satisfaction that comes from hunting them down.

These are just a few of the DIY projects you can provide for your cats. Their purpose is 2-fold: It gives you some great projects to occupy your time as it provides your favorite felines with extra opportunities for play, exercise, and even more love from you!

For more information, please see: https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/how-to-entertain-your-cats-during-covid-19-pandemic