Enrichment for cats?

    • Gold Top Dog

    Enrichment for cats?

    Do any of you have enrichment activities for your cats, like kongs and such? I'm looking for new ideas to make my cat use its brain and get a little more active. He doesn't play by himself but he's pretty food motivated.  

    • Gold Top Dog

     In my pet store they have a kind of puzzle ball for cats. It's easier then the ones for dogs but I haven't tried it. My cat's to lazy.. Lol..

    You could probably try a small puppy kong for the cat.. *shrugs* 

    • Gold Top Dog

    they DO make cat kongs - we tried them at work, but the cats just looked at them like we were stupid.... they are itty bitty things.

    My cats enrichment is stalking the birds and lizards in the backyard. They have full run of the back lani (screened in pool area) and love it. They have grass to eat out there and trees to climb. I don't limit where they can go inside - they are welcome on all furniture and things.

    Only one cat is fat....but she's older and doesn't do anything all day except demand to be petted and loved on.

    The others are self-entertaining really. The kitten loves to wrestle with the pups.

    • Gold Top Dog

    ha funny you say that about the cat kong. I put a few cat treats in one of the dogs kongs to see what the cat would do and he looked at it like ummm no thanks. Meanwhile I can stuff cat treats in to an old toilet paper roll (the cardboard part) with some tissue and he'll work to get the treats out.

    I've been letting him go outside a bit lately (put some flea stuff on him). If I was really motivated I'd build a cat tree. But if I were that motivated I'd finish my bathroom and the painting and cleaning the garage and stuff first haha.
     

    If I really liked cats, I'd get him a cat buddy. But one cat is too many for me - 2 isn't going to happen.

    So the search for easy cheap cat enrichment continues ;p 

    • Gold Top Dog

    haha. I think it really depends on the cat - most of mine would be happy as clams just sleeping on the couch all day. My dog-cat Sammy has to be with people, and has to be able to go on the porch. Tonka has to climb that tree. Smokey has to hunt his lizards. Each cat does their own thing - and honestly, I think they would be happier as only cats - they tolerate eachother, but I think if they had it their way they would be the only cats. They aren't unhappy - but I wouldn't say cats NEED to have a buddy.

    the kitten on the other hand.... she needs her dogs. They are her buddies.

    • Gold Top Dog

    How about a good old brwon paper grocery bag and/or a carddboard box?  When our cat was younger, she loved playing in a brown paper bag.

    • Gold Top Dog

    haha - one of my cats prefers the plastic, the other loves the paper.........oy, what strange animals I have.....

    • Gold Top Dog

    Oh I haven't tried a paper bag yet. He will squeeze himself in to the tiniest box though.

    I recently hung a bird feeder right outside his window perch. Talk about cat TV. He hardly leaves that window perch now. Those little birdies are so close, yet sooooo far! Poor kitty. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    haha, my kitties feel his pain - with squirels at least. They are just right there on the fence...but there is no way to get to them *ktty sigh*