Is your cat Vitamin P (Play) deficient?

Is your cat Vitamin P (Play) deficient?

Cats need their play, especially if they are indoor only and don’t have the stimulation of all the prey to chase around outside.  How will you know if your cat is dangerously low on Vitamin P?  If they don’t spend at least 5 minutes three times a day on play they are in desperate need of more play!

According to Dr. Lynn Bahr, outdoor cats hunt all day, sometimes up to 30 times a day!  But why are they lean and not overweight from all of that eating?  It’s because they have lots of near misses during their daily hunts.  This is why 5 minutes 3 times a day is the minimum your cat should be playing.

Like these outdoor hunters, indoor cats need this interaction and stimulation.  If they get play prior to their meals it can possibly increase the appetite for an especially picky eater as well.

Variety is the spice of life!

That’s true for our pets too!  Boredom can be a big problem, so make sure you have a variety of toys available for your cats and rotate them out.  Although they may have their favorites, they don’t always want to play the same game over and over again.

Hunting type wand toys like the Catapole are a favorite for many cats because they love the chase.  But remember that when you play, they do need to catch their prey at times to be rewarded.

This is also true of laser toys.  If your cat is chasing the laser, it needs the reward of catching its prey at least every third time they are chasing the laser or toy.  Before play, hide treats around the room and then use the laser for them to chase, but have it end up at a treat so they get their reward!  Otherwise it can become frustrating for them and then they can become disinterested in this toy and won’t want to play with it again.

Cats go crazy over Catnip!

One of our products that I receive the most client videos from is our XXL Tickle Pickle.  Most cats love catnip and our Tickle Pickle is filled with 100% Organic Tipsy Nip Catnip and doesn’t have any poly fillers.  Check out these client videos to see how cats love kicking it because it 15 inches long!

Recently I’ve received not one, not two, but three videos of the Tickle Pickle in action!  Check it out at the top of this blog post.

Play is so important, we dedicated a recent Cat Chat to the topic.