Feline Enrichment

Image by Abdullah Öğük

Helping your cat life a fun, engaging and fulfilling life. 

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Food Puzzles

Ditch the bowl and create more fun ways for your cats to snack.

Free roaming cats spend many hours a day hunting, and while our pampered indoor cats don't want for anything, that sometimes leaves them feeling bored and without purpose. 

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Studies have shown that adding food puzzles to a cats routine:

  • Reduces Anxiety

  • Promotes weight loss

  • Increases Activity 

  • Reduces fear/ improve confidence 

  • Decreases aggression towards humans & animals

  • Decreases stress related behaviour problems 

Food puzzles don't have to be complicated, there are many DIY and commercial options available. 

For more info on getting started using food puzzles with your cat visit 

www.foodpuzzlesforcats.com

Training

Cats, despite what most people think, are actually quite trainable. The key to teaching any animal is finding the right motivation. Cats enjoy learning and teaching them tricks will help strengthen your relationship. You may need to get creative finding a treat your cat will work for. Some of our favourite options are Temptations, shredded or cubed meat, canned food, Squeeze-tube likable treats. 

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Fun tricks to teach your cat: 

  • Come

  • Sit

  • target 

  • High Five

  • Jump on a surface

  • Jump over your arm/ object

  • Agility

  • Enter a kennel/ cat carrier

Toys

We all know that kittens play like crazy, but play is important for adult cats as well. Play is a way to practice their natural skills of stalking, chasing and catching prey. It keeps both their brains and bodies healthy.

Cats like novelty, so old toys tend to be ignored if they're left out all the time. A great way to trick your cat into appreciating their older toys is to put them out of sight and rotate them, so when you pull one our it seems new and exciting to your cat. 

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It's a great Idea to have at least one of each type of toy

  • Wand toy- mimics a bird and is fun to chase, stalk and pounce 

  • Mouse/ Ball- small toys that encourage independent 'self-play' 

  • Kicker toy- a larger toy that the cat can grab, bite and bunny kick

Exploration

Life stuck inside a house can get pretty boring. Imagine how stir crazy you'd go if you never went outside! Of course indoor cats are much safer, but we can incorporate a bit of outdoor excitement into our indoor cats lives with a bit of creativity. 

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Catios are a great alternatives to allowing your cat to free roam. Catios are an enclosed outdoor space to allow our cat to feel the breeze and investigate new sights and smells. They can be as simple or complex as your heart desires. 

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Harness training your cat can be fun and allows you to safely take your cat for a walk. Just be sure that you don't overwhelm your cat by doing too much, too fast. Allow your cat to choose the speed and direction you travel as they investigate. 

Bring the outside in!

Fill a box with leaves. branches, flowers etc. Scatter your cats favourite treats in it to encourage them to investigate. 

For more ideas visit the Facebook group "Feline Enrichment" for easy and DIY ways to incorporate enrichment into your cats life. 

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