There is a large selection of games and toys for cats, which allows you to stimulate your little feline without getting tired of it. Whether for a kitten or an adult cat, specialist brands do not lack imagination and offer a range of products capable of greatly satisfying the pleasure of this four-legged hunter. But are cat toys really useful and if so, what are they really for? Review of details.
Table of Contents
Cat Toys: what’s the point?
The cat is a dynamic animal, whatever its breed, and an inveterate hunter. Even if he has greatly lost the desire to hunt due to the change in his lifestyle, the fact remains that he still retains serious instincts. Play for cats is a real stimulator which allows them:
- To develop well and therefore to grow well,
- To maintain good health,
- To develop one’s independence,
- To spend oneself,
- To maintain a healthy weight and not become obese,
- To maintain your muscles,
- To keep your sense of balance,
- To stimulate cognitive functions,
- To work on your waking state,
- To maintain your senses (touch, hearing, smell, taste, sight),
- To maintain your sense of analysis,
- To be more sociable,
- To strengthen his bonds and his complicity with his master.
Our pick: The Best Interactive Toys for Cats Indoor
We therefore understand that playing is essential for the cat in the same way as drinking, eating and sleeping. It is necessary to offer him toys to share with it and others with which it can play alone when his master is not available.
Criteria for choosing cat toys
Before buying a cat toys, you need to look at the category that corresponds to your cat’s age. There are indeed toys for:
- The kitten in the development phase,
- The adult cats,
- The elderly cat or senior cat.
From the fabric fish topped with a pretty colorful feather to the telescopic fishing rod, including the little spring-loaded characters and the animated mice, not forgetting the balls, the cat’s attention has something to be captivated. There are some rather unusual balls that zig-zag instead of bouncing. It’s a lot of fun and cats love to spend a long time playing with this type of toys . Some cat toys even contain catnip which attracts the kitty even more.
We do not of course forget the intelligence cat toys, specially designed to act on two levels since they allow:
- Promote the cat’s physical activity,
- Stimulate cognitive functions.
Related: Playing With Your Cat: Best Tips and Tricks
It is essential for all cats, regardless of their sex, age, breed and character. Certainly, when the little feline spends most of his time outside, frolicking in the neighboring gardens or fields, he is active on a daily basis and puts his intelligence to work at all times. These toys are therefore particularly recommended if you keep your cat inside the house or apartment and the small animal has little opportunity to go out. Among the intelligence cat toys, we find for example:
- The Tunnel Tube,
- Interactive balls,
- The luminous balls,
- Play mats,
- Electronic treat dispensers with balls,
- Bowls with several holes which encourage thinking while encouraging the cat to eat more slowly,
- Laser toys (use with caution because the laser beam should never be directed towards the animal’s eyes).
This list of puzzle toys is not exhaustive but already leaves many possibilities to please your cat. The budget to devote to this type of toy is between $4 and $40.
We recommend purchasing several families of toys adapted to your cat or kitten in order to vary the exercises and pleasures. Far from being useless, toys designed for cats have been the subject of serious research, particularly on the development of this pet. It is possible to take inspiration from them to create your own or why not invent new ones taking into account your own cat’s preferences. It’s fun and allows you to understand even better how exactly this little feline works…