Category: Just For Cats

Your Cat’s Health – Part 2 – Tips for a happy healthy life for our feline friends:

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  • Drinking Fountain:
    There are several different water fountains for cats that simulate drinking from a stream or water faucet.  The model we prefer is the Drinkwell Pet Fountain.  It can be easily taken apart and cleaned, has charcoal filters that can be replaced as needed and you can purchase an optional reservoir which is great for multi-cat households or cats that require lots of fresh water.  We also like the stainless steel fountains as they are not porous, even easier to clean and dishwasher safe!

  • Feline Furniture:
    Cat Condos will give your cat a place of their own, increase vertical space in your home and create “safe zones” from dogs, children or other cats.  Scratching posts and horizontal cardboard scratching pads give your cat an appropriate surface to scratch. Cardboard scratchers are available at most pet retail outlets.

  • Foraging Toys:
    These are toys that must be manipulated for your cat to obtain a food reward. Unfortunately, there are not nearly as many styles of foraging toys commercially available for cats as there are for their canine counterparts. You can make your own foraging toys by using small plastic household containers and cutting out holes that are slightly larger than the size of the food/treats that you will put inside.  Another homemade variation would be a shoebox with holes cut out about the size of a ping pong ball and then fill with treats and a few ping pong balls as an “obstacle”.  Be sure to tape the lid on.

  • Hunting:
    In addition to foraging, satisfy your cat’s prey drive, by hiding treats or food around the house, in places your cat frequents such as: on top of their scratching post, cat condos, window seats or anywhere you know they will seek it out or stumble upon it.

  • Interactive Toys:
    These are toys that allow you and you cat to play together and often provide great exercise for your cat.  The Feline Flyer is a feather toy that mimics a bird and the Dragonfly is a toy on a wire creating erratic movement.  A good old fashion piece of string works great too-just make sure to always put it away when playtime is over.  If ingested, string or ribbon can cause an intestinal obstruction which is very dangerous. There are a myriad of interactive toys available, find the one that peeks your cat’s prey drive! Play with your cat daily!

    (Content provided by: Fundamentally Feline, Ingrid Johnson, CCBC.)

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    Your Cat’s Health – Tips for a happy healthy life for our feline friends:

    Just For Cats No Comments

    How to Entertain our Kitties’ brains! Environmental Enrichment Ideas for Indoor Cats!
    Here are some suggestions for keeping them active, stimulated and happy. Cats are very prey specific, so trying varieties of toys is important to find just what your cat likes to hunt.

    • Bringing the Outside In:
      As long as your cat is current on vaccinations and deworming, bring in tree branches, rocks, leaves, things from the outdoors to pique their senses. Try hiding treats around or under these items for extra fun, or fill a box with leaves and throw a handful of treats in for your cat to forage. Additionally, you may purchase live catnip or grass plants from most pet stores.
    • Cat Carrier:
      Try leaving your cat’s carrier out in the home all the time. Make it inviting by placing bedding and/or treats inside for your cat to enjoy. This will also desensitize your cat to the carrier making trips to the vet easier for both of you. Clicker training is a positive way to train your cat to willingly enter their cat carrier. Teaching this could save their life in case of an emergency!
    • Catnip Marinade:
      Place all soft fuzzy toys in container with catnip to “marinate”. You can do this as often as needed to refresh the scent. This can be financially helpful because you won’t have to buy new toys as often.
    • Chirping Fuzzy Mice and Birds:
      There are many versions of these motion activated toys. Some chirp like live mice, some move around and some have flashing lights.
    • Clicker Training:
      Clicker training can be used as both an enrichment tool and as a training aid to fix unwanted behaviors. Cats are incredibly intelligent and trainable we simply have to create that expectation! Clicker training can help control less desirable behaviors such as counter surfing or inappropriate scratching or teach them to run an agility course for fun and exercise! Cats can be trained to sit, come, high-five, shake even walk on a leash and harness. Much like their canine counterparts, training your cat stimulates the brain, gives them a job to do and gives them a more enriched life. A good reference book is “Training Your Cat” by Dr. Kersti Seksel or “Naughty No More” by Marilyn Krieger. Karen Pryor is also the go to source for all thing clicker related!

    (Content provided by: Fundamentally Feline, Ingrid Johnson, CCBC.)