Making Meal Times More Exciting For Your Cat

When cats are not snoozing they like being busy and if there’s one thing they enjoy most is hunting down their prey. If you keep your cat as an indoor pet, you may like to consider setting things up so meals times are more exciting experiences for your furry friend and the good news is that it is not that hard to do.

Indoor cats need more in the way of mental and physical stimulation not only to reduce the risk of them putting on too much weight, but to keep their minds busy and their claws off your furniture. Creating an exciting experience when it comes to meal times can really add a lot to your pussy cat's existence because if well planned and set up, it imitates hunting which is a cat’s second nature.

Meal Times can be Boring Affairs

For the majority of indoor pussy cats, meals times are pretty boring affairs with their bowls being filled up with food several times a day so all they have to do is roll up and eat it. A lot of cats have access to food throughout the day which means they get to nibble on dry food when they feel like it which has its good and bad points. The latter being that you are not in control of just how much your furry little friend is devouring and you don't know if they are drinking enough water either. The result is that many cats when kept as indoor pets tend to carry too much weight.

In the wild, a feral cat has to hunt for their food. In short, they are obliged to work for every mouthful they get, but with this said cats find hunting a stimulating and exciting experience which is why an indoor cat would benefit from having to hunt for their food too. It makes it all so much more exciting for them. It can turn a boring meal time experience into one that’s lots of fun. When cats have to find their food, they have to use all their senses all of which are pretty extraordinarily fine tuned.

A Cat's Senses are Extraordinary

Needless to say a cat's hearing is ultra good and they can pick up the slightest sound whether it’s a mouse scratching or a bird tweeting in the distance. They have incredible muscle power with each of these working independently which is why cats can move so stealthily. With superb eyesight and a brilliant sense of smell, there is not much that can get past our feline friends. Lastly, cats are extremely inquisitive by nature which is another very important factor in their hunting abilities. It completes the picture perfectly for them to track down, chase and they catch their prey.

Setting Things Up for Your Cat to Hunt their Food

It is now a well known fact that cats boast longer life spans when they are kept as indoor pets. However, it can be a little boring and frustrating for them because they don't get to show off their hunting skills. This is where you can set things right by taking out the boredom of feeding times although you may have to feed your cat as you normally would until they get the hang of things.

• Organise treasure hunts for your feline friend – this is a great way to set up a feeding experience that really does imitate “the hunt” for food. You can use a favourite cat toy to hide the food in, or place their food on shelves up high and as every cat owner knows, there's nothing their furry friend likes more than looking down on the world below!

• Leave food in containers so your pussy cat has to scoop the kibble or wet food out using their paws in order to eat it. This is great fun for your pet and wonderful to watch!

• Play a few hunting interactive games with your pussy cat just before their meal times. Activities should include things that get them stalking and pouncing on an object which could be as simple as a length of string attached to a piece of wood which you drag along the floor!

Invest in some puzzle toys that are designed specifically to hide cat food in. There are some brilliant and very safe toys on the market these days which get cats thinking simply because they have to figure out how to get at the food inside. Some toys let little bits of dry food fall out as they are rolled along which are great for cats to play with and it mimics hunting which makes meal times more exciting!

Food Games Must be Stimulating

The thing to bear in mind is that any game that involves finding food has to be stimulating for your furry friend and they should never find it frustrating which would end up stressing them out too much. Any game involving food has to see them win the prize each and every time or pretty soon they will get bored with the game and come looking to you for food.

Conclusion

Cats when kept as indoor pets are known to boast longer life spans, but making sure they have a great existence means setting things up in their environment so they find it all very stimulating. This includes making meal times a more exciting and fun experience. Your furry friend will find it a lot more stimulating if they have to use all their hunting skills to find their food with the bonus being they are less likely to put on too much weight. It doesn’t take much to set things up and then sit back and watch your pussy cat hunt down their food which can be very entertaining.