Cats are natural explorers and problem-solvers. That means they get bored easily and, contrary to the popular myth, they aren’t actually easy pets. To keep your feline friend mentally and physically stimulated, you need to provide them with plenty of things to occupy their cute little brains. Failure to do so will result in stress and all sorts of behaviors you won’t like.
For some cats, traditional play, clicker training, and other forms of cat enrichment won’t be enough. Thankfully, with some creativity you can keep your cat’s mind from turning toward nibbling on your plants.
Splish Splash
A splash table is something you may remember from your childhood or, for those of you with human pets… I mean, children, your present. They’re usually plastic tables with all sorts of different ways to use water for fun sensory play for toddlers. Cats can be very toddler like so a splash table happens to be a great way to keep your hydrophilic cats happy.
DIY A Splash Table
If you don’t want to go with a premade one, you can make you own! Here’s how to set up a splash table:
- Choose a safe container: A shallow plastic basin or a cat bath is ideal. Otherwise, you can use your actual bathtub or a dish basin.
- Fill it with water: Add an inch or two inches of water (or even consider catnip-infused water)
- Add toys: Place small toys, spinning water toys, or floating objects, such as ping pong balls, in the water for your cat to explore. You can even get swimming light up fish for your cat to hunt in their splash table!
I hope it goes without saying, but you cat should always be supervised when using the splash table. You can lure your cat over the to splash table, but never force them into it or it may not be a fun experience.
Robot Vacuum Adventures
Who says robot vacuums are just for cleaning? Prozac certainly disagrees. They can also be a source of endless entertainment for your cat as I quickly discovered when he first came home. He loved my robot vacuum so much when I first brought him home that I had to keep it off. Otherwise, I’d come home and it would be in the other room or I’d wake up to it beeping in a corner.
Prozac really liked playing with the sweepers on the robot vacuum, but not every cat is going to find these robot cleaners enjoyable. Zoloft hated them. In fact, mine is named Zoloft’s Arch Nemesis. Even if you cat doesn’t like them, they’re still a great way to clean up litter and pet fur between more robust vacuums. I have a Eufy vacuum that gets fur off my carpet as well as I’d realistically expect from a robovac and does a great job with litter. Think of it as a gift for yourself even if your cat doesn’t love it.
Important note: I didn’t let ‘Zac use the robovac for fun intentionally at first as I had no reason to think he’d have an interest in it. Make sure you always supervise your cat if you give this a try intentionally.
Cardboard Box Obstacle Course
Cats love to explore and play. A cardboard box obstacle course is not only environmentally friendly, but it can also provide hours of entertainment for your feline friend. Here’s how to create a simple obstacle course:
- Gather cardboard boxes: Collect a variety of cardboard boxes of different sizes and shapes. Think of this as an excuse to do some online shopping for your cat.
- Arrange the boxes: Set up the boxes in a challenging arrangement, with tunnels, bridges, and jumping platforms.
- Add decorations: This is optional, but if you’re feeling creative you can decorate the boxes with colorful paper, stickers, or toys.
DIY Catnip Dispensing Ball
Many cats are naturally drawn to catnip (somewhere around 70% of them, to be precise). A DIY catnip dispensing ball can provide your cat with a fun and challenging way to enjoy their favorite herb. Plus, you can also use it with other plants your cat loves like silver vine.
These are similar to a common food puzzle that dispenses treats, but making your own may be better for catnip. Here’s how to make a catnip dispensing ball:
- Grab a tennis ball: Cut a few small holes in a tennis ball. These should not be large holes at all (other than you’ll likely want a bigger one for adding catnip to make your life easier).
- Fill the ball with catnip: Stuff the ball with catnip (or a blend of different fun cat plants) using the larger hole.
- Seal the hole: Use a glue gun to seal the large hole.
Your cat will have to roll the ball around and bat at it to release the catnip. The smaller holes allow it to be easily dispensed while not being dispensed too quickly. As always, supervise your cat while using this and dispose of the ball if any pieces come loose.
Combine With Kitty Painting
If you haven’t checked out my blog on painting with your cats, it’s possible to let your cats become artists without a huge mess. A catnip ball is a great activity to combine with painting to double your creative enrichment! Just find a box, pan, sheet, or something else to put the painting in that can also contain the catnip ball so it doesn’t go too far away. Not only will your cat roll around due to the ‘nip, but the ball may help with their art!
Sensory Exploration Station
A sensory exploration, especially if it involves scent enrichment, station can provide your cat with a variety of new and exciting experiences that that will mix up their boring day to day. Some ideas for setting up a sensory exploration station:
- Gather a variety of materials: Collect a variety of materials, such as cotton balls, feathers wands, brushes, and maybe even some cat drugs.
- Place the materials on different surfaces: Place the materials in small containers or bowls. You can also put them on a premade sensory station, towel, or other interesting material. Consider hiding some of the materials, especially ones with a strong odor, for your cat to find.
- Let your cat explore: Let your cat learn about the world using their senses! Keep an eye on them for safety, but don’t be afraid to take a few cute videos, too.
Your cat will love discovering new textures, smells, and sensations. If your cat wants a scent based challenge, check out Nosework Cats.
Get Creative With Your Cat’s Enrichment
Too many cats are bored and don’t have enough to meet their behavioral needs. By incorporating these creative enrichment activities into your cat’s daily routine, you can help them stay happy, healthy, and engaged. Don’t be afraid to flex your creative wings and come up with new feline friendly ways to keep their world interesting!
