We’ve all experienced this: you buy your cat a new toy, they play with it endlessly for a few hours, then they never want to touch it again. Follow these tips to ensure your cat never gets bored of their toys and check out these recommendations on toys that almost never get old.
Limited exposure: don’t give your cat unlimited exposure to a toy. Give your cat a designated 15 minutes a day with a given toy. Feel free to let them play with multiple toys a day, but make sure no one toy is available to your cat all day or they’ll eventually get tired of it.
Toy rotation: this is another way to limit your cats exposure to a particular toy. Rotate through different toys so that your cat never gets bored of one toy. Let them play with their remote control mouse one day, then their ball track toy the next. Ideally, you have enough toys/puzzles/forms of play that you can switch it up day to day too. This works for mochi, but cheddar demands his wand toy at least twice a day so for him we at least just try to rotate the wand attachment we use.
Combine toys: sometimes you can find creative ways to combine two toys to make it a new experience for your cats. Mochi and cheddar started to get bored of their donut tunnel and they’re automatic ball toy. But, the second I combined those two toys, they went crazy for them again!
Repurpose toys (turn them upside down): Similar to the combining toys concept, this one is all about taking something old and making it fresh again. For this one, you can do things like turn the toy upside down, invert it, put it on top of a chair or under a blanket, change out the attachment, etc. check out the below examples for some ideas!
Leverage household items as much as possible: it sucks when you keep having to buy new things just to keep your cat entertained. See this post for ideas on household items you can use to refresh your cats toy rotation so that rather than continuing to buy new things, you can use some of these things you already have around the house.
Rotate between toys and treat puzzles: again, you never want to have to keep buying new cat toys just to keep your furry friend entertained. What can help with his? Incorporating treat puzzles made using household items. Let your cat play with a toy for a bit then switch them over to a treat puzzle, which can be equally as tiring through the mental stimulation your cat will get through figuring out how to get their treats. Check out this post for mochi and cheddars fave treats and treat puzzles that keep them engaged for hours!
Incorporate interactive play: one thing our cats never get tired of is interactive play. While it can be a bit more involved for you, it’s a great option if you have time time. It’s also a great way for you to bond with your cat! Some of our favorite interactive play games are string, wand chase, and fetch! Check out this post for more ideas like this.
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