Ever wondered how cat toys improve your cat’s behavior?! Well, let me dive into that for you! If you want to improve your cat’s behavior, it all begins with setting some ground rules, establishing a relationship of trust, and then enforcing those ground rules.
Cat toys can be a very useful tool in improving your cat’s behavior. The secret lies in understanding why the behavior is happening. Plus, you can’t go wrong with a fun cat toy!
How Cat Toys Improve Your Cat’s Behavior
Here are some common behavior problems you may want to improve:
- Scratching furniture or curtains
- Spraying and urinating in doors
- Aggression towards other animals or people
- Avoiding the litter box
- Stress
- Fear and anxiety
- Compulsive behaviors (like over-grooming or biting themselves)
You can see why these issues would be a problem. If you have one or more cats in your home doing these things, it can be a real problem. So how do cat toys help?
Again, it’s all about the underlying reason why your cat is doing these things. Cats have a natural need to scratch. If they are scratching furniture, bedding or curtains, it’s probably because they don’t have something else safe and available to scratch.
You need to get some scratching posts. If you already have one and your cat is using the furniture instead, it could be they don’t like the type you are using. Try different sizes, shapes, and materials to find which one your cat likes best.
Sometimes other bad behaviors come from boredom. An indoor cat still needs to run and play. If she’s knocking things off your desk, breaking things, or avoiding the litter box (and there’s no medical cause for this), then she could be bored. Lots of toys that stimulate her mind and her senses will help with this.
Toys can enrich your cat’s environment and will help improve their behavior. Cats are much smarter than many people realize and they can also be motivated by food, meaning this is a good way to correct behaviors. You could get a treat-dispensing toy for your cat, for example.
Another great idea is the use of puzzle boxes. This stimulates your cat’s mind while also giving them a reward of dry food and treats that your cat can reach in to claim. Some people like to give their cat’s live crickets as a treat, too. This will help satisfy their hunting instinct.
Whatever toys you use, it’s important to rotate them out so your cat doesn’t get bored. You can use a few toys for a bit, then pack them away and pull out some new ones. Then, rotate the older ones back in again. It will be like something new for your cat each time and it helps bust the boredom.
Monica Parlee says
Great tip to rotate the toys out so your cat doesn’t get bored. I never thought of doing that!