Actively Playing With Your Cat

Playing is good for you and great for your cat

MetPet.com Staff Writer

One of the most commonly cited reasons to have a dog (or not) is the requirement to walk him at least three times a day, every day.  Does this mean that cat lovers do not have to exercise with their pets everyday?  We say not! 

Actively playing with your cat is one of the best ways to tone up, lose weight, reduce stress and improve your mood and these are the just benefits for you.  Even the most sedentary and jaded older cat will be shocked at the amount of attention he's receiving and will respond in new and interesting ways. 

We have seen cats become so engrossed in play that they pick up toys and place them in people's laps. Others climb on the furniture and even open drawers to get at their new playthings.  Still others become so active that they actually pant while playing. 

Actively playing with your cat (or cats) is an aerobic sport when done properly and with enthusiasm.  Once you get started, you may even want to invite your significant other or a friend to join in or at least to watch.

The active playing with your cat that will burn up calories goes like this:

1. You will want to wear non-slip shoes and comfortable workout clothes.  Cats come as they are.

2. Put on some good dancing music with a fast beat.  If you have a portable headset all the better, otherwise, crank up the volume so that you can hear music throughout the house.

3. Pick up your super duper brand new interactive cat toy (that is a toy on a rod or wire that requires a human being to make it move) and wave it in front of your cat. 

4. Once your cat looks mildly interested, scoot the toy with a jerking motion along the floor in front of your cat.  Scoot it up along the walls (like a fluttering moth), scoot it down along the baseboards (like a scurrying mouse) pausing every once in awhile for a breath.

5. Now that you have your cat's attention, scoot it across the floor in a very fast and erratic zigzag motion.  The shorter the toy, the more bending you will have to do which will increase the exercise.  Cover one end of the house to the other with the same motion, moving in time to the music.  If you have stairs, continue through the upper floor and back down again.

If you can manage it, zigzag the toy under the bed and then crawl under the bed (hey, it is an obstacle course) to follow it through.  Go around every piece of furniture singly and then in figure 8's. 

6. If your cat 'catches' the toy, let him hang on to it for a second or two and then move it away again.  This imitates the actions of caught and released prey.  A cat that never catches a toy will be a very depressed cat (which is why we have do not like the 'laser' toys.)  Every cat needs to be a successful hunter at least a few times a day.

7. Once you have covered the entire house with the zigzag motion, begin again with the 'moth' motion.  Cover all of the walls, as far as you can reach (jumping a bit is good here) towards the ceiling.  'Flutter' it up and down the walls, around windows and over furniture (if it is ok that the cat will follow onto the furniture.)

8. If your cat is good and worked up, you can switch to a different toy (different materials, texture, colors, movement) and repeat the process with different music.  Each segment takes about 5 minutes for a total of 20 minutes. 

9. Actively playing with your cat 6 days a week will be enough exercise to burn off 8 pounds a year and that's just you. It will also keep your cat lean, mobile, healthy and happy. 

Related Information:
Burning Up Calories While Exercising Your Cat