Cat Enrichment Recommendations
Hi 🙂 I’m actually training to be a cat behaviorist, so I happen to keep a running list of interesting enrichment ideas on a Pinterest board. You’re welcome to check it out here: https://www.pinterest.com/phathempjewelry/cat-enrichment/
A lot of it is DIY / low-cost ideas since I do a lot of work with an animal shelter. Some of the most popular toys / enrichment ideas I’ve run into include:
- Different types of food puzzles/challenge feeders: This website: http://foodpuzzlesforcats.com/ is probably the most comprehensive resource on those that I’ve ever run into. I especially like the ones from Doc & Phoebe that are essentially little mouse toys you can fill with treats / kibble.
- Plastic spring cat toys – Practically every playful cat, from my resident crew to hundreds at the animal shelter, go nuts over this simple little thing
- Wine cork birds – This is a super simple one to DIY – just use a screwdriver to make some holes in a wine cork, stick feathers in, and let them go nuts with it. 🙂 Natural feathers that have only been cleaned, and not dyed, get the best response that I’ve seen.
- Ping pong balls – Another simple toy that is hugely popular
- Small mouse toys – The Zanies brand in particular is one of the most popular ones, but mice that are smaller have been more popular.
- Da Bird teaser wand – While plenty of cat toy teaser wands are out there, this particular one is one of my favorites for the kitties.
- Laser pointer with an on-off switch, not a button to hold down – Trust me, your finger will thank you for that with a playful cat, lol!
- Cat Dancer brand – They have a few styles of teasers and toss toys, all of them have been pretty well received
- Yeowwww! brand catnip toys – I don’t know what it is about this particular line of cat nip toys, but it has become the number 1 catnip toy among resident and foster cats at my place.
I hope this helps. 🙂
