Many cats are perfectly content to spend the entire day perched on a windowsill, napping and watching the world pass them by. However, this does not eliminate the possibility that cats require or enjoy playing games with their owners. They do, without a doubt! Cats enjoy being mentally and physically stimulated. Also, they enjoy spending time with their owners while playing with them.
However, when it comes to cats, play isn’t just about having a good time or having fun. If you look at it from a cat’s perspective in the wild, playing is actually a serious business that helps kittens learn essential survival skills such as chasing, stalking, or trapping prey. Even if your cat never leaves the confines of your home, the basic instinct to hunt could still remain strong in him, which is why it is important to provide our feline family members with opportunities to express this natural behavior through playful interactions.
Below are more of the benefits of playing with your cat:
1. Lessen the Risk of Obesity
It is possible for cats to get obese if they continue to devour their food and consume more calories. Cats that consume more calories than they spend through physical activity might become obese as well. Active cats will typically burn more calories and will not get obese from overeating and under-exercising.
2. Lessen the Cat’s Bad Behavior
As with humans, cats require a significant deal of stimulus and activity to maintain their health. In addition to improving biological functioning, exercise can also help to keep things like hormones under control. Cats who are lethargic and have behavioral problems, including scratching in inappropriate places, spraying or marking, and meowing in the middle of the night, can easily become nuisance cats.
3. Improve Cat’s Health
A cat that does not get enough physical activities, such as moving around, hunting, and playing, will not be in the optimal physical and mental state. Also, this will have an effect on the cat’s overall health, both directly and indirectly. If your pet doesn’t move at all, you will more than likely have an obese pet on your hands.
In these situations, switching to diet meals almost always results in the cat having even less energy to perform things and slowing down even more. Alternatively, they may become more worried and exhibit negative behavior as a result.
4. Sleepy Cats at Night
Cats are generally nocturnal creatures, which means they hunt and play at night and are drowsy during the day. Your cat’s daily activities will have the added benefit of keeping them quiet throughout the night. By switching up the rhythm of your cat’s day and night by playing with them during the day, you will have a weary and sleepy cat at night when you are also attempting to sleep.
Nothing is more irritating than a pet that keeps you awake at night, or that starts meowing way too early for your sleeping schedule.
5. Play Also Serves as Bonding Time
Playing with your cat not only keeps him entertained but also helps to strengthen the bond that you share with your pet. Moreover, playing with your cat is a great way to learn more about your pet’s personality! Cats’ favorite activities can help you better understand their personalities, whether they are cautious, thrill-seekers, social butterflies, or something else.
Moreover, cats should be given ten-to-fifteen-minute play sessions a couple of times a day.
Aside from allowing your cat to express its natural impulses, play is essential in maintaining your cat’s health and happiness. Cats, particularly those who live solely indoors, benefit from regular exercise through play.
By engaging in regular playtime with your cat, you are also keeping them active and helping them maintain a healthy weight.
Boredom can lead to a variety of behavioral problems in cats, and interactive play may help prevent some of these pet health issues. Finally, playing with your cat is a wonderful method to interact and form a bond with him.