10 Easy Games You Can Play With Your Cat
77Playing with your cat brings many benefits both for your cat and you. Games provide cats with mental stimulation and exercise which they need just as much as we do. Playing with your cat also helps you bond with them and builds trust and affection. Here are ten easy games that you and your feline companions can enjoy playing day after day after day:
- You will need only one object for this game: a ping pong ball. It's self-explanatory, really. You bounce the pingpong ball on the floor or against a wall and watch your cat bounce along with it. I've done this many times and have ended up laughing at the many odd ways my cats can twist and contort their bodies just to get a swipe at the little orange ball.
- Crumple a piece of paper, roll it across the floor, and watch what happens. My cats love this game. There's something about the sound crumpled paper makes that they just cannot resist. One of my cats even carries the crumpled ball of paper with her when she goes to bed. Be sure to keep the ball of paper when you're done playing though or you'll have confetti everywhere the next day. I learned that the hard way.
- Cut about two feet of yarn or ribbon and drag it across the bed or floor. Your cats' eyes will literally bulge out of their heads when they see the alluring piece of string and they'll bolt right for it.
- Hide one of your hands under the blanket and wiggle them so that the blanket moves. Your cats will think there's a mouse under the covers and dive right for it. Move your hand around so they have room to pounce.
- Play hide and seek. Hide behind a couch, bed, desk, anything. Cats will stalk you as if you're their prey. Be alert though, cats are crafty. They'll be right overhead or underfoot before you know it. Watch this funny video of a cat expertly "stalking" his prey, which in this case is the camera.
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- Play newspaper dance. You know how to play this game, right? You put a sheet or two of newspaper on the floor, but instead of you stepping on it, put your cat on top of it and entice him with your fingers wiggling under the newspaper. He'll fall in love with the crinkly newspaper at first pounce. You can also blow a little air so the edges of the newspaper fly up a bit. Your cat won't know which corner to attack first.
- Play "tag". I don't know if other people do this as well, but I play tag with my cats. I run and they chase after me. One of them eventually "tags" me and I run after them. It's very good exercise for my cats and for me, too.
- This one isn't really exercise, but it's lots of fun. Sit in front of the computer with your cat on your lap facing the screen. Find an interesting video, watch it together, and see how your cat likes it. Here's a video of my cat Jiggy being baffled by Mr. Bean:
- Put a large paper bag on the floor and stand back. Your cats will gravitate to it like moths to a flame. Once they jump in it, gently poke the sides of the paper bag with your fingers. The cat inside will have a grand old time trying to catch your fingers.
- If you don't mind your stuff getting messed up, leave your bag open on your bed and watch your curious cats try to find out what's inside it. Mine almost always get my lipstick for some reason. They really enjoy batting it across the floor.
Now aren't all these games easy and fun?
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Thanks, june. :) Sounds like you're talking about Da Bird, a cat toy with feathers resembling a bird at the end of a fishing rod-like pole. I hear that's quite a hit with the felines, too. :)
crumple a thin strip of tin foil into a ball and roll it on the floor. My cat has become a very good soccer player with this game
Isnt it great that a cat's mental capacity only requires a string, a ball and a piece of yarn to keep them entertained for hours... lol... just joking.... thanks for the tips...
Haha! You are so right, creditscore. :) Cats require so little to keep them happy. Wouldn't we all be happier like that? :D
Great ideas, thanks Susan!
Inexpensive ones too, LRobbins. :) Hehe. Thanks. :)
Lovely hub. When I get home with my grocery shopping, "Elliot" jumps into the bags as I empty them and has great fun rushing from one bag to the other and 'hiding' - he's 4 months old and likes to 'help' with everything I do... which includes showering (he chases the drips down the shower door) dusting (this is a source of delight for his crazy paw dance) and his favorite is the 'finger' monster who lives under the sheets... endless hours of fun!
That is so cute, brightforyou! :) My cat Jiggy loves "any monster" that's under the sheets. Haha! :D
thanks for the tip my cat mickey loves it !!!!!!! :-D
a hair elastic gets my cat going, i usually wiggle it between my fingers to get her attention or tie it up to a string
Good ideas. Today my kitten/cat decided he would help me type on the computer. He was determined to sit with me as I struggled to press the keyboard correctly. I made a lot of mistakes, but I did wonder at one point, if I let him use the keyboard would be make any words...it was a silly, interesting thought.
I have a Da Bird toy and it is my cats favorite! He plays with it by himself sometimes, and will chase it all through our apartment.
Thanks, Cindy. Two of my cats like to do that too. Jiggy even follows the pointer arrow with his eyes and head. I've been wanting to get Da Bird for a long time now, Jared. I have a feeling my cats are going to go gaga over that. Hehe. :)
I love cats
Thanks for this! My cat really likes the string idea... We played it for hours! :)It was exhausting. My kitty really likes chasing things! I also got her a laser pointer and all of my family are addicted to flashing it on and off and watching her trying to catch it lol!
My cats love chasing string as well, Bubbles11. :) But I have to be careful to keep it after we're done playing. One of my cats ate the string one time while I wasn't looking! :O And I'll have to try that laser pointer game someday... sounds like fun. :)
some great ideas thanx 4 that.ill be trying each and every one of them!
Have fun, fizzy. :)
My cat actually brings his toys for me to throw. He fetches them right back, tries to drop it somewhere where it will take a moment for me to get it, and by that time he's in place to try to pounce at a flying toy in mid-air. Also, he loves playing tag!
You're lucky, my cats never bring their toys to me. I have to crawl under furniture to retrieve them at the end of play time. :) My cat Jiggy loves playing tag as well, but I have to watch him closely because he tends to bite instead of tag when over-excited. :P
Thanks for these i'm gonna try them all :-D my cats love to sit in boxes, the small ones sits on the top while my fatter cat sits inside and they try to get each other ^___^
Boxes are indeed a treat for cats, ellie. They just can't leave them alone. Hehe.
these are great games for my kitties! Bisou and Budika will be so happy and excited to play! The newpaper dance works, we have a carpet that was knitted,so it has holes all
over it, so i'll stick my pingers in the holes and they go coo coo.
That's great, keira. Have fun! :)
Sometimes I think a piece of string is the only cat toy you ever really need. My cat is OBSESSED with string...I think she's even learned the WORD string! But it's true; just taking the time to interact with your cat is so important. Not only does it provide exercise for them (and you!),but it's also a great bonding experience!
Thanks for the game ideas. My cat loves it when I hide my hands under a blanket.
I just wanted to ask how you teach your cat to play hide and seek? I tried playing with my cat but she just sits there and watches me.
Shes very shy and only plays with me.
are there any ideas on how I can teach my cat to play this game?
I loved the video of your cat playing...I watched it about 5 times!!
Thank you
You're right, Magicfive. My cats love playing with string, shoelace, ribbons, and even my hair sometimes when it hangs from the bed while I'm sleeping. :P But I can't leave them alone with the string as they tend to try to swallow it. :O
Thanks, Maaria. You know, I think my cats were the ones who taught me to play hide and seek with them and not the other way around. Hehe. But how about trying to lure your cat to where you're hiding with a piece of string? :)
My cat, Sookita, often sits on top of our recliner chair, which is positioned right where everyone walks past the most, earning herself a good scratch under the chin and behind the ear every so often. Sometimes she will move her tail from side to side, and recently I invented a game for when she does this. I try to place my hand on her tail, generally missing on purpose. When I do catch it, she pulls it out of my grip, then gently hits and swats my hand with her tail, enticing me to do it again. Sometimes I feel like a kitten annoying it's mother when I play with her. Thanks for all these great games to play, she seems to also be a lot more affectionate.
Sookita sounds like a cute one, Tash. Yes, playing with your cat strengthens your bond, so she will tend to get more affectionate towards you. :)
Ilove cats. I'm having a b-day party for my two cats and I was thinking about games and stuff. Thanks!
Cool! Happy Birthday to your cats. :)
I took one of the ideas here and expanded on it for my two knuckle-heads. I started with the hand under the blanket idea. Then I took some toy balls; one the has a jingle, another made of wrinkled paper, and their fave, the scrunchy ball. I put all three under the blanket. Sit back and enjoy.
That's great, Jon-Jon. :)
thanks for the ideas my cat and i always play hide and seek around the stairs thought my cat hates watching the computer
You're welcome. :) My cats are really good at hide and seek. Hehe. ^_^
I really like your hub! Many people don't realize that cats can play around just like dogs. I have done everything you listed except the ping pong ball. You have my wheels turning, ha ha ha. I have the perfect long hall way that I can use to have the ball bounce like crazy! I can't wait to try it! [SERIOUSLY, aha ha!] My favorite game to play with them is hide and go seek and tag. My cats likes to chase me too! One of them makes these crazy sounds and his hair gets all puffy in from the excitement.
Great hub!
Hi, stylezink. :) I totally know what you mean about the crazy sounds and puffiness from excitement during playtime. One of my cats does the same. He even gets this crazed look on his face that just makes me burst out laughing all the time! Ah, the good times we have with our cats. ^_^
My cat used to love the paper bag game! One thing I always had to warn guests though - when he can see your hand he knows it's a game - when he's in the bag he can't and the claws come out! You have to be quick otherwise you will get scratched! We had wooden floors and it was quite funny to see how far the bag would slide once my cat jumped in it!
That sounds like a lot of fun, ladyloulou. And it's free entertainment for the guests! ^_^
My cats all 14 of them come running from wherever they may be in the house when they hear the opening of a new milk carton or sports drink. I pry the little plastic ring left on the container, throw it on the floor, stand back and watch the games begin. Keeps them entertained for hours and hours. How simple can it be?
I told my human to look at this website, and we had a good 2 hours of play, and half an hour of me trying to get out of the bath... my human seemed to think it was funny when I kept slipping down! Anyway, thank you soooo much, I was getting so tired of playing with pipe cleaners! Anyway, must go and find my human, we're playing hide and seek!!
I am honored to have your approval, Luci. Your human is very lucky to have you. Hehe. :) Thanks for dropping by, Zimmster. Oh yeah, one of my cats loves the scrunchy sound of that plastic seal from bottles. She bats it around and even carries it to bed with her. :)
cool
I just got my first cat and I've been trying to find toys for it to keep entertained with. Trouble is, no matter what I try, my cat, (Percy is 1 and a female by the way)doesn't attempt to engage anything I put in front of her. I try to "teach" her how to play with the things, but for some reason she won't play. It almost seems like she doesn't know how. I love my kitty and she is a very affectionate girl and is always willing to cuddle with me though. Do you know why this may be?
Hi, Graciiacey. :) How long has Percy been with you? Has she already gotten comfortable in her new surroundings? Cats won't play when they are cautious and unsure. But they're also naturally curious and playful so she should warm up to playtime in the future. :)
My cat Bazooka (Zookie) likes to bite my toes when they stick out from under the blanket while i sleep!
Our cats absolutely love the hair scrunchies. The ones that look like a rubber band but covered in fabric..They love to bat it around the room and pounce on it...It's funny to watch because they're all over the room batting at it and following it to wherever it goes.
Toes and hair scrunchies. Sounds fun, Grace and Mary. :)
thnx fr new ideas...i wil surly try thm...
when i take a sower my cat will sit on the toliot and get the stem the ideas are great my cat loves them thank u
I love playing with my cat! She gets overly excited with toys, especially those little pom poms lol
i love the game chase charmz will folw the string on my feets i tide string on my feets and i go out side in the snow and jump in whit charmz she love that i dont knoe why thouth
thanx for the ideas!! i have tried a game that i hold up a string, and see how high my cat can jump!! LOL she LOVES chasing mice:) lots of cats like catnip, a type of mint, so i make the mice, and then i stuff catmint into them, and Atumn goes crazy. also, when she is scared, or hyper, her tail gets really fluffy, so gun to watch her!!! but she doesn't get along good with other cats:(
i use all of these except for the bouncing ball (our apt. has carpet). my youngest cat LOVES playing with paper balls; we play fetch because she will actually bring me a piece of paper that she's found. if i act like i don't what to play with her, she'll gently tap me on my leg or arm and meow, until i play with her! she reminds me of the dog on the movie up with the ball!
My cat LOVE'S these!
Nice comments. My cat loves the hide and seek and will chase me and I chase it too. It will hide under the curtain and poke its head watching me and then will scare me with her sudden run and little 'tag' and then she will peg it.
She also loves her fishing rod and her long cuddly snake which she loves 'killing' and booting to bits with her back legs.
Her new favourite has been the cheapest, free in fact. A long piece of sellotape srunched together into a ball shape which makes a crackling noise. She just loves playing footpaw with it and loves chasing it when I flick it across the hall. I will be getting a few ping pong balls which she will love I am sure.
Its really refreshing and fun and great way to build a bond with your cat.
That's nice to hear, Goonz. Hope you have more and more good times with your cat. :)
Niw I can do many things to do with my cats thanks. You can also try to play laser with them
You're welcome, Samantha. I don't have a laser pointer, but I have tried those toys that light up and flash angry bird images when you turn it on. One of my cats actually jumped on the angry bird when I flashed it on the floor. It was hilarious! :D
Be careful with string - if they swallow it can easily kill by entangling in the intestines. It's one of the major reasons why cats have to be put down early.
I am getting a new kitty And r u sure it will work????
I play where is the cat kibble. I use two small cups and hide a kibble under one cup. Then I shuffle the cups around and around and place them side by side on the floor/table. The cat has to point or knock over one cup to look for the kibble. If he misses then he has to realize it is under the other cup and touch that one to earn a kibble. It was a step by step process for him to learn but he did learn to play the game.
juneaumtbkr42 3 years ago
Thanks for the new ideas to keep me and my cat engaged; I love to play with my kitty. One fairly common instrument I use to elicite my cat's excitement is a a small cat toy (mouse or something else) tied to the end of a casting fishing rod and reel combination.
I like to gently cast the toy and watch my kitty quicly chase after the streaming projectile. My cat chatters loudly when excited by this fun.
Thanks