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Cats
can make laziness into an art form: snoozing in the afternoon sun,
stretching a little before they plop down on your lap for the night. But
as immobile as they seem, they still need to get up and moving on a
regular basis. Cats are a bit different than dogs, however--they're
designed for short, frequent periods of intense activity, rather than
longer, slower-paced exercise sessions.
There are some wonderful
toys you can buy to get your cat active, including kitty trees that will
let her climb to the ceiling and mechanical animals she can chase around
the room. There's no reason to reach into your wallet for toys your cat
may or may not like, however, when there is endless entertainment around
the house. There are a few main ways you can entice your kitty into
activity
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Things she can bat.
Anything light that moves easily
across the floor can give your cat a chance to practice hitting and
chasing. Balled up pantyhose and paper work well; for some reason the
rings that come off of milk jug caps also seem to be irresistible. Just
make sure that she's not batting anything she could chew up or
swallow.
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Things she can chase.
The end of a moving string should
bring out the predator in even the most sedentary cat. Again, just make
sure she doesn't swallow the string.
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Things she can explore.
Empty boxes and paper bags may get
your cat to climb in, out, and on top.
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Things she can scratch.
Scratching stretches and tones the
muscles in your cat's shoulders and back. A scratching post--or even a
piece of cardboard or carpet--can keep her active without shredding your
sofa.
Whatever
game you play with your cat, don't use your hand or fingers as "bait" or
as the object of teasing. This teaches him that it is all right to scratch
and bite your hands--a lesson you will want your cat to unlearn in the
future.
The key
is to find out which kind of toy is the most tempting to your cat and to
use it consistently. You may have to try a lot of different activities to
before you find your kitty's favorite. Some cats can even be trained to
walk outside on a
leash. |