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Exercising Your Cat

© Faith Antonioni

In this article we will discuss exercising with your cat. Our feline friends need to exercise to prevent destructive behavior. Bored cats have excess energy and can tear up your furniture, climb your curtains and eat your beloved plants. The following paragraphs will detail how to exercise with your feline friend.

This exercise I call, cat in a box. My cat, Chester, loves to sit, as well as crawl, in and out of boxes. You can find them at the grocery store. Place it on the floor and your cat will surely crawl in it to inspect it. You can also add a piece of crumpled paper for its amusement. Another option is to add a battery-operated mouse instead of the crumpled paper. You should not leave the box out all the time or it will lose its novelty.

Another strategy is to use moving objects when playing with your cat. Because of a cat's predatory instincts, they enjoy chasing objects that move. Such objects are teaser wands, mouse toys, toys suspended from a string and balls. You should have several play sessions a day. Your cat will become physically fit as well as have a good time. Cats that like to pursue prey will take to playing with balls. My Siamese cat Chester loves to chase balls. Here is a method to teach your cat to play with a ball. Tantalize your cat by moving the ball in front of him so that he or she will take a swipe at it or capture it in its mouth. Then throw it at the cat so it will snatch it. Gradually increase your distance from the cat. At some point in the game you will be playing catch. If you can begin this type of training with the cat as a kitten, and reward it with a bit of food, he or she will be actively engaged in the game of catch. Your cat will love chasing after a fake mouse on the end of a string or a feather. My cat Chester, a Seal Point Siamese Cat, loves the wand which has a furry piece of cloth on it. He sits vigilantly by the closet in which it is kept. When playing with this toy, he likes to sit at a distance and wait until he can pounce upon it. It is important to keep your cat moving for a period of ten minutes.