How to Play With a Cat and Why It’s So Important

Playing with your cat is not only fun, but it can also help keep your beloved, four-legged feline happy and healthy. Understanding how to play with your cat is easy once you figure out which toys, games, and activities your mini tiger loves the most. 

“Much in the same way that humans require social interaction on some level, it's a necessary aspect to companion cat care to encourage playtime to ensure they live their happiest lives,” Shelby Bundy, a cat expert and shelter manager at the Longmont Humane Society in Colorado says.

Here’s how to play with your cat to ensure they get all the exercise and enrichment they need to thrive.

Why Playing With Your Cat Is So Important

Playtime is crucial for cats. Like other household pets, cats need regular physical and mental stimulation—and playtime checks both boxes at the same time. Playtime can help prevent obesity, build and maintain muscle tone, prevent boredom, promote bonding, and reduce stress and anxiety, among other benefits.

And, if you’ve decided to introduce a new kitty to your crew, playtime can be a good way for everyone to get to know each other (and, ideally, start to get along).

“It’s a great socialization tactic for homes that have more than one cat, as it allows cats to work together or play with each other,” Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM, the chief veterinarian at Petco says.

Ways to Play With Your Cat

All cats are individuals, so you may have to try out a few different toys and games to find one that really makes your kitty purr, Bundy says. Broadly speaking, playtime should mirror a cat’s natural hunting instincts and tendencies.

“Cats, by nature, are hunters, so their play should reflect a similar methodology: chase, catch, kill, repeat,” Bundy says.

Here are a few activities that can help with that.

Teaser Toys

Few cats can resist the allure of a teaser toy, which usually consists of a long, rigid wand with a string attached to an intriguing toy. Teaser toys often incorporate feathers, rattles, bells, or ribbons.

 Food Puzzles

Food puzzles help engage your cat’s natural hunting and foraging instincts. Though these toys vary in design, they generally encourage kitties to use their problem-solving skills (and their sense of smell!) to access hidden treats and food morsels.

At mealtime, puzzle feeders can help slow down your cat if she tends to eat too quickly while also providing a little mental stimulation.

Motorized Toys

Motorized toys for cats come in all shapes and sizes, from mice that run across the floor to wriggling fish that flop around. These interactive objects typically run on batteries and encourage kitties to chase, hunt, bat, and pounce.

“Many cats find stationary toys boring, so anything with a little movement will captivate their attention for longer periods of time,” Miller says.

Cat Trees

Cat trees promote both physical exercise and mental engagement by encouraging kitties to explore, climb, jump, and hide. (They also make great places to snooze, too.) Some even incorporate dangling toys for extra amusement.

Cat Tunnels

Cats love to hide, so provide play tunnels for them to explore. Cardboard boxes and paper bags are other great options—and great ways to recycle!

Enrichment Activities

Cats adore spending time with their human owners, so any fun, hands-on activity you do together is sure to be a hit. Teach your cat how to fetch, strap on a harness and go for a walk, work on clicker training with lots of yummy treats, invest in a cat wheel, or blow bubbles.

Another fun option? Play hide and seek. Place a toy under a blanket, then move it around—your kitty will be naturally intrigued by the movement and try to “hunt” it, Bundy says. Another option: Hide yourself behind a door or the couch, then wait for your kitty to find you. When she does, reward her with treats or toys.

Things to Avoid When Playing With Your Cat

Here are a few things experts caution against when it comes to kitty paytime.

• Lasers/flashlights: You might be tempted to use a laser pointer or a flashlight to get your kitty to run around. But, while initially fun, these kinds of chase-the-light games can ultimately be frustrating for cats since they’ll never actually be able to “catch” the light.
• Becoming prey: Avoid using your own body parts—like fingers, toes, hands, and feet—as this teaches your cat that it’s OK to bite and scratch, Dr. Sehaj Grewal, a Los Angeles-based veterinarian who runs The Melrose Vet says.
• Choking hazards: Never use small, sharp, or easily swallowed items, like tinsel, rubber bands, and strings, that could be potentially dangerous to your cat’s health. “Be sure to replace damaged or fraying toys so cats don’t accidentally swallow pieces,” Miller adds.
• Unsupervised play: Remember to always supervise your cat when she’s playing with toys—and remove them when you can’t be there to keep an eye on things.  
• Forced play: It's not always playtime. “Don’t force play when your cat is tired or uninterested, as this can lead to stress or aggression,” Grewal says.
  

What To Do If Your Cat’s Not Interested in Play

Cats are fiercely independent—they do what they want when they want. As such, your kitty may not always be interested in playtime, even when you’re doing your utter best to pique her interest with an enticing toy. 

“Cats can vary in their motivation to play, but all cats—if provided with the right opportunity—will play and benefit from doing so,” Bundy says. “Understanding the specific likes and dislikes of your own cat can help determine which method or play style works best.”

If your cat is not interested in play, you may just need to make some adjustments. For example, make note of the time of day when your cat is most active—often, early in the morning or the evening—and try to engage in playtime at those times, Grewal says. Also, cats have very different preferences when it comes to play styles, so you may just need to find the right toy or technique.

Rotating your cat’s toys regularly can also help maintain novelty and keep her interested, Grewal says. For food-motivated kitties, incorporate treats into playtime or use food puzzles to entice them. If your cat is shy, consider a toy on a string that allows her to keep her distance, Miller says.

Finally, if all else fails, give your cat some space. Create a stimulating environment that’s filled with toys, climbing structures, and safe spaces for your cat to explore, then let her do her own thing. She may end up playing on her own, but she may also just need some downtime.