DIy Enrichment For Cats
You don't HAVE to spend money to give your cat play time, stimulation, and enrichment. Here are some of our favorite Do It Yourself at home activities to enrich your cat's life and stimulate their mind & senses at low to no cost!
Have an activity your cat loves and want it to be featured? Let us know!
How to: Our best, easiest, and most affordable way to keep your cat engaged in play is through Toy Cycling! Give your cat a few toys at a time and play with them until kitty is bored. Cycle those toys out and new toys in, putting the old toys COMPLETELY away - out of sight out of mind - and repeat every time your cat is bored. When old toys are reintroduced, kitty will play like they're brand new again!
Lucy's tip: Don't ONLY cycle toys, cycle DIY activities and games too!
Learn all about Toy Cycling here!
DIy Cardboard Scratcher
How to: Don't want to spend money on a cat scratcher? Store your cardboard boxes until you have a handful to make your own!
Put one to the side and measure the height and width.
Cut out pieces of cardboard from the remaining boxes that will fit inside that box.
Stack them vertically from one side to the other TIGHTLY inside the set aside box and you have a free cat scratcher ready to go!
Watch Anna make one for Lucy!
Laser Lightning
How to: Whether or not you play with lasers or chase reflections is a personal choice. (Lucy understands the laser isn't real yet still carries the laser pointer over to us to play with.)
But if you don't want to buy a laser, use the reflection from your phone or a mirror when the light hits it for kitty to chase, no laser purchase necessary!
Floating Food
How to: Fill a shallow dish or pan with some water. Float some jar lids with your cat's favorite dry food or treats on them. Kitty has to get their food while it moves around on the water. Original idea from @milanaperu on TikTok!
Watch Lucy try it here!
Sniff Sniff
How to: Scent enrichment is 100% free to do at home and it's easy. Let your cat smell everything. And we mean EVERYTHING! Cats' noses are extremely strong, but when they're inside all day they get used to the same scents all the time.
Made a coffee? Let them smell it. Got a package delivered? Let them smell it. Cooking dinner? Let them smell the ingredients. Stinky feet from running errands? Give them your socks!