Exercising Your Kitten
Regular exercise is essential to help keep your cat fit and healthy, and is critical to preventing your kitty from gaining excessive weight. Kittens may seem like they don’t need to be told twice about playing-even just watching them jump, chase and climb is enough to tire us out!
In this blog below, we’ll discuss the different ways you can help stimulate your kitten and maintain their health.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats
A couple of weeks after they receive their vaccinations, you may decide to start letting your kitten venture into the great outdoors. If you decide to do this, you won’t have to worry too much about them getting enough exercise. Cats will instinctively roam, hunt, climb and explore, giving themselves quite a workout in the process.
If you decide to keep your kitten indoors, you may find yourself working a bit harder to ensure they have an outlet for their natural predatory instincts, such as hunting, climbing and scratching. Your kitten also needs exercise to keep them fit and healthy, which can be achieved through play. All cats love to play, but for ones who live indoors it’s especially important.
Playing With Your Kitten
1. Chase Toys
Playtime is one of the best ways to help keep your kitten active. Chase toys are a great way to keep them entertained; pouncing, grabbing onto, or simply swiping at the toy with their paws is an effective way to keep your cat active. Their whole body will be working as they playfully run around your home.
Always go at your cat’s pace and don’t overdo playtime as they may injure themselves, especially when they’re so young. Exercise in bursts of ten minute periods before relaxing and letting them take a break. All cats, but in particular kittens, can get bored easily, so keep it entertaining by swapping different toys and objects that are available to your kitten.
2. Cat Scratchers
Multi-tiered cat scratchers provide your kitty lots of options for climbing, jumping, and playing, making them great for keeping active.
When choosing a cat scratcher, make sure to pick one that is big enough for your cat stretch their whole body. Your cat will want a good scratcher that they can sink their claws into. Cats scratch to relax, reduce stress, and to ‘blow off steam’. Most cats love the texture of sisal, a fibrous rope made from the agave plant. It doesn’t catch onto cats’ claws, and is extremely durable—no matter how hard your kitten will scratch!
3. Interactive Toys
Interactive toys such as M-PETS Dizzy Cat Toy or the KONG Cat Laser Toy are great ways to keep not only your kitten’s body active, but also their mind. Keeping playtime interactive with a laser toy (just be careful not to point the laser in your cat’s eye) or a toy that omits sounds can keep boredom at bay and provide plenty of stimulating entertainment.
4. Hide & Seek
Make your kitten work for the treats by strategically placing them in low-down or high-up spots. Just remember to always feed treats in moderation, and not to let her overindulge.
5. Puzzle Toys
Puzzle toys like the M-PETS Sway Cat Toy Tasty Treat Dispenser are another great option to keep your kitten using their brain while being rewarded with a tasty treat. Always keep the extra food or treats in proportions so that they are getting the optimal nutrition.
