Looking for your best, most creative enrichment ideas

[Alldara]

Looking for your great most creative enrichment ideas... nothing that's listed on every article and YouTube video.

Anything that keeps your cat occupied for a length of time, but really hoping for anything that's not good focused.

He's done floaty toys, ball in the bathtub, box of paper with or without toys, he goes on walks and we've tried everything listed in generic articles.

Doesn't really like his snuffle mat or treat ball.

 

[iPappy]

It's cliche, but my cats really do get into bird watching. There's a nest being built near a window and they are enjoying the process thoroughly. I haven't found any toys or games that keeps them as entertained as this.

 

[Margot Lane]

…along with birds, a fish tank can be endlessly intriguing. (But then of course you have to keep the tank clean, etc.)

 

[Docs Mom]

And the cat out of the fish tank !

 

[maggie101]

Looking for your great most creative enrichment ideas... nothing that's listed on every article and YouTube video.

Anything that keeps your cat occupied for a length of time, but really hoping for anything that's not good focused.

He's done floaty toys, ball in the bathtub, box of paper with or without toys, he goes on walks and we've tried everything listed in generic articles.

Doesn't really like his snuffle mat or treat ball.

I have an Echo so I say Alexa,meow! Then she makes meow sounds or Alexa baby meow. I use alexa to play music to calm her down. I have wand toys with attachments but I don't use the attachments so it looks like they're chasing bugs on the ground

 

[game misconduct]

live crickets or other feeder insects in a vented mayo jar gf not to happy seeing it but graycie sure loves it

 

[Alldara]

live crickets or other feeder insects in a vented mayo jar gf not to happy seeing it but graycie sure loves it

It's this best day ever when a fly gets in so I believe it!

Worth a try. I'll get a cricket at PetSmart and release him outside after a day!

 

[RTR]

I have 5 cat trees all in front of windows! And three have Bird feedrs in front of them! ( "Cat TV" ) They get most excited when a chipmunk eats the dropped seed! Keeps them busy for hours everyday! Ihad a fish tank a few years ago, but two fell in! One never did it again, but one found out he could catch the fish! Ha !

 

[Alldara]

iPappy R RTR yes they have space to watch birds actually we've had a little woodpecker coming by for awhile! Hoping to see babies soon. We've also had male and female Cardinals this year.

Margot Lane I'd love to get him one but i am not in a place to prepare a tank yet I'll want to do a planted tank so that I can limit cleaning as I'm afraid of fish. (I lost a fish down a drain when I was pet-sitting once! - I now know the fish shouldnt have been in a bowl and it was in too small a space but I still feel nervous!)

 

[pearl99]

Every June the Miller moths come through, lots of them, and I let a few in the house during the time they are here and they have a blast chasing them. Of course this is limited to the first part of the summer, but it's good while it lasts.

 

[game misconduct]

It's this best day ever when a fly gets in so I believe it!

Worth a try. I'll get a cricket at PetSmart and release him outside after a day!

better to just let kitty eat the cricket you might end up with a horde of chirpping crickets to annoy your aleep all summer if its a pregnant female

 

[CakesCats]

If you have the space available this is the best thing we ever did for our cats. We bought a dog kennel and opened it so that it’s against our house then put a pet door in the window and stairs down to it. Keeps them safe and the birds safe. They love watching the goats and The goats love watching them lol

Indoor toys they LOVE the worm toys that come with “da bird wand” whether it’s in the wand or just loose to play with.

 

[Alldara]

game misconduct in 2020 we had a cricket get in to the hot water heating. It lived there all season (must have been eating smaller bugs and it can travel up and down the whole row since the heating is off in the summer). I don't really want to let one loose due to that they can sing outside. I don't mind. Birds wake up here early anyway.

C CakesCats Unfortunately we are in a rental and cannot do something similar. He does come out on walks with a harness. If we are out for awhile he has a playpen as well.

 

[cassiopea]

Galaxy/Star projector? I've heard and see these be huge hits with kitties, with all the twinkling and the lights. Plus they are customizable so can control what projects. And a bonus for the human too! Very and soothing if one enjoys that sort of thing.

I have one myself and some of my muffins really like it.

Hopefully this wasn't mentioned already in any articles or videos, I haven't went to check or anything!

 

[cmshap]

And the cat out of the fish tank !

Yes!

I actually have an empty aquarium which I intend to populate soon, and I actually want to figure out some DIY option to allow a cat perch in front of it, while somehow "hardening" the tank against cat intrusion.

I had a smaller aquarium earlier in my cat's life and he could stare at it forever. But I had to supervise him always.

 

[susanm9006]

One game Willow loves is digging toys out of the sofa seat cushions so every few days I stuff some of her favorite toys down there so she can find them. She also likes tearing apart the cardboard rolls from toilet paper or shredding a piece of tissue paper so I alternate having those out. Messy though.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

I am following this with interest. I always thought it would be great if there were a website that had 30 days of free/cheap enrichment ideas, or something like that. Since novelty seems to be key.

One thing I have done is to cut holes in a cardboard box or two to make a little fort. And then make different holes the next day. When Juno was a kitten, I would also tape multiple soda boxes end to end to make a cheap tunnel, and then once she was inside, I would dangle a toy above one of the holes at the top that's there for carrying the box. I also play Treat Treasure Hunt where I hide treats around the house (mostly along her hitty highway). But I wish I had more ideas.

 

[iPappy]

Every June the Miller moths come through, lots of them, and I let a few in the house during the time they are here and they have a blast chasing them. Of course this is limited to the first part of the summer, but it's good while it lasts.

When Lila was a kitten a firefly got into the house. Her eyes were the size and shape of UFO's

 

[cmshap]

I am following this with interest.
But I wish I had more ideas.

Let me just add a word of general advice... you are going to have to change the enrichment constantly.

Cats get bored of things, and inevitably, you find one day that the thing your cat used to go nuts for suddenly stops showing interest in.

I trade toys with friends/family with cats. When our cats each get bored of something, we swap them with each other. This comes with the added bonus of the toys coming with the scents of other cats which makes them more interesting (this won't apply to all cats -- it might stress out some cats -- but all of ours seem to like it).

I should also note that all of our cats are strictly indoor, and we all know they are disease/flea/etc. free. So we feel safe swapping toys.

 

[Alldara]

cassiopea I haven't tried it! I'll look in to it. This is honestly one I've not heard of in my two year long search.

susanm9006 Yes, Magnus loves ripping up tissue and craft paper so I'll try stuffing a toilet paper roll with it like you suggest. Maybe even a treat inside as encouragment. I don't mind mess. It's either mess I let him make or destructive mess and I'd rather mess I let him make.

Juniper_Junebug They do kibble hunting when we go to bed! It's a favourite night time activity here. I've started to get creative by hiding it under toys sometimes.