By Jenny Kraemer, Designer at Quirk Books
As my cat transitions from a scrawny, runty kitten to a fussy, hungry adult, I’ve noticed her belly doing some “transitioning” of its own. I tried to deny it for a while (”That’s just fur!”; “It’s her winter weight!”), but enough is enough. The ponch has got to go. But how? Kitty treadmill? Feline diet pills? The answer is simple: exercise! And the Cat Owner’s Manual has plenty of suggestions for whipping that tubby kitty back into shape.
Because of their innate curiosity, cats can turn virtually any household item into a game, toy, or amusement. Sometimes, such play can lead to the destruction of valuable personal property. To prevent this, try any of the following activities.
- One of the best cat toys is a piece of string tied securely to a stick (see Fig. A, next page). You can thoroughly amuse the cat while remaining seated in a chair.
- Place Ping-Pong balls in an empty bathtub and let your cat bat them around. This game is particularly exciting for kittens and younger cats.
- Some felines enjoy exploring paper bags and boxes. Avoid bags with handles (cats can catch their necks in the loops) and never risk suffocation with plastic bags.
- Cats will stalk and pursue a point of light played along the walls and floor of a darkened room. Try laser pointers and/or flashlights.
- A window perch positioned within sight of an outdoor bird feeder provides endless passive entertainment.
CAUTION: Avoid play objects that are small enough to be swallowed, and don’t allow unsupervised play with anything incorporating string, ribbon, twine, etc. Check store-purchased toys for pieces that might detach and be ingested. It is also wise to watch a cat as it plays with a new toy, to see if any unexpected problems arise.
EXPERT TIP: When playing with a kitten or cat, always direct its playful aggression toward toys. Never allow them to pounce or smack at your hands or other extremities. They may get the message that launching attacks on unsuspecting humans is acceptable behavior.
- JK
May 6th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Greetings! Can I, use some pics from your page for my degree work?