Cats are pure balls of fur-ry joy! They are social animals who love to engage and connect with their owners. These furballs usually choose to do that by playing with their owners. They seek attention and care, all while engaging in playful activities that are meaningful sessions.
Play time can both be educational and calming for cats. Interactive play is a significant notion for cats where you and your cat get along, while also teaching them important prey-actions. This is usually brought about using interactive cat toys. General play time is ideal for pampering your little feline pal and bonding with their little kitty hearts. A strong bond between you (the owner), and your cat pet is a healthy bond to treasure. Incorporating the right cat toys can often help you build trust and create stronger bonds with your feline pet.
In this blog, our experts at Petbites introduced the importance of cat and human bonding, while also discussing the effective cat toys for bonding and overall well being!
Understanding the Importance of Play for Cats
Playing is an important practice for cats. This is because cats are social pets by birth. They crave playtime that includes leaping, pouncing, running, rolling and chasing. All these movements make them great at maintaining their inbuilt personality as natural hunters. During playtime, all cats from kittens to senior cats, sharpen their ability to hunt and prey.
They use their random bursts of energy to help them tame the boredom and conquer their playful minds. Therefore using the right toys can help your cat excel in their hunting skills. For example, a cat following a rolling ball mimics the act of a cat chasing its prey. If your cat is following your fingers as you draw in the air, this is interpreted as a sign of focus your cat has on following their prey. So, playtime is vital for your feline friend.
Play time is also ‘exercise’ for cats in their world. Vets and pet experts suggest that at least 30 to 45 minutes of playful exercise per day is important to keep your cat happy and engaged. Maintaining this momentum can help cats retain their wild side, all while building stronger bonds with you!
Choosing the Right Cat Toys for Bonding
Choosing the perfect cat toy is important for cats. What your cat likes may not be amusing and enjoyable to your cousin’s cat. This is because cats have their senses triggered over certain types of toys than all of them. Therefore tracking down the ideal cat toy can be very essential. But how do you do that? Let’s find out!
Cats, like humans, function according to their visual appeal. They love what they see! If your cat is attentive when you show them an attractive toy, this means they are visually stimulated. Visually stimulating interactive cat toys are great toys to introduce to your kittens as they would grow to love their play time.
Similarly, if you have already noticed hunting skills demonstrated by your cat, try introducing toys with olfactory triggers like catnip toys. These toys give out an enticing smell. Studies say that only 55-75% of cats react to catnips. However, catnip cat toys are natural and sensitive and can be an ideal alternative for your cats.
You can also consider remote controlled cat toys to leave at home for your cat’s playtime, especially when you’re away from home. This can help you keep your cat interactive until you’re back to cheer them up!
However, our Petbite experts also suggest that you consider facts such as your cat's age, energy levels, enthusiasm and personality, as you invest in a cat toy!
Types of Cat Toys and their Purpose
In the pet world, cats have gained lots of recognition and demand over the years. This can introduce a diverse range of toys for cat owners to choose from. Here are 07 types of toys that you can consider, along with its purpose for your cat!
Interactive toys: These toys keep your cat on their feet, all while you also play with them. Introducing interactive toys to their lives can help them strengthen their natural abilities to hunt!
Plush Toys: Give your cat the luxury of a plush toy, allowing them to cuddle inside them. These can be helpful when you’re not around for your cat to feel more loved and touched. Great for wellbeing and comfort!
Catnip Toys: Trigger your cat’s senses with some high quality catnip infused toys. These are great for cats who respond to olfactory stimuli. We suggest catnip cat toys as an interactive cat toy, as they give your cat mental stimulation and happiness.
Teaser Toys: As the name suggests, this cat toy is meant to tease your feline pal, making them active and sometimes aggravated. The dangling attachments from these teaser wand toys can elevate curiosity, while helping your cat keep focus. Great for your cat’s wellbeing and to maintain interactive play sessions.
Chew Toys: Keep your little furballs' dental health intact with a chew toy that they can keep chewing all day long. Your cat is going to love the squishy feeling he gets as his teeth are left free from plaque and tartar.
Hide & Pounce Toys: Made to mimic the actions of the cat and prey game, these toys help your cat enhance their hunting skills. From stalking, hiding and pouncing these cat toys are interactive and create greater bonds with your pets.
Ball Toys: These cat toys can come in so many patterns and forms. Ball toys can be made of plastic, with a bell or without a bell. They can also be fluffy and rubbery, giving your cat an extra chew. If you are out in the park, taking a bouncy ball toy is sure to make your feline pet bounce around in happiness!
Cat and Human Bonding Benefits
Bonding is a two way phenomenon where both the cat and the owner are interactive and connected throughout the game. It can be quite thrilling and enthusiastic for you and your cat to enjoy some pure love and connection. Research states that this has its benefits both to your cat and to you. Here are a few of the bonding benefits we think you should know as cat owners:
- Cats are nurturing and can help reduce human stress. They help humans release happy hormones, and have a calming effect on their owners. This can help risk of heart disease and ease out daily tension!
- Affects emotional wellbeing in humans. The cat’s purr is calming to hear and can be therapeutic. A cat curled up on your lap can also help ease anxious thoughts and loneliness.
- A forever to go companionship! Cats are loving and will always be there for you to listen to your late night grievances or to simply curl up with you on a lazy Sunday. The more you bond with your feline, the more you will appreciate time together.
- A cat’s presence is a mental stimulation for Humans. With our busy schedule, we are attuned to solving problems and looking for solutions every day. With cats in our household, humans can break the boring sequence and take a step back to watch their cat and bond with them!
- Cats love you! If you bond with your cats every day, these feline furballs are sure to love you forever! They will stay by your side and give you their kitty love all day long!
Petbites Cat Toys for Your Cat’s Playtime
Looking for some cool cat toys to invest in? Here are some of our favourites from Petbites!
Kong Crackles Gulpz Cat Toy
KONG Crackles Gulpz’ is a go-to cat toy if your cats are all about hunting. Its crackling sounds and shiny body are going to tingle your kitty’s senses. Watch your cat have some wrestling fun with the elastic-tied rattling fly all day long.
Kong Crackles Scoopz Cone Cat Toy
KONG Crackles Scoopz is a fun ice cream toy in which the top is attached to the cone using an elastic cord. This stimulates your cat’s hunting senses, as they wrestle to pull apart the design.
Kong Tweezerz Cat Teaser
KONG Teaser Tweezerz is an interactive cat toy with 2 wands connected to each other. You can play and interact with your kitten by twisting this wand, allowing the free end to create tempting motions for your cat to pounce on. The colourful fluttery features and pompoms will keep your cat running around. Cheers to rounds of endless fun!
To Conclude:
Cats speak straight to our souls! As cat owners, it’s our responsibility to give them the love and care they need. Yes, shelter and food is mandatory but so is playtime. Cats use play time to bond with their owners and build trust. To help this beautiful process, cat toys are essential. Cat toys come in many shapes and sizes, and are made to interact with your cat. Investing in the right cat toy can help build cat interactions and bonding.
Remember, being around your feline friends can be a calming comfort to us humans. So appreciate these little furballs as they have truly mesmerised moments in our lives making it better and better every day.
If you are a cat owner or if you are looking to gift your cat loving friend some interactive cat toys, head over to petbites and check out the coolest cat toys you can ever ask for!
