The first time I moved into my own little house in the rural area, I found an unfortunate amount of mice who wanted to “share” the house for the winter. I went to the local animal shelters (5 to be exact) and finally found just who I knew belonged to my household. A kitten. Not quite a year old yet. Sweet & playful with great potential.
However the first time I NEEDED this kitten to be mouser, he literally laid down on the job. He looked up to me sweetly, and then just barely saw the mouse as it zipped by us both.
Now that was enough to peak his interest. However I knew, in the meantime, we’d have to practice some mousing skills, so this kitten could be the great hunter his potential promised.
This is one reason that I know that cat toys and daily playtime do make a big difference in a kitten’s life. Even if you have a barn cat, a feral cat, or an indoor/outdoor cat, however it's possible for you to playful & gently interact with your cat and allow their natural skills to awaken, then that's the place where we build strong bonds & connections.
Perhaps it's not always as obvious as with dogs, but a little known fact is that cats do want to please or impress their people. Cats are still communal beings. They may not be known for large groups, but even having a couple of extra beings in your pride, prowl, ambush, or clowder certainly can go a long way in securely reigning over your territory.
When cats can bond with little to no efforts, for them, that's their sweet spot. Natural skills like purring, charm, or playing & hunting are some of the most common ways cats spend time bonding. When we take the time to honor these skills, response with a scratch or a treat or positive attention, then we've begun to nourish a stronger bond with our cats.
If we can step up our attention span into daily playtime, then we find our cats bring forth a more robust side of themselves which had else wise been slumbering. The times where cats succeed at hunting, even in playtime hunts, we see their confidence grow. Confidence is what makes the king of the jungle, truly the king. Playtime with our cats is a rare & unique bond, that I absolutely recommend. At Keep Up Creations we make handcrafted pet toys, because we believe that playtime really does matter.
All those years ago, I was just looking to gain a great mouser. And I did. But I also gained a best friend. A playmate. A coffee break buddy. A guardian of the well being of my house & home. Investing in playtime with my kitten changed my young household for the better.
Auntie K