How Do You Intellectually Stimulate a Cat?

Hardly any animal is as attentive as a cat. Your cat observes very closely and knows how to achieve its goal and literally wraps you around its little finger. You can use this characteristic perfectly for a game with the cat. How does it work? It works best with a toy that appeals to the cat’s intelligence and that creates enthusiasm.

What is intelligence toys for the cat?

In nature, cats are constantly exposed to environmental stimuli. They explore and hunt, observe and climb, make social contacts and devote themselves to arguments. But most cats are kept indoors, in a much less stimulating environment. Every cat is intelligent and wants to be challenged. As a cat owner, you can provide variety and incorporate many different stimuli into the daily life of your pet. At Stallbedarf24 you will find a large selection of intelligence toys with which you can promote the natural instincts and character traits of your cat. You will be amazed how attentive the animal reacts to every movement, to various sounds and smells. According to the nature of cats are offered for example

• Play fishing rods
• Balls with food filling
• Interactive toys

Smart toys for cats have a special feature. The cat, provided it has solved the task set for it, receives a reward in the form of cat snacks or its favorite food. Therefore, the most suitable toys are those that allow the cat to work out the food and reward itself in case of success.

Why is intelligent play important for cats?

Most apartment cats are simply under-exercised. A scratching post and a few balls or furry mice are not enough to keep them occupied. The best way to recognize boredom in your cat is to observe its play behavior. As soon as the cat turns away from a toy, it does not appeal to its intelligence and is literally played out. Note: A balanced cat does not distract itself with the destruction of furniture and is a dear, calm and cuddly roommate.

What is intelligence in a cat?

Cats do not have an intellect like humans. Nevertheless, the animals are extremely intelligent and remember things that you think unlikely. You put something away and think that your cat doesn’t even notice it? You are wrong, because thanks to the natural object permanence, the cat knows exactly that a solid object cannot dissolve into thin air. Also the cat recognizes causal connections.

This may sound rather improbable at first. But why do cats jump on doorknobs, for example? The answer is simple. The cat knows that the door can only be opened when the handle is hanging down. On top of that, it knows how to move the handle to the desired position. Albeit to a limited extent, cats can recognize differences in quantity. So they have a memory for numbers, although of course it is not as pronounced as in humans. Cats do have a memory. They can recall memories and transfer the “cognition” to a new situation. All these abilities are a clear expression of the fact that house cats are quite intelligent and by no means underestimated roommates.

The context to the reward promotes acceptance

Why should your house cat get involved with a new toy? The fact is that cats are creatures of habit and often don’t react positively to new things. But if you buy a new toy and give your cat a task, it will almost certainly show enthusiasm. You can encourage the activity of cats by referring to a detail with which you lure every house cat out from behind the stove. Cats love treats and get excited when they smell a delicious reward. To get your cat ready for a new toy and to stimulate his urges, it’s best to use a food that the cat particularly likes. You’ll be amazed at how quickly and unerringly your cat searches for the reward – AND – how quickly he gets to his treat.

Tips for fast eaters: Why cats should work out their food

Many cats can’t savor their food and gobble up treats whole, too. That doesn’t mean you have a less intelligent specimen at home and should forgo the variety of intelligence toys. However, for fast eaters, it is advisable to switch to toys for working out the food. In the beginning, your cat is only driven, because it smells the food and wants to consume it as soon as possible. But soon you will notice that she enjoys the game and that your cat is not primarily interested in the reward. Tip: For overweight cats, the focus is on working out the food. You can save yourself many diets and special food attempts if you simply provide for a varied occupation and end the boredom of your apartment cat.

For very smart cats – the clicker training

Clicker training is mainly used for dogs. But also your cat hears the sounds and reacts to the stimulus, if it brings an advantage for him. Do you want to try something new and clicker train your cat? Then link the sound to another stimulus, for example food. Likewise, the clicker is suitable to increase the stimulus in intelligence toys and reward the cat with a click + a treat for partial successes. In this way, you can not only keep the cat in line, but also ensure that he literally celebrates the game and is excited by the new stimuli. Try it out, your cat is more intelligent than you think and he will thank you for the new play possibilities.