Getting the most out of playtime

Your cute little kitten is ready to hunt at all times. If they pick up the right combination of movement and sound, they'll find it hard to resist pouncing. It's a great idea to indulge this natural instinct so they don't start pouncing on you, your clothes or your furniture!

Play is an essential daily activity – especially for indoor cats. Spending time with them is a wonderful way to bond – and it’ll keep their mind and body healthy and active too. Here are some great ways you can use play to provide stimulation for your little one.

Toys

Your playful little kitten will love all cat toys including catnip mice and sacks, bouncy balls, balls filled with toys, feathers and anything on a string. They'll especially love anything that you can make move, twitch or disappear out of sight! You won’t have to play with your kitten for very long before they start displaying all their natural hunting instincts as they stalk and pounces on their toys.

Games you can play together

• Hide and seek – cut a hole in a cardboard box, and see how your kitten enjoys playing and hiding in it
• Mouse on a string  – your kitten will love having something dangled in front of them that they can't quite reach
• Feather tickling – you’ll both have great fun as your kitten tries to catch the feather (just watch out for those sharp little claws!)
• Feline fishing – your kitten will love chasing anything tied to a piece of string; pull it away from them and just watch them pounce!
• Perfect pouncing – a cardboard tube will give you and your kitten endless entertainment, especially if something pops out of the end!

During playtime, don't forget to let your kitten win every few rounds. If you don’t, they'll get quickly frustrated that they can't satisfy their natural hunting instincts.