City of Carrollton, TX
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Feline DIY Enrichment
Enrichment is essential for cats and kittens of all ages and keeping your cat’s environment as exciting and stimulating as possible will promote a happy and healthy life.
The following are great DIY projects that will keep you and your cat entertained and busy. Please ensure that you are always closely and actively supervising your cat(s) while DIY items are accessible. If your cat attempts to ingest an item, remove it immediately from their mouth.
Food Enrichment
Making mealtime fun, challenging, and interactive for domestic cats is a great way to satisfy their innate instincts and curiosities. Every meal is an opportunity for enrichment!
Reach Feeder
- Toilet paper rolls (3-4)
- Shoe box with lid or soft drink box
- Pencil or pen
- Sharp knife
- Cat kibble or treats
How To:
- Using a pen or pencil, trace the end of the toilet paper rolls on top of the lid; repeat in different locations on the lid, one outline for each roll.
- Using your knife, cut the holes out on the lid. Make sure to cut along the traced lines – if the hole is too big the roll will not be sturdy.
- Slide rolls into each of the holes, and place kibble or treats into each roll. Give to your cat!
Slow Feeder
What You’ll Need
- Toilet paper or paper towel roll
- Sharp knife or scissors
- Cat kibble or treats
How To:
- Using a knife, cut holes on the side of the tube, making sure they are large enough for the kibble or treats to pass through.
- Place the kibble or treats inside the tube, tape or fold the ends and give to your cat.
Muffin Tin Cat Puzzle
This enrichment puzzle is fantastic because it's so simple, but really works a cat's brain. It literally takes you less than five minutes to put together and is a great way to feed your cat their regular kibble.
Grab a muffin tin, some small fluffy balls (or small toys, and a few cat treats or kibble). You can put these in every tin and cover it with one of their mice or small ball. Or as your cat gets better with practice, only put the food in a few tins but cover them all with their toys. You can even play this game with egg cartons or ice cube trays to make the difficulty a little harder!
It's a great way to work their sense of smell and practice problem-solving. I had Zsa Zsa try it out while I was writing this article. Both of our cats loved it! What's also great about this enrichment puzzle is it can replace their food bowl when you put kibble inside.
Environmental Enrichment
Environmental enrichment is all about creating a fun and safe place full of a variety of toys and spaces that will help banish boredom. Explore your options at home and think of all the horizontal and vertical levels and spaces that can be utilized to accomplish this.
Bird TV
For some easy enrichment, create a comfortable place by the window for endless entertainment. Additionally, you can do an online search for “bird TV for cats” for cat-friendly videos to display on a screen for them.
Easy Cat Toys
What You’ll Need:
- Various – check the video!
How To:
Build a Cat House or Tunnel:
What You’ll Need:
- Cardboard boxes, various sizes (large enough for your cat)
- Sharp knife
- Non-toxic glue
How To:
Build a Cat Maze
What You’ll Need:
- Cardboard
- Sharp knife
How To:
Cat Enrichment Recipes
BAKED CHICKEN CAT TREAT
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup shredded chicken
- 1 jar chicken baby food
- Optional: shredded sardines
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl
- Spread onto baking sheet in an even layer
- Bake for 50 minutes
- Cool, then cut or break into bite sized pieces
- Keep refrigerated
TUNA CAT-SICLES
INGREDIENTS:
- Canned tuna, packed in water
- Water
- Fun silicone popsicle mold or ice cube tray
DIRECTIONS:
- Place some bits of tuna into the mold section
- Fill remainder of section with water
- Freeze
SUBSTITUTIONS: Shredded/canned chicken or turkey
CAT NIP TEA
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon dried catnip
DIRECTIONS:
- Add catnip to hot water and steep until cool
- Strain using cheesecloth or a strong paper towel
- Serve about a ¼ cup serving into a shallow bowl
- Store remaining tea in the refrigerator
Cat Safe People Food
Carrots (soft-cooked)
Chicken (skinless, fully-cooked, NO BONES)
Baby food (made with cat-safe ingredients)
Beef (lean, fully-cooked)
Broccoli (soft-cooked)
Green beans (soft-cooked)
Eggs (fully-cooked)
Pumpkin
Salmon (fully-cooked)
Tuna (fully-cooked)
Turkey (skinless, fully-cooked, NO BONES)
Toxic Human Foods For Cats
DO NOT GIVE ANY OF THESE TO YOUR CAT
Avocado
Chocolate
Coffee
Chives
Garlic
Grapes
Onion
Raisins
Yeast
*Dairy - should be avoided due to high fat content and potential stress on a cat’s digestive system