Are cat toys unnecessary?
Cats have loved games since they were little. When they have not touched real prey, games are their main way to practice hunting skills, and it is also a survival instinct of cats.
In addition, cats’ love of games will not diminish with age, and domestic cats’ love of games will even increase day by day because of the absence of playmates and prey. This can also be used to explain why some pet cats are very keen to torture their small prey. Domestic cats are reluctant to end the hunt when they finally encounter a prey, because they lack hunting activities for a long time. So it is necessary to create a hunting environment with cat supplies for them.
Benefits of playing cat toys:
1. Satisfy the cat's hunting psychology and maintain the integrity of life
Hunting is an essential part of cats’ life. The basic principle of cat toys is to meet the hunting needs of cats and maintain their nature. If there is no prey to chase and bite for a long time, an optimistic kitten will become depressed and bored.
2. Establish a sense of control and confidence
Cats also have a sense of territory, and they also have the psychology of chasing and hunting foreign "objects" that invade their territory. To play with cat toys is to construct a scene where prey invades and cats successfully hunt and kill it! This is very important for building the cat's self-confidence and strengthening the cat's sense of control over the environment. It also helps the cat to integrate into the cat owner’s family environment: an environment completely owned by him, and a sense of accomplishment of successful hunting, which cat is not willing to stay?
3. Prevent cats from scratching and biting
Cat scratching and biting family members' hands, feet, slippers and other behaviors are mainly due to the fact that the cat owner does not provide cats with scratching and biting toys. Choosing a cat toy to interact with the cat can effectively train the cat and let the cat understand: what can be scratched and what cannot be scratched. If the cat does not have toys to play with, it will appear to scratch and bite.