Yes, you can teach an old cat — or any cat for that matter — new tricks. You’ll enjoy a closer friendship with your cat if you spend 10 minutes a day in one-on-one play. It’s good therapy for the both of you. Here are some favorite cat activities that require your participation:
Flashlight tag. At night, shine the flashlight beam against the wall of a darkened room and watch your cat take off in hot purr-suit. Or just dim the lights in a room after dinner. Make sure the area has been catproofed so that your feline doesn’t knock over anything or run into anything as he chases the light beam.
Hide and seek. With your cat next to you, toss a small treat across the room. As your cat zooms after this tasty prey, slip around the corner out of view and call her name. When she runs to you, reward her with a treat and plenty of praise. Repeat this a few times each day until she gets the idea that it is time to play “find my owner.”
Murphy in the middle. My youngest cat, Murphy, loves to play before an audience. When people are around, she will rush to her scratching post in the living room and let out a loud m-e-o-w! as she wrestles a catnip mouse to the ground. That’s my cue to solicit a visiting friend to play Murphy’s version of a cat-chase-the-mouse game. Murphy sits in the middle of the floor. My friend and I sit about 10 to 12 feet apart on either end. We toss a catnip mouse so that it just barely clears Murphy’s ears. That’s Murphy’s signal to start leaping and snagging the airborne mouse in midflight. Each time she “scores,” we lavish her with praise, applaud, and continue this tossing game until Murphy starts grooming herself. That’s her way of saying, “Enough fun. It’s time to look glamorous.”
Follow the feather. Take a peacock feather — or even a long shoelace with a toy mouse tied to the end — and run up and down the hallway. Let the feather or shoelace travel on the floor right past your cat. In no time, she’ll be up and joining the chase. Once you have mastered the straight hallway route, you can expand to include the twists and turns of your rooms and stairways. Continually call your cat’s name and heap on praise with each catch she makes. It’s a great aerobic exercise for the both of you.
The Fine Art of Feline Meditation
Cats have natural know-how when it comes to avoiding stress and staying relaxed. We could learn a lot from our cats. They never lie. They never pretend. What is often mistaken for being aloof or independent is refreshingly mentally positive. Cats walk away from abusive situations and rude people. They go to a quiet, warm, secluded spot. They don’t tolerate a stressful situation and let it affect them physically or mentally.
We need to respect our cats’ need for solo time. This private time gives them a chance to recharge and renew themselves. Let me illustrate. When you spot your cat sitting by a window or in a favorite sunny spot, it’s easy to assume she’s just being lazy. But my animal behaviorist friends tell me that cats actually meditate. They tune out the world and exist in the here and now for short periods of time. It’s called the art of silence. When they do this, it clears their mind, reduces their heart rate, drops their blood pressure, and brings them a sense of calm.
So, instead of disturbing them, take a lesson from them and give yourself 5 to 10 minutes each day of pure,
uninterrupted solitude. Let your cat teach you how to cope with stress.