Articles

Cats are practically born playing. Within a few weeks of life, kittens start pawing and pouncing on their mothers' tails or ears, and then graduate to wrestling and chasing each other—and soon afterward, nearly anything that moves!

In fact, cats are designed to play. Their keen eyesight and lightning-quick reflexes prepare them for hunting, and it makes sense from a survival standpoint that they would enjoy practicing skills which keep them alive in the wild.

Though cats tend to mellow as they get older, most maintain a lifelong capacity for playing. If presented with interesting play opportunities, senior cats may even be inspired to act quite kittenish!

In domesticated settings, humans' role in fulfilling cats' play requirements is vitally important, especially in single-cat households. Kitty's human companions have a responsibility to see that the resident feline gets plenty of rewarding playtime.

Because play is such a central part of a cat's lifestyle and well-being, and because there are so many aspects to accommodating your cat's playing needs (and demands), we're launching a new series devoted to cats' play—with special emphasis on cat-human interactive play. We'll cover everything from the physical and mental health benefits of play to techniques for playing with older and handicapped felines; from cats' playing styles to making sure that playtime is safe yet satisfying (possibly thrilling) for both cat and non-cat participants.

More coming soon!