Rotation Stimulation

I get bored after a while with my car. I knit for a few months then move on to something else for a time. Many crafters out there have several different projects going on at once to keep things interesting. Why? Doing the same things all the time gets boring. We humans rotate our snacks and treats based on season, sales, and cravings. Do we really expect our majestic kitty to be satisfied with the same feather toy and brand of catnip or cat grass? We have to be a bit more careful with treats and food, but think about this: If you LOVE spaghetti, but you eat it every day for a week, come Saturday, you are probably not hitting up the local Italian place for dinner.

My sister has a lot of different toys for her kitties, and she has some stashed in her home office. I commented on the large collection, and she told me she rotates them when her kitties seem to be getting bored with the toys that are currently in their general play area. I decided to try this at home. I did mine on a weekly schedule plus I would switch out a toy here and there that hadn’t been moved in a couple days. The cats were so excited to get a “new” toy after it had been put in a drawer for a week or two. They played hard and were very energetic. Keeping them stimulated and active can play a very beneficial role in weight and diabetes management. Interactive toys wherein the human gets up are also a boon for our health! That is a win-win. Plus, let’s face it, we cannot resist when those pupils dilate and that little kitty butt starts wiggling before the inevitable pounce! Participate! It’s fun!!

So, it turned out during this experimental time, we could not find our usual brand of catnip and saw some other spacey labeled organic catnip. We got some to try, and when I opened that jar, there were plant parts and little flower pods; it looked like high quality loose leaf tea (ground a little finer, but you get the idea). It smelled absolutely amazing and the cats went nuts. Even my big boy, who is a can-take-it-or-leave-it kitty when it comes to catnip, ate it up and rolled in the rest. We have had the same experiences with different cat friendly plants, and most of the time, the new introduction provides Kitty something different to focus on. Not all kitties will appreciate a change in brands or plants, but I have found that an occasional change has been a good thing. Of course, now the older ones know mama got the good stuff, so now they are REALLY enthusiastic when anyone walks into the kitchen. It makes for a bit of a traffic jam near the “catnip shelf”, but their begging is usually cute and endearing (even if that means Zeus likes to tap me with his sharp sabre-like claws every now and then). He also lies on my hair and steals my pillow. I do not feel the claws are needed to get my attention at this point, but apparently Zeus disagrees, as usual.

If Kitty isn’t excited over the treats anymore, and they are not ill, you might need to change up flavors. Again, I stress this: Food labels for animals are estimates. If a recipe changes and Kitty no longer likes it, it may not have been enough of a change to warrant a label change. This happens all the time even with human food because changing the nutrition labeling costs more which really is not worth it unless the product has undergone a major overhaul to attract new customers. I like to keep a couple reputable brands in different flavors around to make sure we are prepared to entice them if they do not seem enticed to eat, and to give me time to watch them while handing out treats. This helps me see how they are interacting with each other and if there is anything different about their behavior and mobility that may need attention.

Rotation stimulation is a great way to keep Kitty active, spend quality time with Kitty, and make sure they don’t get bored with the same old thing. It is okay to experiment some with treats provided you are testing as you need to, and you are keeping them low carb or even making your own. Treat and play time is a great way to look for changes in behavior, mobility, and personality. Of course, you do not want to miss out on the butt wiggle!

If you need ideas or are looking for some great toys for Kitty, hop online to the Feline Diabetes Support Group and share your questions, ideas or experiences. Someone is always there to answer!