Cats get bored easily, and while they love routine, they also crave mental and physical stimulation. Therefore, we’re going to help you supercharge your playtime with your cats! Since there are many great ways to do this, we’ll focus this post on one resource specifically - using the Hide and Sneak cat tunnel to engage and entertain your cat. Try the following tips, then send us your videos and you might be featured on Dezi and Roo’s Facebook page!
Tip #1-
If you already have a Hide and Sneak, make it new again by folding it up and putting it away for a few days. Cats, like most people, get bored quickly when given one thing to do or toy to play with. This is why it is important to offer variety and rotate toys on a regular basis. Only leave the Hide and Sneak out for a few days at a time. Reintroducing the Hide and Sneak days later will re-ignite your cat’s curiosity, making it novel and fresh again, and keep it from becoming old news.
Tip #2-
Change the shape into a new kind of cat tunnel. Partially opening the Hide and Sneak to resemble the shape of a box is a great way to repurpose it too. Or pushing down the middle of it when fully extended to make two shorter tunnels is interesting and new. In fact, many cats will do this on their own! Check out some cats who decided they like the Hide and Sneak better folded in the center. Changing the shape is a simple way to convince your cat they have a new toy.
Tip #3-
When your cat is in the Hide and Sneak, encourage her natural hunting instincts by giving her something to prey upon. Try running a finger along the outside of the bag portion while she’s inside, or dragging a wand toy around the entrance to give her something to grab at. You can even try shining a laser or flashlight along the side to encourage your cat to pounce on it. They will think it is a crawling bug that needs to be caught! Peek-a-boo is a great game to play with your cat and the Hide and Sneak is the perfect tunnel for this game. Have fun together and get creative.
Tip #4-
Make all good things happen in the hide and sneak. Give your cat something new and fun to discover each day in their Hide and Sneak. Try sprinkling a bit of their kibble inside as a meal, or adding new toys the next day. Sprinkle a little bit of your cat’s favorite herb like catnip or Cloud Nine inside and let them enjoy their time with it alone. You can even place a branch collected from outside or leaves and grass inside the Hide and Sneak to give your cat a true outdoor camping experience. Sometimes we put an old folded up towel inside our Hide and Sneak, and it becomes Olive’s new den for several days; she’ll even drag her favorite toys inside!
Tip #5-
Shape a room’s landscape to be a new adventure by adding a Hide & Sneak. We all like variety and cats are no different. Move your Hide and Sneak to a new room to give your cat a whole new experience of that room and their favorite toy. Some prefer it to be situated in a quiet room while others enjoy playing in high traffic areas. Relocating it to different locations in your house will allow your furry baby the opportunity to explore all options. Many cats enjoy lounging in their Hide and Sneak while on top of a sturdy table, sofa or bed. Just make sure it is not so high off the ground as to cause injury if it tumbles off. Covering one end or attaching the Hide and Sneak to a box at one end may make it more fun for some cats to hide in.
TIP #6-
Add a little bit of you. If your cat, like many, has decided that their Hide and Sneak is a great bed, try adding an old t-shirt or pillowcase that you’ve slept on to bring your scent to the tunnel. Cats have a sharp sense of smell and find security and comfort in items that have their family’s scent attached. Placing something that has your odor on it inside the Hide and Sneak will help your cat enjoy it even more.
We all know how easily our indoor cats become bored and how difficult it is to keep them entertained. They need a constant landscape of new toys in their lives and a variety of ways in which to play. We hope that our tips on how to supercharge the Hide and Sneak brings exciting new ways for your cat to have fun. Play is a great way to promote exercise, activity and wellness for our furry four-legged friends and indoor cats need lots of it. That is why the Hide and Sneak is so good for them - it makes them happy! Tell us how your cat likes to play with her Hide and Sneak.
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