{"id":1781,"date":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/s37407.p1377.sites.pressdns.com\/resources\/101-things-to-do-with-your-cat\/"},"modified":"2025-04-10T02:01:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T02:01:06","slug":"101-things-to-do-with-your-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/101-things-to-do-with-your-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"101 things to do with your cat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Although cats are often thought of as low-maintenance pets, they can become irritable if not given enough stimulation. For the sake of your kitty&rsquo;s health and your family&rsquo;s overall happiness, this list of 101 fun things to do with cats will get the job done:<br>&nbsp;<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Teach your cat to walk on a leash. It might take some patience on your part, but this is a great way to let your indoor cat safely experience the great outdoors. <\/li><li>Take your newly leash-trained cat to the park and explore.<\/li><li>Or try out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shopwarriorcats.com\/products\/warrior-cats-scratch-cat-backpack?variant=41132066996247\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cat backpack<\/a>!<\/li><li>Trim kitty&rsquo;s claws. This is considered more humane than declawing and only takes minutes.<\/li><li>Throw a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/15-cat-birthday-party-ideas\/\">birthday party for your cat<\/a>.<\/li><li><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">Brush your cat&rsquo;s fur &mdash; especially if they have a long coat.<\/span><\/li><li>Dress your kitty up in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/cutest-pet-halloween-costumes\/\">pet costume<\/a>.<\/li><li>Include your cat in family time. Let kitty curl up in your lap while you read to the kids or watch a movie together on the couch.<\/li><li>Absorb some culture and listen to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/the-benefits-of-music-for-cats\/\">classical music with your cat<\/a>.<\/li><li>Take a catnap together and let their purring lull you to sleep.<\/li><li>Go bird-watching together.<\/li><li>Better yet, mount bird feeders outside a window to provide plenty of indoor bird-watching opportunities.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/tips-for-traveling-with-cats\/\">Train kitty to be a good travel companion<\/a> &hellip;<\/li><li>&hellip; and then take a trip somewhere together.<\/li><li>Take a break from your busy day and experience the Zen of staring out a window with your cat.<\/li><li>Invite your feline to sit on the porch with you.<\/li><li>Spread a blanket in the backyard and soak up some sun.<\/li><li>If their temperament&rsquo;s right, take kitty camping. Just don&rsquo;t forget the leash!<\/li><li>Take your <a href=\"https:\/\/go.campendium.com\/rving-with-cats\/\">kitty on an RV road trip<\/a>.<\/li><li>Teach them to give a high-five.<\/li><li>Use empty boxes and paper bags to build an indoor cat playground.<\/li><li>Let them indulge in some catnip &mdash; then sit back and enjoy the show.<\/li><li>Learn to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/a-guide-to-cat-training\/\">clicker train your cat<\/a> and teach kitty some new tricks.<\/li><li>Watch &ldquo;cat TV&rdquo; together &mdash; stare at an aquarium. Don&rsquo;t have an aquarium? Try an oceanic screen saver.<\/li><li>Hide treats or pieces of kibble around the house for your kitty to forage and find.<\/li><li>Take your cat to work.<\/li><li>Make a simple puzzle by hiding some treats inside a lidless plastic bottle.<\/li><li>Plant a pot of wheatgrass for kitty to nibble.<\/li><li>Watch some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/Videosforyourcat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">videos for cats on YouTube<\/a>.<\/li><li>Drag a piece of string or yarn around the house for your cat to chase.<\/li><li>Blow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chewy.com\/ourpets-catnip-bouncy-bubbles-cat-toy\/dp\/181779\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">catnip-flavored bubbles<\/a> and watch kitty go wild.<\/li><li>Repurpose an old T-shirt into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/DIY-cat-tent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">DIY cat tent<\/a>.<\/li><li>Tie feathers to a string or wand and dangle it for some playtime fun.<\/li><li>Rub a slice of lunch meat on some old socks and hide them around the house for kitty to track.<\/li><li>Know how to crochet? Make a variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/premeditatedleftovers.com\/naturally-frugal-living\/10-free-crochet-patterns-for-cat-toys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">homemade cat toys<\/a>.<\/li><li>You can also make some awesome <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/lifestyle\/5-diy-cat-toys-made-from-empty-tp-rolls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">cat toys from toilet paper rolls<\/a>.<\/li><li>Play pingpong with kitty in an empty bathtub.<\/li><li>Pick up a variety of wind-up toys for your cat. Wind them all up and let them go.<\/li><li>Tired of scooping the litter box? Try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Toilet-Train-Your-Cat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">toilet training your cat<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isavea2z.com\/costume-wolf-tail-tutorial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Make a wolf tail<\/a> for kitty to chase.<\/li><li><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">Make a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.catchmyparty.com\/blog\/ribbon-wands-diy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ribbon wand<\/a><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\"> out of washi tape and a dowel rod.<\/span><\/li><li>Bring the outdoors in &mdash; plant a large tray of wheatgrass and place it in a sunny spot for kitty to lounge in.<\/li><li>Make an under-furniture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marthastewart.com\/1537602\/cat-hammock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cat hammock<\/a>.<\/li><li>Does kitty love to hang out with you while you work? Place a cat-sized box on your desk to keep them off your keyboard.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.preventivevet.com\/cats\/giving-a-cat-a-bath-why-and-how\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Turn cat bathtime<\/a> into bonding time.<\/li><li>Teach your cat to shake hands.<\/li><li>Plant an <a href=\"https:\/\/conservationcubclub.com\/bring-the-outdoors-to-your-indoor-cats-with-a-diy-cat-garden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">indoor cat garden<\/a>.<\/li><li>Install some cat-friendly apps on your phone or tablet.<\/li><li><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">Make a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cardboardcathomes.com\/blogs\/info\/build-your-own-diy-cardboard-cat-scratcher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">do-it-yourself (DIY) cat scratch pad<\/a><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\"> out of cardboard boxes and duct tape.<\/span><\/li><li>Use a laser pointer to start a game of chase.<\/li><li>Play some birdsongs to keep your cat entertained.<\/li><li>Make some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/easy-homemade-cat-treats\/\">homemade cat treats<\/a>.<\/li><li>Wad up pieces of aluminum foil for an easy toy your cat will love to bat around.<\/li><li>Waggle your fingers over the edge of the furniture and see if you can pull them away before your cat catches them. (You might want to trim kitty&rsquo;s claws first.)<\/li><li>Move your hand under a blanket and watch your cat pounce.<\/li><li>Make a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/No-Sew-Pet-Bed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">no-sew cat bed<\/a>.<\/li><li>Line the bottom of a cat-sized basket or box with corrugated cardboard and place it in a sunny location. Kitty will love being able to scratch and lounge in the same spot.<\/li><li>Tape or glue several empty toilet paper rolls together. Hide treats and toys in them to make a fun cat puzzle.<\/li><li>Take kitty boating. Once again, don&rsquo;t forget the leash.<\/li><li>Got a koi pond? Wait until winter and then let your cat go ice fishing.<\/li><li>Read to your kitty.<\/li><li>Sing to your cat, or serenade them with an instrument. Encourage them to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9TpIYPUp9Bc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sing along<\/a>.<\/li><\/ol><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cat singing rock\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9TpIYPUp9Bc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"63\"><li>Move a toy under the door and pull it back when kitty dives for it.<\/li><li>Play hide-and-seek with a blanket.<\/li><li>Play tag and chase each other around the house.<\/li><li>Play a piano duet together.<\/li><li>Better yet, teach your cat to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=npDfrzBG7tE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">play the guitar<\/a>.<\/li><li>Build good dental hygiene habits by brushing your kitty&rsquo;s teeth.<\/li><li>If you have wide windowsills, fill one with pillows for sunbathing.<\/li><li>Include kitty in a family portrait.<\/li><li>Build a <a href=\"https:\/\/dadand.com\/diy-cat-tower\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DIY cat tower<\/a> for kitty to climb.<\/li><li>Unleash your kitten on a keyboard and see what kinds of crazy typing you get.<\/li><li>Move the mouse around your screen and let your cat try to catch it.<\/li><li>Mount inexpensive floating shelves to build a cat climbing wall.<\/li><li>Use a <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/human-to-cat-translator\/id464511058\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">human-to-cat translator app<\/a> to hold a conversation with your cat.<\/li><li>Let kitty play in a box full of packing peanuts.<\/li><li>Spend some quality time watching <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2yJgwwDcgV8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Nyan Cat<\/a> together . . .<\/li><li>. . . then make a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=x8oICXD-AGc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Nyan Cat costume for your cat<\/a>.<\/li><li>Make a tiny hat for your cat.<\/li><li>Listen to T.S. Eliot reading his poem, &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/brainpicker\/t-s-eliot-reads-the-naming-of-cats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Naming of Cats<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/li><li>Give kitty cat some space to contemplate the thought of the thought of the thought of his name.<\/li><li>Mesmerize kitty with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Electric-Realistic-Interactive-Simulation-Flopping\/dp\/B086QRHNRG\/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?hvadid=410020507410&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvlocphy=9003476&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvrand=4918562052868749198&amp;hvtargid=kwd-844013913731&amp;hydadcr=7465_11110432&amp;keywords=electronic+fish+toy+for+cats&amp;qid=1686059506&amp;sr=8-3-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySVpYQU9VR09VRFBFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTI0MDI0MzlaS09LMVlDTVRERSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjk2MDA1MThXWTZJMlAxSjdUTyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">robotic fish<\/a>.<\/li><li><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">Dress kitty up for Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19.<\/span><\/li><li>Have a photo shoot with your cat as the star attraction.<\/li><li>Make it even better by putting your cat in a wig.<\/li><li>Start an Instagram feed for kitty and make them a viral star.<\/li><li>Do a <a href=\"https:\/\/cheezburger.com\/64005\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">resistance workout<\/a> together.<\/li><li>Encourage kitty to exercise with interactive toys.<\/li><li>Take your cat for a walk around the house &mdash; carry their food as you go and watch them follow.<\/li><li>Enroll kitty in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lBAt_Oh9gis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">agility training<\/a>.<\/li><li>Build a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/slideshow\/2011\/11\/18\/sports\/19cats_ss.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">homemade cat ramp<\/a> for agility practice.<\/li><li>Compete in a <a href=\"https:\/\/catagility.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">cat agility tournament<\/a>.<\/li><li><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">Create a ball pit for your cat by filling a box with pingpong balls.<\/span><\/li><li>Give your cat a <a href=\"https:\/\/technomeow.com\/best-cat-exercise-wheels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cat-sized exercise wheel<\/a>.<\/li><li><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">Take kitty to visit a nursing home.<\/span><\/li><li>Wrap sisal rope around the legs of an IKEA Rast bedside table for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.we-are-scout.com\/2015\/05\/tutorial-diy-modern-cat-scratcher-ikea-hack.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stylish scratching post<\/a>.<\/li><li>Stack several of the Lack tables to make an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ikeahackers.net\/2014\/05\/cat-tree-with-ikea-lack.html#IXzIAeqPvLFl7Tpw.32\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">easy DIY kitty condo<\/a>.<\/li><li>Have multiple cats? Stack Ikea doll beds to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apartmenttherapy.com\/before-after-ikea-doll-bed-does-double-triple-duty-reddit-204333\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">make feline bunk beds<\/a>.<\/li><li>Take your kitty to a big box pet store. Let him ogle the mice and parakeets.<\/li><li><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">Reward kitty with a <\/span><a style=\", sans-serif\" href=\"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/cat-food\/cat-frozen-treats-diy-popsicle-catsicle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">chicken-and-tuna-flavored catsicle<\/a><span style=\"color: initial;, sans-serif\">.<\/span><\/li><li>Finally, nothing beats a good, old-fashioned petting session with kitty curled up in your lap.<\/li><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for some fun things to do with your cat? This long list of ideas will keep kitty super-busy and extra happy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":913,"featured_media":57827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"enable_toc":false,"care_reviewed_by":0,"care_post_updated_flag":false,"care_updated_date":"2024-08-01 00:00:00","last_update":"2024-08-01","view_count":111385,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1065],"member-type":[4],"vertical":[7,25],"platform":[2],"class_list":["post-1781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cats","member-type-all","vertical-pets","vertical-pet-care","platform-resources"],"acf":[],"created":"2015-12-21","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/913"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1781"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":216025,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781\/revisions\/216025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1781"},{"taxonomy":"member-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/member-type?post=1781"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=1781"},{"taxonomy":"platform","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/platform?post=1781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}