Cat Enrichment Archives

How to Engage your Cat’s Foraging Instincts With This Fun Cat Food Puzzle

cat playing with food puzzle made with egg carton

Last updated April 11th, 2021

Feeding your cat with food puzzles is a wonderful enrichment activity that encourages natural foraging behavior, prevents boredom and provides mental stimulation for your cat. Your cat wants to work for food and you can show him how. Follow the below tutorial to make your cats their own cat grass puzzle feeder.

” Whatever he has on his plate must be tastier than mine,” says Charlie the cat. “I will eat a few morsels, then move onto Ollie’s plate, it looks like he has more,” says Sly Pie the little Tuxedo kitty.”
The Chirpy Cats

This is the daily suppertime scenario at the Chirpy house, or at least, this is what I think the cats are thinking. We have Mr. Food Thief Scarf and Barf Charlie trying to steal food. We have ADHD Ollie taking a bite then darting off, and Sly Pie trying to snatch Ollie’s leftovers. Yes, feeding 9 cats is like watching them playing musical chairs with their food bowls. If we’re not vigilant, there’s always one cat who has eaten more than his fair share, and another cat feeling a little shortchanged.

how to get your cat to play with old toys

Last updated April 12th, 2021

Breathe new life into your cat’s old toys with just a touch of mystery, creativity and knowing what your cat wants.

As a cat owner, you’ve probably found your fair share of treasure troves of your cat’s forgotten old cat toys under the couch or fridge. Perhaps some toys have suffered the inevitable unfortunate fate of being sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. Or sometimes they just lie around, looking tired, sometimes tattered and mostly forgotten.

Until you trip over one and stub your toe against a chair. Perhaps it’s time to do something about those cat toys!”

15/12/2019
The Lady Cat
25 Comments
Cat Enrichment
cat Christmas tree, cat DIY, cat enrichment, Holiday cat decor

Last updated February 26th, 2020

If your household is ruled by a furry tree dweller, guess who cannot resist climbing the Christmas tree every year! Yes, Tigger has his sights set on diving into some tinsel and hanging precariously from a branch of your pristine Christmas tree. Nothing is going to stop him, not even the thought of losing his balance and feline dignity when it all comes crashing down. But there is a solution to this madness. Yes! Read on for how to make a Christmas tree for your cats.

02/12/2019
Chirpy Cats
18 Comments
Cat Enrichment
cat enrichment, cat science, honeysuckle wood, olfactory enrichment

Last updated January 30th, 2021

Tartarian honeysuckle is another great way to enhance your cat’s olfactory enrichment experience. If your cat gives catnip the cold shoulder, spoil your cat with some Tartarian honeysuckle which has similar effects to catnip.

He watches from the sidelines as his friends roll around doing the familiar and much-loved catnip dance of ecstasy. “Some cats have all the luck” he ponders as he yawns and walks away disinterested.
George, the Teetotaler of the Chirpy Cats

There’s always one cat in every multi-cat household that is immune to the effects of catnip. With only roughly 70% of cats responding to catnip, how do we cater to the other approximately 30% of cats feeling shut out of the party? Luckily for these cats with a bad case of FOMO, there is another way they can experience a similar frenzy of ecstasy. Tartarian honeysuckle wood may just be the cat stimulant your cat was missing out on all along.

Halloween tortie cat walking through the catio tunnel

31/10/2019
The Lady Cat
17 Comments
Cat Enrichment
cat garden, catenrichment, catio, catvine, halloween

Last updated December 9th, 2019

The Chirpies always enjoy their tunnels in the catio especially when their humans are present. In between garden cleanup, I decided to keep some cuttings of the sunflowers, Swedish Ivy and Cosmos stalks. Why? Well, when you live and breathe cat enrichment ideas, you don’t pass up an opportunity to let your imagination run wild! A combination of olfactory enrichment, Halloween and a setting from the TV series, Game of Thrones.

gray tabby cat sitting among halloween DIY cat toys

29/10/2019
The Lady Cat
18 Comments
Cat Enrichment
cat DIY, cat enrichment, catcrafts, halloween

Last updated September 10th, 2020

These DIY spider toys for cats are the perfect props for loads of fun at the Halloween salad bar.

Give last year’s mini foam pumpkins new life by transforming them into furry eight-legged beasts to taunt your kitties in their sleep. These little spiders have just the right mix of cute and creepy and can be suspended above your cat’s Meowloween salad bar for curious paws to whack around.

tortoiseshell cat sitting next to water fountain meowlloween salad bar

24/10/2019
The Lady Cat
22 Comments
Cat Enrichment
cat grass, cat salad bar, cat vine, meowlloween

Last updated September 18th, 2020

Transform a cat vine stick or catnip stem into a witch’s broom for your cat’s Meowlloween salad bar. Interesting natural textures and scents that your cat is naturally attracted to provide plenty of enrichment for bored kitties.

At the Chirpy Cats house, we start preparing our indoor cat salad bar when the days are cooler and life in the catio garden winds down, preparing for winter. This is the perfect time to collect stems, vine twigs, and dried grasses from the garden to make an assortment of cat’s delights for indoor cat enrichment. Not forgetting the catnip harvest which will provide catnip throughout the long winter months. Add to the drama of your Meowlloween salad bar with these cute DIY mini witch’s brooms.

tuxedo cat sits next to cat statue in the catio

15/09/2019
The Lady Cat
15 Comments
Cat Enrichment, Catio DIY Inspiration
cat enrichment, cat garden, cat habitat, catio essentials

Last updated February 20th, 2021

Turn your catio into an oasis of tranquility and enrichment for the cats with cat-friendly accessories and props.

Like a parent watching their child starting their first day of school, you proudly watch your fur kits as curious paws take their first tentative steps into the wilderness! Within minutes they leap with confidence from perch to perch in their new catio. Your cats finally have a taste of freedom in a safe cat enclosure and they’re loving their newfound territory. Bravo!

But just as you furnish your house to make it a home, adding a few essential catio accents can recreate the perfect setting for the ultimate in cat enrichment. Whether it’s for long morning bug watching out in the grassland savanna or relaxing at the oasis you will have fun creating your ideal catio habitat.

Quirky cottage garden or minimalist zen? Or how about a bit of both? There are catio garden accents to suit any style, mood and space.

Cat Enrichment

Your Cats’ World, Enriched, Inspired. The pathway to

your cat’s heart is through understanding his world.

How to Engage your Cat’s Foraging Instincts With This Fun Cat Food Puzzle

Bring your cat’s toys back to life with Sheer Fun for Cats

How To Create an Enrichment Christmas Tree For Your Cat’s Delight!

How honeysuckle can uplift your cat to another level of olfactory enrichment

Beyond the Dark Hedges, A Meowlloween Mystery!

Enhance Your Cat’s Playtime with these Frighteningly Cute Pumpkin Spider Toys

How to Make Mini Witch’s Broom Cat Toys from Textures and Scents your Cat will Love

9 Awesome ways to bring your catio to life with these catio accessories