by Nomi Berger
September is Happy Cat Month and what better way to show your feline friends how special they are than by dedicating a full MONTH to making them happier than happy!
As toppings on your celebratory “cat cake”, purr-haps you might consider the following:
Feed Kitty the Highest Quality Food
As carnivores, felines are happiest when feasting on protein-rich food. If yours aren’t already on a diet where the first ingredient is meat – including various varieties of fish, chicken, turkey, lamb, duck and pork – treat them to some starting now. And if yours are usually fed dry food, remember that canned food is higher in protein and has the extra water cats require.
Keep Kitty Entertained
Most curious cats have their own form of feline reality TV. And it’s as near as your nearest window. If yours crave the sights and sounds of the great outdoors, simply set up a perch or a cat tree beside a window to keep them both comfortable and safe while they watch the birds, squirrels and butterflies “purr-form.”
Teach Kitty Some Tricks
While some guardians may be skeptical, with patience, clicker training and paws-itive reinforcement, your cats may welcome the added mental stimulation and the joy of working for treats. Some of the most popular “tricks” -- touch a stick or your hand; sit; high five; jump on a chair or a stool, and jump through a hoop.
Let Kitty Try Hunting
Having long been used to eating from bowls, a cat’s natural hunting instincts may long to see the light of day. Now soft food pods have been manufactured that allow you to hide their dry food inside small, hidden pockets before placing the pods throughout your home. This allows kitties to literally hunt, track down and consume their “prey” as a novel way of eating their regular, daily meals.
Provide Kitty with Boxes
Definitely a feline fixation, boxes allow cats to cuddle up safely and securely in a private place of their choosing. A box is a cat’s form of a child’s security blanket, and some studies have suggested that boxes reduce stress and help calm shelter cats not yet acclimatized to life in a home.
Stimulate Kitty’s Senses
Catnip, long known for producing euphoria and happiness in a majority of cats, has recently been joined by several other plants that produce a similar effect. To tickle your feline’s fancy, consider trying Tartarian Honeysuckle Sawdust, Cat Thyme, Silver Vine Valerian or Indian Nettle.
Keep Kitty Warm Inside
As the days of September grow shorter and cooler, kitties may start to miss the comforting rays of the summer sun. To replicate this healing heat, provide your sun-starved sweetie with a warming blanket to nap on, or ideally, your own warm lap to snuggle in.
Given a month to fill with HAPPY, every loving feline fancier’s imagination should be happily limitless.
September is Happy Cat Month and what better way to show your feline friends how special they are than by dedicating a full MONTH to making them happier than happy!
As toppings on your celebratory “cat cake”, purr-haps you might consider the following:
Feed Kitty the Highest Quality Food
As carnivores, felines are happiest when feasting on protein-rich food. If yours aren’t already on a diet where the first ingredient is meat – including various varieties of fish, chicken, turkey, lamb, duck and pork – treat them to some starting now. And if yours are usually fed dry food, remember that canned food is higher in protein and has the extra water cats require.
Keep Kitty Entertained
Most curious cats have their own form of feline reality TV. And it’s as near as your nearest window. If yours crave the sights and sounds of the great outdoors, simply set up a perch or a cat tree beside a window to keep them both comfortable and safe while they watch the birds, squirrels and butterflies “purr-form.”
Teach Kitty Some Tricks
While some guardians may be skeptical, with patience, clicker training and paws-itive reinforcement, your cats may welcome the added mental stimulation and the joy of working for treats. Some of the most popular “tricks” -- touch a stick or your hand; sit; high five; jump on a chair or a stool, and jump through a hoop.
Let Kitty Try Hunting
Having long been used to eating from bowls, a cat’s natural hunting instincts may long to see the light of day. Now soft food pods have been manufactured that allow you to hide their dry food inside small, hidden pockets before placing the pods throughout your home. This allows kitties to literally hunt, track down and consume their “prey” as a novel way of eating their regular, daily meals.
Provide Kitty with Boxes
Definitely a feline fixation, boxes allow cats to cuddle up safely and securely in a private place of their choosing. A box is a cat’s form of a child’s security blanket, and some studies have suggested that boxes reduce stress and help calm shelter cats not yet acclimatized to life in a home.
Stimulate Kitty’s Senses
Catnip, long known for producing euphoria and happiness in a majority of cats, has recently been joined by several other plants that produce a similar effect. To tickle your feline’s fancy, consider trying Tartarian Honeysuckle Sawdust, Cat Thyme, Silver Vine Valerian or Indian Nettle.
Keep Kitty Warm Inside
As the days of September grow shorter and cooler, kitties may start to miss the comforting rays of the summer sun. To replicate this healing heat, provide your sun-starved sweetie with a warming blanket to nap on, or ideally, your own warm lap to snuggle in.
Given a month to fill with HAPPY, every loving feline fancier’s imagination should be happily limitless.
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