Keep felines stimulated by having them hunt for food

My felines have so many toys to stimulate their "pounce drive" and activity level to keep them fit, I am convinced the stockpile could be sold to a secondhand store for felines.

Leaving out toys for your felines to play with, either alone or with each other, is important to keep them interested, engaged and fit. If we do not provide this stimulation, we are allowing them to become the sleeping lions of the household. They will become lazy and easily sleep 16 to 18 hours a day.

Just be careful that the toys you leave accessible are safe for self-play. That means no wand toys, feather toys or dangling string or yarn.

Though playtime (solo or interactive) with you or other felines is important to keep your feline in good health, it is not the end-all to avoid boredom.

Our felines are natural hunters, so think of how we feed them. We offer them a bowl of dry kibble or a plate of wet food, and perhaps some hand-held treats that they may not even have to sit for. My point here is that we have removed the hunt or the challenge to find food.

You might characterize this easy retrieval of food as removing the "pounce drive." Is that not one of the instincts we so admire in our felines? We have removed their primal drive to chase, catch things and get more exercise.

You can get your feline's motor purring again by making food (main meal or treats) more interesting to get. If you have a cabinet foraging feline, you already know what I am eluding to. Your feline seeks what is inaccessible as a challenge, thereby finding mischief.

Let us try to inspire your feline to hunt or play hide-and-seek for his food. There are different techniques you can try to mimic this behavior. There are several food-dispensing toys on the market that can challenge your feline. They require him to dig with a paw, tongue or head tap to gain access to the food or treat. You can also use low calorie treats to stimulate the behavior and exercise without adding calories.

If you are not sure if your feline will respond to this toy, try a "scatter test." I ask my felines to jump or pounce on a step stool, appropriate table or extra counter space for their scattered treats. I firmly believe they enjoy working for their food. The behaviors they demonstrate are very hunt-like and kittenish. The show really gets entertaining when they bump heads or paws attempting to retrieve the same treat.

Feeding at more than one location will also inspire your feline to hunt and get exercise looking for food. I would even suggest not feeding the same treat or food at the various feeding stations in your home. The different flavors will keep your feline on the move.

When we stimulate our felines' own natural instincts to hunt for food, we are enhancing their environment. We are also encouraging the basic traits and personalities we admire in them.

In short, we are helping our felines stay happy and healthy, and perhaps lengthening the time we get to enjoy their company.

Featured felines:

• Angel is a small, long furred female tuxedo. Angel was found as a stray on a lady's doorstep. The lady took her in and found that she had an ID chip. She was able to get a phone number for Angel's owner, who lived in Texas.

Her owner said she had given Angel to her mother. When contacted, the mother said that Angel had been turned over to a no-kill shelter and must have escaped from the shelter. So Angel is now staying with Buddy.

She is a very quiet and affectionate cat that likes attention. She is currently in one of the adult cat rooms and is receiving enough attention that an escape from Buddy is very unlikely, unless you come in to help her escape to her new forever home.

• Iris is a small, black and white female. She was found in a parking lot before being brought to the shelter. She is a very active little girl who likes attention and loves to play.

Don't let her size fool you, though. She spent a couple of weeks in a pair of condos before moving into Room 1 with cats that are much bigger than she is. Iris will stand up to any of them.

Come in and spend some time with this feisty little girl and help her burn off some of her energy.

Upcoming:

Bring your pets and children for photos with the Easter Bunny from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, in Arlington Heights. There will be raffles, an egg hunt, a bake sale, adoptions, photos with the Easter Bunny and more. $8 per printed photo. For information, visit thebuddyfoundation.org.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit 501(c) 3, all volunteer, no-kill animal shelter. For information, call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.