The Way of Cats

Have I confused you?

Good!

Now you know
what your cat
will think,
when you
amuse them with:

The Konfuse-A-Kat kit,
available only
through
The Way of Cats.

In my own quest to keep my Cat Boys happy and occupied, the biggest challenge has always been finding the right toys. Of course they will continue playing kitten games like mouse destruction, sponge ball hockey, and batting around a bird substitute; some things never get old!

But, as they mature, they also want more from their games.

They want something to puzzle over, figure out, intrigue them, and engage that famous cat curiosity.

When I went looking for games like that… there weren’t any!

My contest inspired me to a special challenge. Can I come up with a game anyone can play with their cat? A game that would keep the cat’s interest, give them stuff to think about during their downtime, and inspire communication and closeness?

Yes, I can. And I did. And I made three of them!

Any person can play. Any cat will be interested. And any level of closeness can get more closeness.

Check out my posts, below, as I explain how these games have been working for my “field testers” in my own home.

Creating Interaction

Last modified on 2008-12-28 22:33:18 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Cats love feeling in control of their environment. Giving them opportunities to influence our behavior will increase their confidence and security.

Here, we see RJ taking the advantage and rolling the die in one of my Konfuse-A-Kat games.

We roll the die and do something; he rolls the die, and we do something again.

This game, called Gesture, is played with a die that displays the words rock, paper, and scissors on the various faces.

By throwing the die, and using the appropriate gesture to pet the cat, we have a petting game that will draw them in.

We are laying the foundation for blending our verbal language with our body language. By saying the names of the different gestures, we give the cat a good reason to learn them.

RJ likes the game so much he can be lured from one room to another, simply by my making the three gestures, silently, with my hands.

When I announce the game is starting, Mr. Bond will appear and join in. If Puffy is going by, he gets roped in. This is a great bonding game for multiple cats.

Giving the cats something to enjoy, together, is always a good move to promote harmony.

So make gametime something that every cat can enjoy, even if we have to choose a new toy for each cat.

Encourage the cats to be happy in each other’s presence, even if some of them do not interact much.

Make sure we have a good time, too.

That’s the recipe for a happy cat family.

Find out more about Konfuse-A-Kat.

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There’s more ways to get our cat to be affectionate in The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my CAT AFFECTION posts.

RJ and the Abstract Noun

Last modified on 2008-09-06 00:03:54 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Reverend Jim had a breakthrough the other day.

He showed understanding.

RJ was a very deprived cat when we got him. Like humans, lacking a rich environment for experimentation and play can result in a mind that struggles with symbolic concepts.

We might not realize it, but cats use symbolic thinking all the time. They know those fake mousies are fake, and inedible. They know the grocery bag might contain treats, even if they can’t see the treats. They know the suitcase means we might be going away, even though they don’t know where or why.

RJ has learned words like “breakfast,” “dinner,” “hungry,” “Mr. Bond,” and “Puffy.” A while back I had refreshed their water bowl, and had already set the bowl down and was leaving the room when I noticed him, sitting expectantly on the kitchen floor, wanting something. I said, “I just put new water in the water bowl,” as I had many times before.

He looked over at the water bowl. He had learned a new word!

We have made a special point of telling him these things, because, unlike our other cats, he has trouble picking it up from context. Most cats will observe us closely, looking for clues that something we are doing is going to involve them. When we talk to the cats, we give them an opportunity to match our verbal cues with our body language. This is how they learn words.

The other morning, RJ appeared for breakfast. Too early, as usual. I rolled over and ignored him. When he came back at the right time, I greeted him with, “Do you want something?”

Always before, I had taken care to use specific words to help him learn. I was ready to follow up more specifically, but this time RJ reared back and stared down at the floor. This is when he is thinking. He has to work through it. He knew I was telling him something, but he didn’t know what.

But before I could expand on my question, it was as though the sun had come up in his face. He bounced over, all excited. Yes! He wanted something!

“Something” had dawned on him. He had mastered the abstract noun.

I am used to asking the other cats, “Do you want something?” and them showing me what they want. I am not supplying the specifics; they are glad to do so. But until that morning, this question would only puzzle RJ. He was not picking out any words he recognized.

But now he has made the connection between “something” and the concept of something he wants.

I’m sure he’ll be using it over and over again.

Find out more about how the Konfuse-A-Kat dice games are helping all my cats feel close to their humans. I used the game Abstract Nouns to help him with his learning in this area.

Got here from a Link or Search? There’s more to raising and training a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CAT TRAINING TIPS.

Magic in Them Bones

Last modified on 2008-12-28 19:15:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I am fortunate enough to have Mr. Bond, a very bright cat, in my household. He has challenged me to keep his intellectual side happy, since the usual cat toys, while appreciated, do not have the level of fascination and intrigue which he prefers.

He loves to come up with “affection games,” all on his own, so we can demonstrate our devotion towards each other.

Konfuse-A-Kat Kit: Research in Progress

Since I wouldn’t recommend anything I haven’t tried myself, The Cat Boys have become my field testers for this new kit, especially designed for those cats who are shy, timid, new to people, or need work on their communication.

That last category covers everyone!

As you can see, this beginning game is based on Rock, Paper, Scissors, an old favorite. But it’s my instructions that will let you play it with your cat. Even I have been astonished at the power this game has displayed.

Mr. Bond loves playing this dice game.

I’ve always used toys to get RJ out of the hallway and meet new people. He watches them for a little while, and then I get out the bird wand, or roll his trackball around, and he’s out within seconds to play, no longer thinking about the strangers in the living room.

While Mr. Bond and I have been close within minutes of our first meeting, this trust does not extend to other people. While he was always friendly towards Dear Husband, it took years for Mr. Bond to accept him into our Circle of Trust. Strangers? They are friends he figures he can do without.

Even treats will not get him to meet and greet.

But when I took out his favorite dice game while a friend was visiting, it drew him in from the hallway, and he played it right in front of them.

For Mr. Bond, this is huge.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more to The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my LATEST CAT ADVICE.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.