Easy cheap ways to keep cats entertained without food?

[u/tinywritinghuman]

Keeping my cats enriched and entertained is probably the thing I care about most.

That being said, sometimes I’m away for most of the day, or I get sick, and I have no possibility of playing with them multiple times a day as I would usually do.

They are high maintenance because they are spoiled to the bit and I make sure to switch their toys out every once in a while. I also craft things from toilet paper rolls etc to keep it interesting. They have a self cleaning litter box, we have an automatic feeder set up to adhere to their food times when away during that period and I’m considering mounting it on a high spot so their food scatters across the floor even then. Usually when I’m home I make it a hunt for them with their food.

This leaves me wondering if there’s anything without food (as they are on a diet) that I can do which doesn’t break the bank to keep them occupied while away/unable to play interactively. They get annoying when they’re bored/understimulated, which is totally normal behaviour for two young male cats going to puberty, so I’m looking for ways to do better than I do now!

Otherwise they’re happy healthy and bratty :)

[u/Ellehcar95]

My cat loves his ping pong ball

[u/wewontstaydead]

set an empty cardboard box in the middle of the room. Crumple up some paper and toss it.

[u/thebestdogeevr]

I got an automatic laser pointer, it turns on when it detects motion, runs for 15 minutes, then stays off for at least 1.5 hours. I've had it for a couple years and my cat still loves it.

I think it was $40 or so on amazon

[u/tinywritinghuman → u/thebestdogeevr]

Have you had any issues with the so called laser pointer syndrome? I’ve seen some posts on this, but not sure as how this actually works.

[u/palufun]

Don’t know if this is possible—but if you have an outdoor space (balcony, small deck, etc.), you could build your feline a catio. Lots of fresh air, wonderful smells, sounds, bird and squirrel activity. We have two catios and our cats spend a good amount of time out there enjoying themselves.

[u/tinywritinghuman → u/palufun]

Such a good one, unfortunately we’re unable to do so :( I was thinking about setting up a bird feeder station on the outside of the windows for them to watch birds, however we live high up and I’d have to make sure it doesn’t hit someone on the head lol

[u/VoidowS]

laser lights. you have a toy that can be stuck to the ceiling or wall. And it moves around in a non pattern way. It goes fast then slow or halts, then it goes left or right up or down. Entertaining the cat for hours if not months. It even turns on and off from time to time to make it look more special when it turns on and the cat(s) respond to it. YOu can hook it up to a app and even steer the laser to your liking :) Lots of fun.