Bored cat?

Question

I'm a university student on a budget, so does anyone have good ideas on how to keep my cat occupied while I'm out of the apartment without spending lots? Unfortunately, getting another cat to keep her company isn't an option. She has catnip mice and loves balls made out of paper or aluminum foil, but I'd like something more entertaining to keep her from getting too bored when she's alone. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

How about a paper bag (cut the handles off first) or a box, cut some holes in it and make her a house.. hang a catnip mouse in it etc.. mine always liked newspaper lightly crinkled up, they'd jump in it and on it and hide under it...
To this day mine also love fabric ponytail elastics, I find them all over the house..

Take a few things out that are small and easy to move around, you'll be surprised at what she will play with.

Answer 2

Wal-Mart has a good, inexpensive selection of cat toys. Mine just adore the balls with the bells in them and also the little furry mice. Heck, we've even taken apart cheap feather dusters and tied the feathers together and hung them with string and elastic from doorways. The eleastic is great because it bounces and appears to fly. Oh! and if your cat is young enough, we used to keep one of our kittens occupied for HOURS by letting the faucet very slowly drip in the bathroom sink. Wasteful, I know, but he was as entertained as we were watching him play with that drip and try to figure it out!

Answer 3

Unless your cat is very young - it will get into the routine of you being gone and will probably sleep much of the day. Be sure to play with her when you do get home.

You can also try those automated toys (they have a base and lure above it which it waves around when it sense motion.) But I'm not sure I would worry.

If she has a window to look out of, cats are really good at watching the world go by - they love to do that.

Best of luck!

Answer 4

I just got a cat the other day so I've been doing some reading. You can get balls that you can hide food in. The ball is made so that they have to be clever to try and get the food out. You could also try hiding treats around. He'll probably be able to smell them and go nuts looking for them.

Answer 5

Tie a few toys to strings and dangle them from door knobs and the like.

Place several toys in a small cardboard box and seal the box. Cut holes that are just large enough to admit a cat's paw but too small for the toys to fall out.

If one of your windows lets in a lot of sun, arrange a shelf so she can nap there.

Answer 6

1) get a small colar bell and just attached to a thick string and hang over the door nop or handle.

2) Get some string and stread the ends, making somewhat like frills of strings

3) mt cats loves bags, those plastic supermarket bags that makes lots of noise

4) Stripes of plastic/ cardboards/ cards and they will just chase them around, like kicking a ball.

Answer 7

hang some rope or ribbon from the door handle,

and keep changing the toys every couple of days, so she doesnt get bored

also if you have the money get a kitty tunnel, that thing is the best 50 bucks iver EVER spent!

Answer 8

try to buy her jut a small thing for her to climb just a samll one also ty buying her one of those sticks and the strings with the mouse atached they are some in the dollar store and tape it or hang it somewhere so shell be distracted

Answer 9

Candy in a wrapper, pin-pong balls anywhere in the apartment, even in tub. Those are toys they will play with by themselves.

Answer 10

get one of those round (like a big hollow donut) toys with the ball inside that they can swat around...sometimes mine spend hours trying to get that ball!