March.  The days are a little longer, but it’s still too cold to open a window.  It’s been a long winter, and everyone is getting a little stir crazy, including your indoor cat friend.  Even the newest cat toys are ignored in the basket, and your fiery feline companion is bouncing off the walls.

Almost everyone has heard about a cat “playing” with a mouse before killing it.  That behavior describes a built-in predatory drive.  Relying on a cat’s hunting instinct, play that offers a “reward” can satisfy that drive and coax even a bored cat into frisky antics.

Puzzle toys, toys that have a built in “come apart” features, and surprises offer the treat of an interactive component that relates to these innate predatory drives.  Here are a few quick and simple homemade toys bound to entertain.

Totally Tubular: Fold over one end of a toilet paper or paper towel tube.  Snip in a few holes into the cardboard that are about the size of your cat’s kibble.  Pour in a small amount of kibble (be sure not to over-feed), then fold over the second end to enclose the tube.  Roll it around, so your cat sees how to access the edible treat inside.

Rip it Up: Secure velcro to two soft toys, fastening them together.  Nestling a treat in the velcro “pocket” also adds extra pleasure to the act of ripping it apart.

Surprise: Hide kibble (or a pinch of nip) in various locations for your cat to find.  Start with a favorite spot to ensure the treats are discovered.

These homemade approaches can entertain even aloof cats.  Unlike laser games, which are entertaining but more teasing in nature, puzzle-play creates an opportunity for cats to “earn” part of a meal through an activity, much as hunting would satisfy both hunger and play instinct.

As always, use caution with toys-  monitor playtime and avoid sharp, small, or easy-to-swallow objects.   Remove and dispose of toys that become worn out.

Play time!