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The captivating kitten (and the importance of interaction)
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Kittens find play in everything
Truly captivating!
What in this world is more adorable than a kitten at play, as is very well demonstrated in this video: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3375896/9449928.
But the antics of kittens isn't just for our entertainment (although you have to admit, they are amazingly entertaining to watch). Believe it or not, those moves, twirls, leaps and aerobics are a kitten's way of learning to hunt and survive. They are a natural instinctive behavior (infused with baby-bumble cuteness) that Mother Nature gave the cat to learn stalking, stealth and capture techniques... and avoidance in a bad situation.
Now I come to the reason for all this, which is not to learn what makes kittens so cute, or why they act the way they do (although in many ways that's an important thing to know if you own a cat), but why you as the kitten/cat owner need to understand the importance of play and interaction with your feline.
As you saw in the video, kittens are the epitome of play. Playing not only does all the aforementioned, but helps build strong bones and muscles, which in turn keeps Miss Kitty healthy throughout her life. That is, as long as she doesn't become a lounge-about-food-obsessed-fat-feline (which is up to her owner). From the time your cat is young, a regular play regime should be forever worked into her schedule--and yours. This is vital for your cat, especially house cats and/or single cats. Interactive toys, such as the Cat Dancer are a great way to get Kitty hopping. Hey, you might not like to exercise, but Kitty loves to play, and play is exercise (yes, play can be good exercise for us humans too, but you might look a little silly chasing a ball around the floor or batting at a fake mouse. If you're alone or don't mind looking a little silly, go for it).
Multi-cat households often have plenty of play going on. Cats play with other cats, kittens play with other kittens and so on. Sometimes this is enough, as several cats running about the house chasing each other back and forth can have great benefits, and the interaction is very important. But if you have a lone feline, you have to be the "other cat." You have to play with Kitty, whether it's getting her to bat a rolled up piece of paper around the floor, chase a string or leap new heights with a cat Dancer or other interactive toy. Make time every day for your cat. People assume cats are aloof loners that need nothing more than food thrown in a bowl and a scritch under the chin once in awhile. And I cannot count the number of fat cats I have seen in my years working with felines. It's astonishing. It's also extremely unhealthy. Cats are susceptible to diabetes and any number of obesity related diseases, just as people are and it's often up to the owner to make sure this doesn't happen.
Besides daily exercise , you can help stave off the fat cat blues by feeding your cat a proper nutrtious diet (that is, one meant for CATS... canivores who require meat and meat by-products to survive). Look at the labels on the cat food before you buy it. Meat should be at the top of the list. Vegetables and corn and other fillers should ideally not even be on the list at all, but if they are, they should come in at the bottom. Kitty treats should be kept to a minimum and no, or very little, human food.
Just like us, your cat needs diet and exercise to maintain health. So, make time for lots of play, but don't forget the fun stuff like brushing, massages (see my article on that subject), pets and kisses.
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