Boredom and frustration in your kitten can quickly be taken care of using food puzzle balls. Add to that a water fountain to drink from, and your kitten will soon be the envy of the neighbourhood cats!
Food puzzles for kittens
Boredom is one of the leading causes of bad behaviour in cats and this behaviour can start from a young age. Giving your kitten a puzzle ball to play with in order to get food will not only keep them from getting bored, it will also ensure that they get a lot of exercise while they’re indoors. (For instance those rainy days when going to play in their backyard enclosure just isn’t an option.) This will, in turn, keep them from becoming overweight — a problem that is seen more and more in pets.
There are many different kinds of food puzzles that you can entertain your kitten with. Some of them are manufactured, but you can also use some DIY skills to make your own puzzles. (If, however, you are unsure in any way of what you can and can’t use, first do your research.) Even just a bit of dry food in a paper bag turned on its side can be a fun and entertaining meal for your kitten.
Food puzzles are also a way of slowing down the pace of eating. Therefore, if your kitten eats too fast, a food puzzle will help to slow them down and decrease the chances of choking and overeating.
A rolling puzzle, like a puzzle ball, for instance, will definitely capture your kitten’s attention — especially when they see the food appearing from inside it!
Photo by Unsplash.
Water fountains for kittens
Many kittens prefer drinking from moving water rather than just water that sits in a bowl and that can become stale quite quickly. Instead of having to open your tap for your kitty, rather get a cat drinking fountain.
These drinking fountains circulate the water — meaning it doesn’t just become stale — and give your kitty a moving water source from which to drink. There is a wide variety of water fountains available for cats and kittens, but be sure that you don’t buy one that is too high for your kitten to drink from!
Keep a bowl of water out when you just start to use the fountain, in case your kitten is wary of it for a while. That will ensure that your kitten doesn’t get dehydrated while you wait for them to start using the cat fountain. It also helps to put the fountain where your kitten is used to drinking water.
Reward your kitten when they drink from the fountain to encourage them to keep doing so. After a day or two, remove the other water bowl and only use the drinking fountain for their source of water. If you have a large home, a few water sources may be necessary to ensure that your kitten gets enough fluid, as they are not big water drinkers.
Remember also to keep the water in the fountain fresh and clean the fountain regularly to avoid any algae and germs from collecting. It’s best to change the water on a daily basis even though it is moving water.
If it is very warm — like some of the heat waves we’ve been having — keep a close eye on the level of water in the fountain and refill as necessary during the day.
