How To Get Your Cat To Play By Itself (And What Works Best!)

It’s not easy to figure out how to get your cat to play by itself.

Most cat owners will attempt to spend at least 30-60 minutes with their cat during the day. This can include training the cat, giving it treats, and just playing with a wide array of cat toys.

This is fine, but it can become difficult to maintain when you have to go to work or school.

This means it’s essential to learn how to get your cat to play by itself because that will allow the cat to remain entertained even when you’re not there.

The benefits include:

  • Ideal for Self-Soothing
  • Keeps the Cat Active
  • Ideal for Psychological Well-Being

If you don’t figure out how to get your cat to play by itself, the cat will remain bored throughout the day. This can make it solely dependent on you for happiness and that’s the last thing a cat owner wants!

You should teach the cat to play by itself and have fun even when you are not there.

This guide is going to show how to get your cat to play by itself along with what investments are going to go a long way in making this happen.

Best Cat Laser Toy for Cats (EDITOR’S CHOICE)

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Tips On How to Get Your Cat To Play By Itself

Tip #1 – Set Up a Cat Laser Toy

This is one of the more entertaining toys a cat can enjoy when you’re not home.

Before leaving, just set up the cat laser toy and turn it on. The cat laser toy is going to have the cat chasing shadows for hours on end and it will have a blast!

This is a great solution that is simple to set up, affordable, and isn’t going to hurt the cat as long as it’s put in a safe part of the living area.

The benefits include:

  • Build the Cat’s Hunting Instinct
  • Ideal for Mental Health
  • Fun

Lasers have long been associated with cats and playtime.

This is something you can take advantage of because it’s going to intrigue your cat. This has to do with the cat’s natural instinct to chase after something.

If you are trying to learn how to get your cat to play by itself, you will want to start with this investment. It is going to be a game-changer and you will notice a shift in the cat’s behavior even when you are not there.

how to get your cat to play by itself

Tip #2 – Install a Cat Enclosure Outside

Have you taken the cat outside in recent times?

While a lot of cat owners aren’t going to be comfortable with letting their cat out at night, why not set up a simple cat enclosure in the backyard?

This is a wonderful way to let your cat have a bit of fun in a controlled environment. You will be surprised as to how much fun a cat can have when it’s stimulated by the outdoor environment.

A cat will feel more stimulated by sights and sounds outdoors, which can kickstart their desire to play.

When a cat doesn’t get to experience this all the time, it’s going to be inclined to play even more.

This is something you want to tap into as a cat owner because it will work like a charm!

Whether your cat is lazy or always wants to play with you, it’s time to head outdoors to mix things up a bit. The change should work and let your cat enjoy itself throughout the day.

Tip #3 – Buy Cat Toys

When learning how to get your cat to play by itself, you want to set up cat toys in a playpen.

Yes, the cat may not want to play on its own, but you aren’t making it easy by not having toys available for the cat to enjoy.

This is a serious problem because cats do need things to be stimulated by. When outdoors, they are going to find other animals to chase after, but that’s not always possible indoors.

Simple cat toys that a cat can play with on its own go a long way in getting it involved in independent activities.

As a result, you want to set up cat toys around the home.

These cat toys or even something like a cat scratching tree is going to be a great start.

It will let the cat have something fun to do and you won’t have to be around all the time.

how to get your cat to play by itself

Tip #4 – Let the Cat Roam Around

Are you letting the cat roam around other parts of the house?

Some cat owners become restrictive when it comes to where the cat can go. This is often down to safety, but you do have to open things up a bit.

Simply cat-proof other rooms and let the cat go in.

The newness of those rooms will get them excited and that should help with their physical activity.

Final Thoughts

As you learn how to get your cat to play by itself, you will realize it’s not always as difficult as you think.

Simple changes are going to go a long way in winning over the cat. Instead of having it rely on you, these changes are going to have the cat playing on its own in no time!

Make the changes and buy the right cat toys for your cat at home.

Here are additional articles to go through when it comes to entertaining your cat – giving catnip to a cat, quality outdoor cat enclosure for cats, great rope for cat scratching post, and how to get a cat to focus.