You know when your Mom told you not to play with your food? Well, for cats it’s the opposite. Most of their play skills are also great hunting skills.

Each cat is unique. My Ziggy loves to chase a small ball of foil (exactly the amount that covers 3 chocolate kisses), a ball of paper or a bug. Ruby doesn’t play much, but she will climb. Mojo, after being nanny cat to at least a dozen kittens, prefers to wrestle. They all like cat nip. And they will all chase a laser light.

There is an excellent summary of the options for playing with your cat here.

Best advice — experiment, because kitty will tell you what games and toys she prefers. Also, rotate toys, putting them away in a drawer or cupboard for a few weeks. When you bring them out again, it’s just like new!

And have fun with your playful pet.