Games to play with your cat

Cats play to hunt. These games follow the real hunt, stalk, chase, pounce, catch, then a snack, plus puzzles that make dinner a job worth doing.

60 guides

Chase and hide

Running, stalking, and pouncing games using tunnels, ping-pong balls, and skittering targets to exercise natural hunting instincts safely indoors.

5 games

Game · 5 min

Tunnel sprint and agility for cats: how to play

Sprint and dart through a play tunnel chasing treats tossed inside.

Game · 5 min

Laser chase with a real catch for cats: how to play

Chase a darting light beam that always finishes on a physical plush toy or treat to complete the predatory cycle.

Game · 5 min

Bathtub ping-pong for cats: how to play

Bat and chase lightweight ping-pong balls inside an empty bathtub where curved sides bounce the ball continuously.

Game · 5 min

Crinkle ball toss for cats: how to play

Crinkle a paper wad or sparkle ball and toss it back and forth over your cat's head so they can leap up and snap the flying prey.

Game · 5 min

Treat toss sprint for cats: how to play

Toss crunchy kibble across smooth flooring to trigger predatory chasing, sliding, and an immediate food reward.

Climbing and moving

Active climbing, jumping and agility games that use vertical space, furniture bridges and cat trees. Build balance, confidence and muscle while satisfying your cat's instinct to climb.

10 games

Game · 10 min

Living room balance beam for cats: how to play

An indoor obstacle course built from household items. You lure your cat over, under and through the obstacles with a highly desirable toy or treat.

Game · 5 min

Cardboard box steps for cats: how to play

Turn a few cardboard boxes into levels for your cat to explore, climb and hunt treats in, rewarding each small step on the way.

Game · 8 min

Cat tower sprint for cats: how to play

An active climbing game on a tall, sturdy sisal tower: warm your cat up with a wand toy around the base, then let them power up the post to scratch at full stretch and stretch out at the top.

Game · 5 min

Cat tree treat hunt for cats: how to play

Hide dry kibble or healthy treats in various areas of a sturdy cat tree so your cat hunts and climbs the whole tree to find them.

Game · 10 min

Wand, ball and toy rotation for cats: how to play

A short floor-level movement game: drag a wand toy slowly away, roll a ball for your cat to swat, offer a toy they can catch and toss, and swap toys to keep everything new.

Game · 8 min

Box mountain hide and pounce for cats: how to play

Build a low hill from cardboard boxes and a small cat tent, then hide treats and move a toy so your cat climbs, hides and pounces in and out of it.

Game · 5 min

Low hoop leap for cats: how to play

Teach your cat to step and hop through a hoop you hold up by hand, starting with a big hula hoop and using the same training steps as the straight hurdle.

Game · 5 min

Target stick perch moves for cats: how to play

Teach your cat to follow a target stick, then use it to lead your cat up onto and down off low furniture, and to turn left, right or the opposite way. Target following is one of the easiest and most useful behaviours to teach a cat.

Game · 10 min

Wall shelf highway run for cats: how to play

Build a circuit of cat-friendly shelves and perches around a room, then hide treats and put toys up there so your cat explores the whole route.

Game · 2 min

Wand play at the scratching post for cats: how to play

A short wand game played low, next to a tall scratching post. Your cat stalks, bats and catches the toy, and the post gives it somewhere to scratch and stretch.

DIY and cardboard

Turn cardboard boxes, tubes, and everyday scraps into forts, puzzles, and treat dispensers that keep your pet busy and entertained.

11 games

Game · 2 min

Spinning bottle treat dispenser for cats: how to play

Turn a plastic drinks bottle into a puzzle feeder: kibble goes in, your cat bats the bottle, and a biscuit drops out.

Game · 20 min

Cardboard box fort for cats: how to play

Build a small fort from cardboard boxes, with doorways, peepholes and hidden toys. Your cat gets a cosy hideaway, a puzzle to explore and a place to ambush a toy.

Game · 10 min

Cardboard roll ring skitter for cats: how to play

Cut empty toilet paper rolls into manageable cardboard pieces and offer them as simple toys. Your cat can swat, chase, pick up and pounce on them, and you can rotate them with the rest of the toy batch.

Game · 10 min

Cardboard scratch maze for cats: how to play

A DIY cardboard maze built from the ASPCA's supplies list: cardboard and a sharp knife. Your cat explores it while you supervise closely, and you can add kibble or treats to make it a food game.

Game · 10 min

Cardboard tube treat roller for cats: how to play

Turn an empty toilet paper roll into a treat puzzle: cut a few holes in the side that are large enough for kibble or treats to pass through, fold or tape both ends shut, and let your cat bat and roll the tube until the food drops out.

Game · 2 min

Cardboard whack-a-mole for cats: how to play

A cardboard box plus a feather rod. Move the feather around and over the box so your cat can stalk, pounce, chase and bat it, in short games of a minute or two.

Game · 10 min

Paper ball toss for cats: how to play

Crumple scrap paper into soft balls and toss them along a hallway or open room so your cat can chase, pounce and swat them.

Game · 5 min

DIY sock kicker for cats: how to play

Stuff a small clean sock with a spoonful of catnip and paper towels, knot the top, and give your cat a soft toy built for grabbing and bunny kicking.

Game · 10 min

T-shirt box tent for cats: how to play

A cardboard box lined with an old jumper is already a safe, private place for your cat to rest, hide behind and sit in. This game adds a daily play session with toys that let your cat stalk, chase, pounce and kick around the box.

Game · 2 min

Tissue box paw puzzle for cats: how to play

Turn an empty cardboard tissue box into a cheap self-play toy. Put a couple of household items inside and let your cat bat and paw at them.

Game · 5 min

Toy rotation treasure basket for cats: how to play

A shallow basket of three or four toys, swapped weekly with toys kept out of sight, gives your cat a 'new' toy without buying more.

Hunting and wand play

Wand games that move like real prey: birds, mice, bugs and snakes. Each one runs the full hunt (stalk, chase, pounce, catch) and ends with a wind-down and a snack.

10 games

Game · 10 min

Wand hunt for cats: how to play

The everyday hunt. Move a wand toy like prey so your cat can stalk, chase, pounce and finally catch it, then wind down with a snack.

Game · 10 min

Bird flight for cats: how to play

A feather wand that lands, hops and takes off. Made for cats that leap, swat in the air and watch birds at the window.

Game · 8 min

Mouse under the rug for cats: how to play

A toy rustles under a rug, towel or sheet of paper. Your cat listens, stalks and pounces on the bump.

Game · 6 min

Bug skitter for cats: how to play

Tiny, fast, jerky moves along the floor and up the wall, like a beetle or a fly. Perfect for cats who chase every moving speck.

Game · 8 min

Snake slither for cats: how to play

A long ribbon-style wand toy slides and curls along the floor like a snake. Lots of stalking, sudden pounces and bunny kicks.

Game · 8 min

Fishing game for cats: how to play

Your cat fishes a toy out from behind cover: over the edge of the bed, through a gap or out of a deep box. Lots of paw-scooping.

Game · 15 min

Full hunt sequence for cats: how to play

The guided version of a hunt: stalk, chase, pounce, catch, eat, groom, sleep. Use the timer to pace each phase and finish with a meal.

Game · 15 min

Bedtime hunt for cats: how to play

A big play session before the last meal of the day, so your cat is ready to sleep when you are. Helps with night zoomies and early wake-ups.

Game · 8 min

Round the corner for cats: how to play

The toy peeks around a doorway or the end of the sofa and vanishes. Your cat learns to wait, plan and ambush.

Game · 10 min

Find your cat's prey for cats: how to play

A short test game that switches between bird, mouse and bug toys to learn which prey your cat loves most. Sets the play style on its profile.

Puzzles and foraging

Let your cat work for its food the way it would in the wild. Food puzzles from very easy to expert, scatter feeding, hunting feeders and treasure hunts.

15 games

Game · 10 min

Treat treasure hunt for cats: how to play

Hide treats or kibble around a room, then around the home, and let your cat sniff them out.

Game · 10 min

Muffin-tin puzzle for cats: how to play

Kibble in a muffin tin, cups covered with balls. Your cat scoops the balls out to find the food.

Game · 15 min

Hunting feeder mice for cats: how to play

Fill small soft feeder 'mice' with portions of kibble and hide them around the home. Your cat hunts several small meals a day.

Game · 10 min

Toilet-roll pyramid for cats: how to play

Cardboard tubes stacked into a pyramid with kibble inside. Your cat fishes out food with its paws.

Game · 8 min

Egg-carton puzzle for cats: how to play

Kibble tucked into the cups of a paper egg carton. A gentle first puzzle for any cat.

Game · 8 min

Ice-cube tray forage for cats: how to play

Kibble or a lick of wet food in the wells of an ice-cube tray. Your cat licks and scoops each one clean.

Game · 10 min

Treat ball roll for cats: how to play

A rolling ball that drops kibble as your cat bats it around. Chase plus dinner.

Game · 6 min

Cup shell game for cats: how to play

A treat under one of three paper cups. Your cat sniffs and tips over the right one. Works nose and brain.

Game · 10 min

Sushi rolls for cats: how to play

Kibble rolled up inside paper and packed into a box like sushi. Your cat unrolls and shreds to find the food.

Game · 10 min

Slow feeder and lick mat for cats: how to play

Spread wet food on a lick mat or into a slow-feeder bowl. Slows fast eaters and gives a calm licking job.

Game · 8 min

Scatter feeding for cats: how to play

Scatter part of the dry meal across a clean floor or rug. Your cat hunts down every piece.

Game · 10 min

Foraging box for cats: how to play

A shallow box filled with scrunched paper, tubes and hidden kibble. Your cat dives in and digs for food.

Game · 10 min

Bottle dispenser for cats: how to play

A clean plastic bottle with biscuit-sized holes. Your cat rolls it to shake out kibble.

Game · 15 min

Puzzle ladder for cats: how to play

A four-step plan from very easy to very hard food puzzles. Move up only when your cat finishes the current level with ease.

Game · 15 min

Expert puzzle board for cats: how to play

A multi-step puzzle with sliders, lifting lids and spinning discs. For confident cats that breeze through everything else.

Sensory and calm

Calming sensory games that engage your cat's nose, ears, paws, and eyes. Scent stations, cardboard box dens, paper foraging, bird watching perches, and species-tuned soundscapes.

9 games

Game · 20 min

Calming soundscape and listening for cats: how to play

Play cat-specific music built from purring tempos and feline vocal ranges. Studies found cats showed positive responses to it and lower stress scores, which makes it a simple layer of calming auditory enrichment.

Game · 20 min

Cat TV with rules for cats: how to play

Give your cat a high window perch to watch the outside world, with rules for when to close the blinds, and pair it with interactive play and a food puzzle.

Game · 10 min

Catnip olfactory enrichment for cats: how to play

Offer dried catnip inside a fabric pouch to stimulate your cat's sense of smell and bring on the natural responses catnip can trigger: sniffing, rubbing, rolling and purring.

Game · 10 min

Crinkle paper sensory bin for cats: how to play

A low cardboard box filled with crumpled plain paper balls and a few hidden treats, so your cat can bat, dig and search for food with its paws.

Game · 10 min

Soothing groom and massage ritual for cats: how to play

A gentle, slow grooming and touch session around the face and shoulders, done on your cat's terms, to help your cat relax and build a bond.

Game · 10 min

Silvervine discovery station for cats: how to play

Set out silver vine powder on a clean mat and let your cat choose. Silver vine is a popular alternative for cats that do not respond to catnip.

Game · 10 min

Tactile texture box for cats: how to play

Line a shallow cardboard box with an old jumper to create an extra comfy, enriching resting and scratching den for your cat.

Game · 10 min

Valerian root scent pouch for cats: how to play

Tie dried valerian root inside a clean sock and let your cat sniff, rub and roll on it. About half of domestic cats respond to valerian, so it is worth trying alongside catnip.

Game · 10 min

Window wildlife watch for cats: how to play

Set up a comfortable raised perch by a window so your cat can watch the street or yard, with a clear plan for blocking the view if it frustrates them.

From the blog

Fill today's basket.

Every lesson, game, walk and meal you log drops a toy in the basket. Six toys and the day is done.

Scan with your phone
Your camera opens the right store for your phone.