You might think that your cat is already pretty intelligent. After all, he or she can navigate the cat flap, look after themselves out of the house at night, and, well, take full advantage of your hospitality. But science is increasingly showing that there are things that owners can do to turn their cats from ho-hum intelligence into veritable feline Einsteins.
So what can you do? Take a look at some of these unique ideas.
Create Food Puzzles
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For years, scientists puzzled over how to get animals to engage in cognitively-demanding tasks. They soon realized that pretty much the only thing that animals wanted was food and that by making food the prize, they could encourage behavior that they wanted.
You can take advantage of this by using food puzzles that require your cat to use its intelligence to get a tasty treat. What you’ll quickly find is that the cat’s natural instincts will kick in. They’ll suddenly go into hunter mode, thinking intently about how to get the meal that they want.
The good news is that you don’t have to come up with your own food game from scratch. Many pet stores sell games pre-packaged. But if you want to come up with games, you can. Many owners like hiding treats around the house in difficult-to-find places, encouraging cats to use their mental skills to seek them out.
Hone Their Hunting Instincts
The hunting instinct is fundamental to what it means to be a cat. But cats who are fed out of a tin for years on end can end up losing this vital aspect of their intelligence. The only reason evolution gave cats any intelligence at all is arguably because they had to use it for hunting prey.
If you don’t want an endless string of dead birds brought through your back door, then it’s a good idea to find artificial ways for your cat to indulge their hunting instinct, like this motorized weasel ball. Toys help to elicit the hunting response without necessitating the unfortunate demise and death of any wildlife in your garden. What’s more, most of these toys are relatively cheap and can be used again and again.
Play Hide And Seek
Playing hide and seek with your cat might sound like a non-starter. But it is surprisingly simple to achieve, Start by providing spaces for your cat to hide in your home. These spaces could be small cardboard boxes, areas behind the sofa, or out in the garden.
Once you’ve got some cat-friendly hiding spaces available, let your cat go and hide. Then start calling their name, only for a few minutes at first to get them used to the idea. After a while, when you discover them, reward them for hiding away. This will encourage them to find better hiding places in the future.
Do you think your cat is smart? Do you want to make them even smarter? Then try using some of these ideas to keep them mentally active and healthy.
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