Dear Critter Corner: The kitten I recently adopted is very energetic and seems to never tire out! I have provided quite a few toy options for him to play with, but he seems to only want to engage with them when I am physically in the room with him. When I ignore him, he will come over and try to jump onto my leg or playfully nip at my fingertips. His foster parents did mention to me that he was very playful with his litter mates but did seem to settle throughout the day after running around. Would you be able to give me a couple of tips on how best to exhaust some of his energy?
Kittens have quite a bit of energy, and it is very important to provide a lot of mental and physical stimulation to keep them busy during the day. Providing them with toys is great, but I would suggest setting time aside during the day to help encourage him to engage with some interactive toys. Interactive toys can range from fishing pole/wand toys to treat puzzles for your cat or kitten.
Setting a routine for your new furry friend is also very important and helps regulate the times of his daily activities. Cats are corpuscular by nature and prefer to be most active during dusk/dawn. The normal schedule that their bodies naturally follow is hunting, eating, grooming, then sleeping.
To start, I would suggest a scheduled high-energy play session before each meal. During your play session, I would suggest following a prey sequence which will help encourage your kitten to practice normal cat behaviors. This would include “hunting”, chasing, pouncing, and catching its prey. Using a fishing rod/wand toy and moving it as if it was prey would be a very effective way to drain some of your kitten’s energy. It is important to remember not to use your hands or any other body part during play, since this can cause your kitten to become accustomed to nipping/scratching when playing when they are older. Enjoy those play sessions together — they should be as fun for you as they are for him!