Peekaboo enrichment tip featuring PUFF!

Enrichment in 30 seconds or less

Vet school was one of the most stressful periods of my life. Non-stop classes, working part time, studying, and clinics were bad enough, but one of the most stressful things about that 4 year period was feeling like I didn’t have enough time to devote to my 3 cats! They were used to getting play and attention and human contact, and meanwhile their cat mom had been replaced with a brain dead zombie with a serious chip habit.

As a cat behavior consultant, I know that my list of enrichment recommendations can seem overwhelming to many, especially for clients with multiple pets, demanding jobs, or children. It can also be hard to find the energy and motivation to interact with your cat positively when your bond is damaged by a behavior concern, like if your cat is meowing nonstop at night or peeing outside their litterboxes.

When I was in vet school, I would carve out little mini periods of time for interaction with my cats throughout the day. For example, petting or playing with my cats while I was brushing my teeth, or giving them a quick pet when I was on the way to the kitchen to get more chips. Those little moments added up and became a great way to maintain our bond and provide social enrichment/ TLC while giving me a break, too.

In this video I highlight one of Puff’s favorite ways of interacting: playing peekaboo! He’s always found eye contact very rewarding because he loves attention, and playing a quick round of peekaboo a few times a day helps strengthen our bond even on my busiest of days.

Hope you enjoy his metallic senior cat meows and purrs, and if you’re looking for customized enrichment tips for your cat, schedule a cat behavior consult today!