It’s that time of year. No more ribbons and paper to play with. Less sun to lie in (at least here in Michigan). Fewer human treats to snack on. Fewer channels on Cat TV. Even the mice sleep more. What’s a bored kitty supposed to do?

Play the arm/face tapping game. Gently tap your human on the face/arm/leg until you get a response. (Pads only, no claws) Count the number of taps. Compare the numbers between when they are sleeping/napping, watching TV, eating, and playing with their computer (the screen with a keyboard that they sometimes talk at).

Sit on a perch and jump on the dog. Pick a perch only slightly higher than your target. You want to startle the dog, not scare/hurt it. Do not try this if the dog is smaller than you. If you try this trick on a fellow feline, the odds are much higher that you will cause a chase game.

Cry loudly and stare at the wall (or into space). Eventually your human will try to figure out what is going on. See whether the reaction is “there must be something in the wall,” “she must sense something,” or “all cats are crazy.”

Hide something you know the human will need shortly. Good candidates are keys, a shoe, an important paper, or some item of personal hygiene. Sit back and watch them go crazy. If they get too distressed, casually “find” the object for them. Do not try this option if your human is one of those who are always late. It could cause them too much stress. You want to have fun, not be mean.

Cook with them. You can supervise, but it’s a lot more fun to actually help. After they get a spoon dirty, lick it clean so they can use it again. Push the ingredients they are finished with off the counter so they don’t put them in twice and ruin the meal.

Exercise with them. You can sit on them while they exercise, but that’s common. It’s a lot better to sit in front of them to offer inspiration. Cats excel at yoga and stretching exercises. Be sure to offer tips on flexibility. Try to imitate the funny faces they make. Yowling with laughter is also fun.

These are our best tips. If you have other ideas, please be sure to offer them below. Before we know it, the birds will be back and we can return to our regular level of human interaction (alternating between extreme affection and totally ignoring them).

All pictures courtesy of Google Images.