You can redouble your efforts to fill your cat with toys, a cat tree, quality food … It turns out that sometimes, the simplest things are the ones that suit them the most. Like when it shuns its expensive toys to spend its day playing with the cardboard box from the last package he received at home. And among these objects of spontaneous curiosity are undoubtedly the strings. But why ?
Maintain their hunting instinct
You only have to see a cat playing with a piece of string to seriously wonder if it does not prefer it to its other toys. If the answer to this question remains of course difficult to find as long as the felines are not gifted with speech, it is on the other hand possible to clarify this mystery by logical explanations.
First of all, one must take into account the cat’s natural instinct for predation in this context. When its having fun with a thread, it’s not just for fun, but also to nurture its hunting skills ! It turns out that some of their natural preys have a linear and fine shape: lizards, small snakes, the tails of mice and rats, etc.
Strings and cats, a great love story
Their own tail also has this shape! It is not for nothing that often, in their youth, they have fun (or get angry) chasing theirs. If cats love all kinds of threads and strings, it’s more for their slender shape than for the object itself.
In cats, boredom can be linked to a state of anxiety , which leads to behaviours that can quickly disturb: no longer using the litter box and scratching everywhere, for example. However, studies have shown that strings can occupy a cat longer than any other toy.
A unique game tool
In addition to stimulating their curiosity, a simple ball of yarn can therefore prove to be a tool for development. Something to soothe the cat and save them moments of boredom. In addition, this type of game turns out to be very effective in training their eyes, already used to moving quickly to follow the movements of their possible preys.
In short, cats love string for the unique feeling of satisfaction it provides. It attracts their interest by bringing out their deep nature, and relaxes the most stressed. Successfully catching it is both a real challenge and a generator of well-being.
Indispensable precautions
But now, the string presents several risks that can be dangerous: strangulation, ingestion, injuries due to a tangled thread, etc. Before letting your cat play with a string, rule out these dangers and always be sure to keep an eye out for them. But the best thing is of course to play with them!
Also pay attention to everyday objects that may represent a risk of strangulation or ingestion for your cat: laces, balls of wool, electric wires and cables, curtains of wires, etc. Let us note a special mention for the electric wires, with all the risks of electrocution which they can bring.
