Cat Play
Our four and a half year old cat is a mighty game hunter. Unlike other cats we’ve had, he does this purely for sport. Never do I enter a room anymore to find just bird feet & beak, or mouse guts (must be bitter!). This inky black cat brings us mostly live rodents to catch, and partially dead birds. We added two additional bells to his collar, hoping to stem the local bird drain. His first day sporting three bells, he brought us four birds.
I went to our local high-end pet store for advice. For a mere $8, they sold me a toy that mimics a bird in flight. The cat is MAD for it. The idea is to give him his fill of ‘bird play’ with the toy, and perhaps he’ll feel less inclined to go after the real thing. Now that he’s had this toy for a few months, we have had fewer birds, dead and/or alive, brought to us!
When I was a child, and had my very first cat, Mickey, mom taught me how to play with the cat. She said, “Let the cat catch the toy from time to time, so he’ll remain interested in the game.” To this day, I play with my cat keeping those wise words in mind. It’s amazing to get 4 feet of air out of him, with a flip, but he seems to have more fun if I run around in a circle and allow him to catch his prey.
Dementia Dance - Travels with Mom 
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