How to Quickly Bond With Your Cat

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How to Quickly Bond With Your Cat

I know this post title is aimed toward cat owners, but most of these tips apply to other animals, too! It’s not just the new pet owners that want to become friends with their new furry family member, sometimes life is too busy and we tend to ‘automate things’, if you know what I mean. Whether you want to rekindle your friendship or create a new one, I thought I’d share some tips on how to quickly bond with your cat in this easy to follow tutorial. 

Meow Mix® Simple Servings™ Chicken & Turkey is Luna’s favorite variety!

Available at Meijer in the Canned Cat Food aisle.

HOW TO QUICKLY BOND WITH YOUR CAT:

1 // PLAY. Through play animals learn valuable life skills, like trust, friendship, and hunting. Spending just 15 minutes a day playing with your cat will not only help your feline stay active, it also helps her exercise her ‘social skills’. Cats are territorial and they feel the most comfortable around humans and objects that they understand. Your kitty is way more likely to enjoy spending time with you if she can read your intentions, and one way kittens learn to communicate is by playing with their peers.

2 // SAFE PLACE. It’s not just the humans that need to be alone sometimes, animals need a safe place too. For Luna that space is under the bed, where she sometimes goes to take a nap is she is feeling overwhelmed or nervous. Even if your kitty’s safe place is in an easy to reach area, try not to disturb her and just let her be when she needs some peace and quiet.

3 // SLEEP. I know this one may not be for everyone, and there are plenty of other ways to bond with your cat, but if your furball chooses to sleep with you on the bed, it’s one of the ways that she shows her trust. Your kitty is looking after you when you are at your most vulnerable [ie asleep], and hopes that you will return the favor. Those who have multiple cats at home know how much they love to cuddle and sleep together, which is done for warmth and mutual protection.

4 // RUB THE NECK. Neck is by far the best area to pet your cat. Some cats don’t like being petted, period, but very few can resist a neck rub. Help your kitty associate your touch with good things, and she may even let you pet her belly [very carefully!].

5 // FOOD. Honestly, who doesn’t love delicious food? Whether you’re a human or a cat, we can all agree – yummy treats are the best. I bonded with Luna quickly because I spoiled her with really good cat food while trying to discover what she likes. I know a lot of cats love their seafood, but Luna is partial to poultry, so for her there’s nothing better than some chicken or turkey meat. I was shopping for groceries at Meijer and stopped by the Cat Food aisle to pick up some more Meow Mix® Simple Servings™ Chicken & Turkey. That’s right, those are her two favorite things in one meal! Simple Servings is the new premium variety of Meow Mix cat food made with pieces of real seafood or poultry in a savory sauce or gravy, and Luna is obsessed with these. I think they’re great, too, because the food comes already pre-portioned. I normally put the contents of the single-serve package into her food bowl or a saucer, but she can honestly just eat from the container. Since each package contains one pre-portioned serving, I don’t need to refrigerate the leftovers. Besides, Luna is picky and sometimes she won’t eat the food that’s been opened and then refrigerated. It’s one of the main reasons why we don’t buy big cans of cat food, and these single serving cups help ensure she has fresh food every time. With Meow Mix Simple Servings there’s no mess and no waste. 🙂

If you guys also shop at Meijer, you should clip the coupon for 30% off one Meow Mix Simple Servings product, valid through 11/4/17. Let me know which flavor(s) you got and what your kitty thinks about her new meals! You can also follow Meow Mix for more news and special promotions on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

‘Scuse me, I believe this is mine. There, I marked it.

Gimme!

Mmmm! Delicious…

Invisible lollipop for dessert.

BONUS TIP! Never yell at or hit your cat, they do not respond to this type of punishment. Cats don’t feel guilty, and don’t understand the concept of right and wrong. Instead of scolding your cat as if she was human, try letting her know that you don’t like when she does certain things. Instead of yelling at Luna for scratching us when she was a kitten, we firmly said “No!” and stopped the play time, picked her up and moved her to another room, or just started ignoring her for a bit. Scratching meant no more play, so she stopped very quickly and has not scratched either of us in over 2 years now, not even on accident. Now when she jumps on my lap, she immediately retracts her claws even if that means she will lose traction. Same with the furniture, we dedicated one old computer chair that she is allowed to scratch and that’s the only piece in the house she sinks her claws into. For more personalized tips on changing your kitty’s bad habits, ask your vet or a pet behaviorist.

I hope you enjoyed my tips on how to quickly bond with your cat [or dog, or bunny, or husband hehe]. I think most of us here treat our pets as family members, and that’s why it’s important that we take the time to get to know them, their unique personalities, and quirks that make each one of them so special.

Do you have a cat or another pet? What was the most effective way to bond with him/her? Let me know in the comments below!