Cats Jumping Through Hoops

If you go to the Florida Keys or many other tourist spots, you'll see exhibitions of cats jumping through hoops. This is a normal activity for cats - that is, cats are incredibly skilled and talented jumpers and can land on very pin-point perfect locations. I've seen my cats leap from the floop up to a windowsill, knowing exactly how to land on that very narrow ledge! They are really amazing.

Cats love to leap and move, and they love to get attention. The key here is NOT to make this into "work" for the cat. The aim is to give fun exercise to your cat, and let them share that fun with you. Cats really enjoy doing things with their owners and being praised for their achievements.

To start with, put a pair of chairs next to each other. Get a hoop that is maybe twice as large as the cat's diameter, and hold it between the chairs. Get the cat onto one chair and then wave a treat around on the other chair. Call out "Jump!" to your cat. The cat will most likely jump through the hoop to get to the treat. Be sure to give the cat the treat as well as a lot of snuggles.

Once the cat realizes that you really enjoy watching him or her jump through the hoops, it's pretty simple after that! Make the chairs slightly further apart each time. Make the hoop slightly smaller. Cats are really quite brilliant and can do some amazing jumps. Just make sure never to put your cat into danger. Your cat isn't superman - this should be about having fun and exercise, not about risking your cat's health to show off to friends.

Fun Cat Games and Mental / Physical Health
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Lisa Shea Author


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