Play is very important to the cat - from kittenhood right through to old age. In fact, playing with your cat is one of the most enjoyable things about owning one. It also offers great health benefits, encouraging your cat to be active, keep supple and maintain a sleek body condition. More importantly, play can help to encourage cats to express their natural hunting instincts.

Why cats play
Your cat's playful behaviour can be adorable, endearing and at times a little bit frustrating! Kittens start to play from four weeks old, spending most of their time wrestling with other kittens, working out the social pecking order. By the time a kitten is seven to eight weeks old, they will transfer their attention from social play with littermates to predatory play with inanimate objects.

Benefits of exercise
Playing with your cat for just 20 minutes a day not only provides both physical and mental stimulation, but also strengthens the bond between you. It is especially important to ensure indoor cats use up the energy normally reserved for patrolling territory and hunting prey.

• Peak activity for kittens and cats occurs in the early morning and in the evening. Play with your pet before you go to bed so your kitten will be ready to sleep when you are.
• Kittens often play alone and occasionally seem to spook and race away, as if pursued by an invisible pursuer.
• Toys are fun, but interactive play is also entertaining and one of the best ways to keep your kitten healthy and responsive to you. Always make some toys available to your cat, but keep some away for your own playtime together. These retain their special, novelty value.
• Solitary kittens may play more roughly with their owners. They only have you to play with and need to learn to control playful nips and scratches.
• Set aside time for at least two good play sessions a day. With young indoor cats who live alone, you need to activate their 'stalk-chase-pounce' hunting behaviour up to 30 times per day to keep them fulfilled as hunters. This level can be reduced if you have more than one cat and they enjoy chasing and playing with each other, or if your cat is older and less active.
• The key to getting them interested is to understand their prey. A cat is far more interested in a toy if it is wiggling under a sofa or a cabinet, has just hidden under a mat, or makes sudden darting movements. Make the toy behave as a mouse would!

Playing with your cat
The best games are those tend to be those involving toys. Use feathers or cloth strips dangling from sticks, catnip-filled mice, or wind-up toys. Also, think about installing an indoor climbing frame or a scratching post.

• A bucket filled with crumpled paper or ping-pong balls can make a useful distraction. When your kitten attempts to stalk you, throw a ball downstairs for them.
• Leave a large paper bag on the floor for diving into and ripping to pieces. Do not use plastic bags and cut off any handles that can get caught around your cat's neck.
• Glue several boxes together, linked by peepholes, for kitten hide-and-seek.
• Make a sack of fabric stuffed with dried catnip, a herb which drives some cats wild.
• Or try dangling a 'fishing pole' toy with feathers or bells at the end of a string.
• Some cats enjoy chasing and jumping at the light beams from a small flashlight.

Once you've finished, put the toy out of sight to keep things exciting when you bring it out again. You'll notice that your cat's favourite games will probably be a playful variation of their natural hunting instincts: 'mouse pounce', 'fish scoop', 'bird swat' and 'play fighting'.

For more ideas for games to play with your cat, click here.

Redirecting playful aggression
If your kitten is keen on attacking your ankles, feeding makes a useful distraction!
And if you have just the one kitten, would a playmate solve playful aggression? It might, but it might not. Two kittens will often keep each other physically occupied, but on the other hand you might end up with two predators instead of one!

Catnip heaven
Catnip can really spice up your play sessions. This is a natural herb and completely safe. Most cats go wild for catnip, although others will not be affected by it at all. Some toys contain the herb, or you can buy it from pet shops to renew your cat's interest in a particular toy. Catnip sensitivity begins in most kittens at around four months of age.

Why some cats are more active than others
Some cat breeds have a reputation for being asleep much of the time, whilst others are traditionally a good deal more energetic. Pure breeds with reputations for high activity include Siamese, Abyssinian, Oriental and Turkish cats. More languid cats include the Persian, Himalayan, British Shorthair and Ragdoll breeds. If you want an active, mixed-breed cat, adopt from a private home where at least the mother is known.

Cats are like people when it comes to exercise: some are simply more active than others. House cats tend to take on their owner's schedule of night-time sleeping, with daytime wakefulness interspersed with cat naps. However, if your cat seems to sleep all the time, what do you do?

It may be that your cat is just plain lazy. Inactive cats make great lap cats, content to sit while you read or watch TV, and far less mischievous than their energetic counterparts. As long as they are physically healthy, quiet cats are perfectly normal.

If you're still worried, take your cat to the vet for a thorough physical examination. Even subtle problems, such as arthritis or upper respiratory diseases, can make cats seem lethargic. And if there's nothing wrong, try bringing home new toys.

As long as your cat is physically healthy and maintains a correct weight, the particular level of activity is unimportant.

What's Normal?
You live with your cat and know what is normal. If you do think something may be wrong, never hesitate to report any concerns to your vet.

• Eyes: Should be bright and clear. Report any discharge to your vet.
• Ears: Should be clean and free of discharge, odour and redness. Untreated ear problems are painful and can cause hearing loss.
• Nose: Should be clean and without discharge or sores.
• Mouth: Gums should be pink or black with the teeth free from tartar or plaque. Check mouth and lips for sores or growths. Bad breath can signal health problems.
• Coat: Your kitten's coat should be shiny and clean.
• Weight: Active, playful kittens are rarely overweight. But just in case, ask your vet for nutritional advice on how to maintain your kitten's optimum body condition.
• Litter box habits: Changes in litter box habits and in the frequency or quality of urine or stool could indicate health problems. If you notice such changes, contact your vet immediately.

Stay active
Overweight kittens become overweight cats, and fat cats aren't healthy cats. Being overweight puts a strain on the heart and joints, and can lead to lameness, skin problems, bad tempers, boredom, lethargy, behavioural problems…even diabetes. Exercise will help control your cat's weight and prevention is always better than cure.

To keep up activity levels, invest in some toys, an indoor climbing frame or a scratching post. Introduce regular play sessions and remember that anything that moves will appeal to cats, as it gives them a chance to polish those hunting skills.

A cat's home and social environment are also important in encouraging activity. Does your home contain many structures to climb or jump onto? Do you put away your cat's toys after play sessions, so their reappearance is always irresistible? If your home is split-level, try placing your cat's food bowl on a different floor from the sleeping area to encourage as much stair-climbing as possible.

Providing your kitten is not overweight, if all your efforts as enforced play are met with a yawn, accept the fact that you have a great lap-mate and settle down in front of the TV!