Video Games Are Not Just For Cats

October 12, 2020

Photo credit: angela n. 

In the old days of black-and-white TV, your screen just looked like a large, square source of light to your cat. But with Hi-Def TV and large computer screens, your cat is taking notice like never before. 

Tablets, with their touch-sensitive ease of use, are particularly appealing to cats and this has sparked a whole slew of apps and video games designed especially for cats like CatFishing, Jitterbug and Happy Wings. 

We know how much our cats love to stare out of a window, the proverbial ‘Cat TV’, as a source of entertainment, so it seems like a logical step to introduce them to the digital screen and some interactive games for kitties. 

Video games designed specifically for cats feature simple, floating images involving chasing prey, whether it’s mice, bugs, or fish, together with appealing sounds and squeaky noises to grab your cat’s attention.

Developers have taken this phenomenon one step further and come up with slightly more complex video games for you to take on your cat in a game of say, cat and mouse.

Some cats are just content and curious enough to join in with whatever video game is your favourite. In an on-going study out of RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, on the gaming habits of Australians in the nation’s capitals, Professor Larissa Hjorth was happy to discover that people are playing electronic games devices – and so are their cats. She said:

“We are all aware that some families have animals that are part of the family, but when we began our research, we didn’t think the interaction between the humans and animals would extend to things like play and gaming.’’

Video games are an excellent way to get your cat off the couch and mentally engage in some stimulating play. Hjorth said:

“These playful objects move in and out of the background of our everyday, reminding us play is integral to wellbeing, being creative and resilient.’’

To get your cat interested in what’s going on in the world of digital cat-and-mouse, check out some stimulating videos on YouTube. Cats love watching a bird feeder on screen or listening to the sounds of the wild. What better way to spend some time with your cat.