Play with Your Cat! The Essential Guide to Interactive Play for a Happier, Healthier Feline

Animal behaviorist Delgado debuts with a cheerful manual on “how to improve your cat’s life through play.” Cats have an instinctive need to hunt, she explains, and play provides a crucial outlet for indulging that urge. Delgado encourages owners to mimic birds, mice, or other prey with toys, which might mean running a stick under a rug or waving feathers in the air. Scientific research informs the advice, as when Delgado encourages rotating toys “between and within play sessions” because a study found that cats become bored if only offered a single plaything. Describing how to accommodate felines with varying abilities, Delgado entreats readers to mark the beginning of playtime for deaf cats by gently tapping the floor with a toy and notes that blind cats “can play with almost any cat toy” because their whiskers can detect air movement up to two feet away. There aren’t any major surprises, but owners will appreciate the suggested games (one involves placing upright toilet paper rolls throughout a room with kibble hidden in a few, encouraging the cat to sniff out the food) and Chin’s blue and gray cartoon felines charm. Cat lovers will want to get their paws on this. Agent: Gillian MacKenzie, Gillian MacKenzie Agency. (Mar.)