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We humans play brain games-jigsaw puzzles and word games-hoping to keep our minds sharp. And there are good reasons. Every time we learn something new, we create new neural pathways in the brain, which can improve cognitive ability and even repair damage.

So why not be with our kittens? Cats are smart animals. Tracking and hunting down prey requires wisdom, and street smart people need to avoid predators. Cats will even cleverly bluff to scare away larger animals. But, just as we get rusty if we don't practice enough or get bored if we practice too much, so do our cats.

"The most common causes of behavioral problems are boredom, frustration, and stress," said Ingrid Johnson, a cat behaviorist in Atlanta and owner of Fundamentally Feline. "Mental retardation can lead to negative behavior. Giving them something to do will make them happier."

So I talked to Ingrid and Sandy Robbins, a pet lifestyle expert in Southern California. From my conversations with them, we focused on seven ways to keep your cat sharp.

According to Ingrid, foraging and interactive games before meals are in line with the natural lifestyle of cats: they hunt and track, play with their prey, kill and eat it, groom themselves, and then take a nap. "The advantage of food-based foraging toys is that they have inherent rewards and can take advantage of the cat's natural hunting instincts," Ingrid said. "Let them work for their meals is one of the most overlooked ways of enrichment."

Ingrid says one way to start is to move food bowls around the house and hide them in different areas. You can also buy a puzzle feeder or use paper towels or toilet paper rolls to make your own. Cut holes in the roll, put some snacks or grind food in it, and tie the ends. Your cat will bump around until the coarse food comes out, and voila: instant reward.

You can also poke holes in the cardboard box, put food in it, and then close the lid. "Cats like to stick their paws into small holes," Ingrid said. "They like to try to figure out things like this." Ingrid said, by hiding food and letting cats cook for them, "you are attracting the natural lifestyle of cats." Cats in the wild eat about 10 to 15 times a day.

A more advanced game recommended by Ingrid is to place snacks or kibble food under one of the three cups in front of the cat. Move the cup around and see if your cat can guess which cup the coarse food is under.

Sandy incorporates snacks into the toys of her cat Ziggy. For example, she will spin the ball in a ring ball toy, and Ziggy will react by playing with it. When he played it, Sandy put some snacks on the track. Ziggy found these snacks and figured out how to get them out with his paws.

"I found that you can take any cat game to another level and let them work to unlock snacks," she said.

When creating obstacle courses for your cat, please make it fun. Try a little at a time and use a toy that your cat likes to chase as bait. Let your cat jump on the stool for it, then let it run across the back of the sofa and climb a cat tree.

"You can use your own house as an obstacle course without having to buy things," Ingrid said.

Start with one of the techniques, and then combine them to form a course. As your cat becomes more advanced, keep the course very simple or add something-go through tunnels or jump over hoops.

Not all cats can swim, but many cats are fascinated by water.

Ingrid recommends filling the bathroom sink and placing marbles on the bottom and ping pong balls on the top. You can also put children's floating clockwork toys in the water. Your cat will have a hard time taking out the marbles, but they will splash and have a lot of fun while trying.

Ingrid said that although moving to a new house can be scary for cats, moving some of their furniture can be irritating. For example, moving an old cat tree to another floor of the house can make it look new and interesting (as long as the cat is not blind). Sandy said that even ordinary kitten mint or crumpled toys can become more interesting when you hide them in a cat tree.

"Ziggy found that they were brand new. For them, it was like a game of hide and seek, taking old things for new ones," she said.

Sandy's favorite toy to play with Ziggy is the magic wand toy.

"It keeps you in the game," she said. "If you can add that interactive component, so much the better."

When Ziggy grabbed the bait at the end of the rope, Sandy gently pulled the rope, making him feel that his prey was trying to escape. Then she would throw away the whole thing, and he would run after it.

Sandy warns that the cat may tear off part of the toy or eat the rope, so for safety's sake, lock the toy when you are not playing. "I like the wand toy because I involved his swooping and predation skills. He learned that when he puts it in the right place, the game will continue. He has solved it."

Cat trees are an investment, but they create vertical spaces that make cats feel safe and allow them to observe their world. The pet tree house in Sanford, Florida made the tree house my cat has loved for years. These sturdy cat trees have branches, limbs, and leaves. They move around like real trees, making cats feel like they are in a living tree.

Sandy said that the pet tree house also began to build shelves on their trees to hold food bowls. "Some cats need to climb high to eat. They are building novel things on their cat trees to make them more interesting

Outdoor fences, such as this feline customized by Purrfect Catio, can stimulate your cat's brain during outdoor activities and protect him from external dangers. Photo courtesy of David Kempka

Most cat rescue and advocacy organizations recommend that cats stay indoors to ensure their safety and longevity. But supervised outdoor time can be a real treat. You can use a closed porch, a fence like a catio, a fenced yard to supervise you, and strollers for walking. "Walk to the park and stop in front of a tree with frequent squirrel activity," Ingrid suggested. "These are safe ways to experience the four seasons and outdoor activities, which are very spiritually fulfilling."

Cat game apps are entertaining and mobile, making them a popular new toy category. These toys do stimulate the cat’s thinking, but there is a problem.

Ingrid Johnson, a cat behaviorist in Atlanta, said: "This can be frustrating for cats because it doesn't give them exercise, and it doesn't have anything to actually capture or kill them."

She suggests using feather toys or something cats can catch to complete the application game.

The laser pointer can exercise your cat well, but like the cat game app, these virtual toys won't let your kitten really catch. If your cat likes to chase laser pointers, please don't shine light on your cat's eyes, and give it a favorite toy or snack at the end to catch it.

Games involving virtual prey can be fun and frustrating for your cat. The difference is how you end the game.

About the author: Susan Logan-McCracken and her husband are brushing their two cats, Sophie and Maddie, and now they have found a brush that their kitten likes. There are now fewer cat hairs floating in their home in Southern California.

Author and editor Susan Logan-McCracken lives with her husband Mark and two red tabby domestic longhair cats Maddie and Sophie.

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