Videos for cats to watch

Two months ago I rescued Kuki; a young black, half-Persian cat. Sick, malnourished and weak, he screamed for help. Together with my roommate, I took him in, spent countless hours at the vet, and nourished him back to health. Somewhere along the line, we decided to keep him, and spoil him rotten.

Since we live in an apartment, and spending time outdoors was not an option, we had to come up with various ways on how to entertain him. Videos made specifically for cats were a marvelous discovery.

Whenever he is feeling restless, but not interested for playing with his toys, we play a video for him. He immediately becomes immersed in the images and sounds coming from the tablet.

Ultimately, what is good fun for him, turns into an enjoyable watching experience for us, especially when he tries attacking the birds and fish teasing him on the screen.

Below are just a few favorites we came across in our video playtime escapades.

Probably the ultimate video in Kuki’s opinion, winter birds quickly became a cat classic in our apartment. The video features birds munching on some seeds during winter, flying and chirping around.

If your cat is anything like Kuki, be prepared for sudden cat attacks every time a cardinal appears on the screen.

Another great video, brought by Videosforyourcat channel, is a simple fish tank with several fish lazing around. It offers more of a visual simulation for your cat, as only sound is of the running water.

For Kuki, this is a bedtime video, as he usually watches it in half-asleep mode, with occasional lazy paw action whenever a fish comes “near” enough.

Whenever we need to have Kuki entertained for a prolonged period of time, we play this 90min video which features variety of animals and unique noises. It’s a well-rounded film-length video for all cats to enjoy.

When choosing a video for your cat, make sure to consider the following:

• TV vs. tablet – if you have an active cat who likes to interact with characters on the screen, TV would be the best option, as it is usually more stable and less likely to be destroyed. You can use a tablet, but make sure you are close by, as there is a higher chance of accidental destruction (especially if a claw gets stuck in the tablet’s protective cover, and the cat drags it around with him).
• Movie plot – cats are born as vicious hunters who prey on anything that moves. Regardless of this, they do have preferred hunting targets. Find out what animal appeals to your cat the most by testing the waters with a few shorter videos. After that, move onto bigger and longer ones which will distract them for hours on end.

Bird watching and play-hunting is definitely Kuki’s favorite pastime. Hence, it’s no surprise that this bird-feeding video is another favorite of his. Birds starring in this video are more vocal than in others, so his hunter instincts are woken up instantly.

Sometimes, when you just don’t have enough time to search for entertainment content on Youtube, inserting a DVD, pressing play and going about your own business seems like the best option.

Internet is filled with products catering to this niche, but below are the three I own and would recommend to any cat owner.

Kuki loves the content, and I feel comfortable leaving the apartment for a prolonged period of time, knowing that he won’t even notice that his human is away.