If you share your home with a cat then it’s really good for their mental and physical health to let them hunt, climb and explore.

Our cats love a challenge, so keeping them moving with things you’ve already got around your home is a win-win.

Try hiding dry food or treats in toilet roll tubes or under paper cups to turn their mealtime into playtime. Remember to count these treats as part of their daily allowance.

For a few pounds, a feather wand or laser pointer will get your cat chasing and pouncing, but just make sure they get a little “win” at the end to avoid frustration.

As our feline friends love to climb and perch, window ledges and shelves can become good ‘watchtowers’ for them.

Cardboard boxes can be purrfect places for them to explore too. So, if you’ve got one lying around, cut a few holes in it and turn it into a play cave.

There’s also the fairly low cost option of a catnip toy and if your cat’s not too keen, there are other alternatives such as silvervine and valerian which can satisfy a cat’s sense of smell plus increase playfulness, excitement and a sense of calmness.

Try at least one of these home ‘workout’ activities on a regular basis and it will keep your cat mentally and physically active - an easy, but effective way to avoid boredom and strengthen that human-animal bond.

Tell us how you get on with these activities and share a pic with us. We’d love to see them.