08/04/2026
If you don’t follow Allison Helps Cats yet, you should. She shares a lot of first hand behavior and training information.
In my previous post, I talked about my favorite combination of enrichment for scared cats. In this post, which will also end my enrichment series, I’ll share my favorite combination for high-energy and easily overstimulated cats.
Naturally, play is part of that combination, but it isn’t quite that simple.
At the shelter, we found that starting with training, switching to play, and then ending with training can work especially well for these cats. Training gives the cat something to focus on. Play gives them an outlet for their energy. Returning to training can then help them settle and focus again before we leave.
Training can be as simple as teaching a cat to touch a target and perhaps eventually follow it. It can also be more complex and include skills such as sit or tricks such as twirl.
The photo shows four different tools that can be used for target training. Two are DIY: one made with a dowel and a fluffy cat ball, and another made with chopsticks and 3D-printed balls. The other two are commercial and come in bulk packs. One is an extendable pointing stick with a plastic spoon on the end, and the other is a telescopic pointer arrow.
With the first three, I use a tongue click when combining clicker training with target training. The integrated version allows someone to hold the target and click with the same hand.
I haven’t experimented enough yet to know whether this exact combination works best with high-energy and easily overstimulated cats in the home. But I have found that training can go a long way toward helping these cats at home too.
Sometimes enrichment isn’t about finding one perfect activity. It’s about finding the right combination for the cat in front of you.
