Is your Pet Lone?
Jodi Webb
Fall and winter are mainly a decrease in events for our cat Simon to watch from his windows—animals, people, cars. The kids are back in school so he has no one to play with(also known as tormenting him). Except for occassional weather events: rain, snowstorms, even leaves falling from the trees—which make him crazy– he’s pretty sedentary during the cooler months. That’s why my husband planted some catnip in the backyard to harvest for Simon. [I don’t recommend this unless you plant it in a pot and cut off the flowers. Catnip will take over your garden.] Catnip stuffed in a toy can really get Simon moving. He’s even tracked it down when dried catnip was stored on a pantry shelf in a closed jar. A member of the mint family, catnip doesn’t affect every cat. Kittens and older cats aren’t that enthusiastic. If left to their own devices cats seem to like to rub up against catnip or chew on it. To help Simon get some exercise we introduce a catnip filled toy once a day, just out of reach and move it around to keep Simon searching for it. If you don’t want to risk your garden by growing your own catnip try one of the many catnip filled toys available.
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