[header] How to play with cats [title] Activate your cat's natural hunting instinct. [step] Get your cat to stalk a rope, a wind-up toy, or a fluffy or feathered toy tied to a string. A piece of string with something fluffy attached to it is one of the simplest toys that you can make, and it is also one of the most effective. 
Use an old stuffed animal that you don't mind letting a cat chew on. Try to find objects that are smaller than your cat, roughly the size of its natural prey (small birds and rodents).