Enriching Playtime with the Ripple Rug Cat Activity Mat
I’ve previously written about 10 cat enrichment ideas to try with your furry friend. And now, I’ll be expanding some of those enrichment ideas further. First up, a cat activity mat! Let’s look at how activity mats like Ripple Rug can benefit your cat through interactive play.
This article is part of our cat enrichment series.
What is a Ripple Rug Cat Activity Mat?
I won a Ripple Rug back in 2016 at a pet blogging conference, and that was the first time I had heard about a cat activity mat. I brought it home, and all of my cats loved it! And since then, I’ve purchased a few over the years. Our dog even enjoys it!
So, what is it? The Ripple Rug is two pieces of carpet, where the bottom piece lays flat on the ground, and the top piece has several holes in it and attaches to the bottom piece via velcro. This allows you to shape the top rug into different configurations.
Enriching Playtime with the Ripple Rug Cat Activity Mat
Did you know that cat activity mats are a great way to provide enriching playtime for your cat? But more than just playtime, they can also be a perfect place for your cat to hang out and relax. Let’s look at how activity mats like Ripple Rug can benefit your cat’s mental and physical health.
Natural Instincts Take Over: With its holes and burrowing areas, the mat helps simulate hunting and stalking behaviors for your cat. You can hide some treats or a small cat toy in one of the holes and then watch your cat pounce on its prey.
Sophie stalking her prey. 
Going after it!
Mental Stimulation: Since you can change the mat’s shape via the velcro attachments, your cat will remain engaged mentally with the different configurations you create. Changing the terrain allows for new areas to explore, keeping things interesting for your curious cat.
Physical Exercise: Indoor-only cats like mine often aren’t as active as those allowed outside. But a cat activity mat can offer physical exercise opportunities for your furry friend, like jumping, pouncing, exploring, and more.
Good for Scratching: We don’t have carpet in our house or any throw rugs, for that matter. But when we did, our cats loved to scratch the rugs. With the Ripple Rug, our cats now have a place to fulfill their natural instinct to scratch – and it’s now on an appropriate surface.
Dexter also loves to give the rug a good bite!
Multi-Cat Playtime: We currently have four cats, and all of them love the Ripple Rug. But what’s great is that they love playing with each other on the mat, too! The interactive mat allows them to pounce, wrestle, and play together, promoting socialization between the cats.
Cat Parent Bonding: One of the things that I personally love about the mat is that it’s a lot of fun for me as the cat parent to play with the cats as well. Sticking a wand toy in and out of the holes and watching them lunge for it is adorable. It’s also super cute to see them try and fit through the holes to get to the toy.
Comfort and Security: If you have a bush dweller cat (I have two), then you know those types of cats love a cozy place to hide and feel secure. The Ripple Rug offers a perfect hiding spot under the top layer where your cat can relax and feel safe.
Overall, a cat activity mat like Ripple Rug can be a great way to offer enriching playtime and a stimulating environment for your cat.
Here’s a video of Sophie and Dexter showing just how much they enjoy the rug! Some of these clips are recent, but some are from 5 years ago, proving how much they still love the rug over time!
About the Ripple Rug Cat Activity Mat
The top rug has 14 holes of varying sizes. And when unfolded, both the top and bottom rugs measure 35 x 47 inches. The bottom rug has an anti-slip rubber coating. The carpet material is made up of 100% polyester fibers made from recycled plastic bottles. The Ripple Rug is made in the USA.
The Ripple Rug website has tips on how to properly maintain and clean the rug, like vacuuming and spot stain removal. I like that it’s machine-washable (cold cycle, air dry).
The rug is currently available in the colors Black, Mocha Chocolate, Oatmeal White, or Beige. Most of the photos in this post are the mocha chocolate color, but we also have one in beige.
Dexter claims the mocha chocolate color. 
Olive plays on the beige one.
Where to Buy
If you’re shopping online, you can visit the Ripple Rug shop to purchase from them directly. (They are not sold on Amazon.)
The rug is also sold in some retail locations. You can visit their website to see where it’s sold in stores.
Check out our other articles for more cat enrichment ideas.
- 10 Cat Enrichment Ideas for a Happy and Healthy Cat
- 5 Reasons to Install Cat Shelves for Your Cat’s Happiness
- Bring the outdoors inside for your cat’s enjoyment
- Outdoor Enrichment for Indoor Cats with a Harness and Leash
- 6 Steps to Leash Training Your Cat
- Adventure Cat or Leisurely Fluffball? Outdoor harness time can work for both!
- Why You Should Consider Taking Your Cat Outside in a Pet Stroller
- About the Author
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Rachel is the cat mom to the Three Chatty Cats. She’s a lifelong cat lover who started blogging to combine her passions of cats, writing, and photography. She’s been both a cat foster parent and volunteer, and she’s used her writing skills for a nationwide program supporting shelter cats. Three Chatty Cats is an award-winning blog, with Rachel winning 47 awards through the years for blogging, product reviews, social media, photography, and video. Rachel and her husband Ross share their home with chatty cats Olive, Sophie, and Woodrow – and one cute pup named Guster.