Change in cat's behavior

My cat has become much less active since I got her at the beginning of September from the Humane Society. For the past two weeks she has shown little interest in chasing balls and toy mice, which she did initially. I fear I may have scared her with a paper bag while playing, as I try and exercise her a couple of times a day. She also attacked my leg a couple of times while playing and I squirted her. Have I turned her off of playing? She is eating well, uses the litterbox, and is affectionate, though lately she seems more aloof. She did let me rub her belly today and she licked my hand for about five minutes (!), but she doesn't want to go on my lap as much. Any suggestions? Am I being neurotic, or should I not try and change the behavior? I am afraid she will start to gain weight if she doesn't move around as much. Maybe I am feeding her too much: is two cans of moist food a day too much, plust leaving dry food out? Her ideal weight is eight pounds.

You didn't say how old your kitty is.
Two cans of food is a bit much. Are you playing after meal time and kitty is too full?
You could try new toys as she may be bored with the ones she has. My cats never seem to get tired of the laser pointer we have. They come from every corner of the house to play with it.
Sometimes kitties get over stimulated when playing and will attack. Watch for laid back ears and a swishing tail as body language saying "time out"..
Good luck, hope this helps!

When I brought Gracie home last month from the animal rescue, the first two weeks she was very affectionate, did everything I'd want her to. I think the cats are so grateful to be out of a cage and into a home that there is a honeymoon.

Now I am experiencing some of the things you are, but I just figure, now that this is her home, she doesn't have to be on her best behavior anymore. :tounge2:

I would suggest you stop squirting her though. It tends to cause more problems with their attitude toward you then anything, plus if you ever have to bathe her, it can be a real war.

I would also not feed her quite so much food. If you keep dry food out all day, that is adequate enough for her. Unless she has special needs or is extra skinny. Cat food goes bad after 30 minutes in a dish, so leaving her so much food could ultimately do her more harm than good.

She is still new to your house and has all these smells and noises to get used to. Just give her time and settle in. As long as she is pooping and peeing and eating, then she should be okay.

P.S. We love looking at pictures of kitties!