Problem trying to get playtime in!

I have two cats that are supposedly brothers (that's what the shelter said). I would love to play with them two times a day, but when I try to play with them Apollo the dominant cat will hog all the playtime. Rocky will stop trying to play if Apollo comes around. If I try to play with them in separate rooms, Apollo cries, and Rocky will stop playing.

Rocky is meowing right now, I don't know what to do. I am tired, and I need to go to bed so I can go to work. What the heck can I do? I have done a search and I can't find answers because it's too broad. Please help me. Like I said Apollo will play and NOT stop (he doesn't seem to get tired at all even if I play with him for a long time. I have timed his play and even after 45 minutes straight he is still ready to go). I don't want Rocky to feel left out, but how can I get him to play by himself if he will stop playing even if the door is closed and Apollo is trying to get in?!?

My husband is gone until October so I'm stuck. This is very frustrating! I adopted two cats so they could play with each other. They barely do that.

Back off and let them work it out between themselves.

How long have you had them for?

Originally Posted by Zane's Pal

Back off and let them work it out between themselves.

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I'm going to try that. I have just kept playing with Apollo and watch Rocky do nothing. I just feel bad that Rocky is not playing as much.

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

How long have you had them for?

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I've had them for almost a month next week.

A month is really not a long time, it will get better with time. When I try to socialize a cat I usually sit on the floor between them and play with a string on a stick with a rubber spider connected to it. I swing it back and forth toward each cat in turn. They usually will take their turns to swat at it because their curious about it. Sometimes you can tire them out with a flashlight beam. I give them a good work out with that. But time will help, they will work it out. Good luck.

There are such a wonderful and amazing aray of cat toys out there. I have found cats seem to enjoy different types of toys. Some cats like to play with their human some prefer to amuse themselves and of course some love both! Caspian isn't interested in tinkling balls or feathers but he absoloutly loves to run up and down his cat tree and likes to play with his cheese toy. The cheese toy is a plastic cheese with holes in and a ball inside. He likes to claw at the ball and move it around. The last two things are things that don't require me and he can amuse himself very happily. I think the best advice to give is, give as much choice of toys you can. Perhaps Rocky would be delighted to have a toy he can go to when hes in the mood for a play and his brother might join in! This doesn't have to be expensive, you can get a cardboard box, cut holes in it and shove a toy in it. Watching cats play can be just as much fun as playing with them yourself.

Hmm, maybe turn on music so that Rocky doesn't hear Apollo crying?

Get Da Bird!

Seriously, I have seen the most skittish cats come completely out of their shell over this addicting toy.

Normally if I'm playing with the kittens the two older ones will wander off and avoid the playtime. But when Da Bird comes out I have a pack of wild beasts all hunting the poor feather teaser. Even my girl who normally avoids most contact with the other cats will join in and chase it around.

Best $14.99 I ever spent... well more than that since they have killed so many "birds" I've lost count.

That's the only toy they will play with. I have the cat dancer, balls, the bag that moves. They just want the bird. It's strange. I have two da birds, and they will start to play with the different one, but it ends up Rocky retreating. Rocky has just cried for 20 minutes because he wants to play and when he stopped crying I tried to play with him in another room with the door closed, but Apallo put his little paw under the door, and playtime was over, but he stopped playing, and now he is crying again.