Playing with Terra the Cat

'ey guys.

This is my first post on TheCaySite, and I was hoping you could offer some insight into my lobable little ball of fluff.

I am proud to be owned by Terra the Cat. Terra often asks for me to play with her, but will only actively play for a few minutes at a time, then just pretend not to notice the toy, but reacts if I put it away. She loves toys, but does not seem to be interested in playing with them.

I've tried different wand toys, with and without sprayable catnip, including one with a mouse on the end I can make squeak. I got her a laser pointer for Christmas, and she seems to love it, but stops playing after a few minutes.

I know she's very interested in the toys, as she doesn't like when I put them away. Ishould also note that I don't play with her often, as she has always been like this, and she often SEEMS quite disinterested, so I will bond with her instead by cuddling with her, which she LOVES, and will do for exactly one hour at a time, then walk away, quite contented.

I love Terra and want to do right by her, but am at a loss here. Any ideas?

Actually behavior studies have shown that cats do not like the laser toy.  They get frustrated because it cannot be caught. They need to have the thrill of the catch to satisfy their "play" or hunting drive.  Usually, with other toys, once they've caught it a couple of times, they will become bored.  My suggestion is to challenge her a little more maybe?  Also have some soft toys that aren't interactive, maybe they make realistic sounds?  My Phoebe LOVES them!  Sh.e will play by herself and has always got this stuffed life size rat toy I got her for her birthday in her mouth and she'll give this proud howl with it in her mouth, announcing her victory. 

Another thing that is popular and helps stimulate their brain are puzzle toys.  Ask Petco or PetSmart about them.  What it is is you put treats in it and the cat has to figure out how to get the treats out.  Mine love them! 

Thanks for the reply! I will ask about puzzle toys the next time I am at Petco.

I think part of the problem is I do not know how to use wand toys; Terra is my first cat, the toys don't come with meaningful directions, and the online guides are vague beyond belief. Terra's favorite wand to is by far the mouse one. Any thoughts on the mindset I should have when we play with it?

Being as she like the mouse wand toy, I'll look into getting her a rat toy like what you described. Thanks again!

You might also look into Da Bird.  With wand toys, most do it too harshly and in unnatural movements.  With Da Bird, if you just lightly wave it, it looks like a birds wings fluttering.  They love it because it looks like an actual bird.  That is my suggestion with wand toys, to just think naturally.  Cats when playing, get into hunt mode.  So you have to entice them with natural looking maneuvers. 

Also Stinkies are popular. They are filled with organic cosmic catnip.  They say YEEOW!  on them. 

Here is a great instruction video by Jackson Galaxy of My Cat From Hell on how to play with your cat properly.

Just posting an update on playing with Terra, my cat.

I went to my local Petco, and bought all the toys you recommended. The only one that was necessary, however, was Da Bird. It is now Terra's official favorite toy. Part of the problem was also that I did not know her playstyle, but I think I figured it out. Terra spent the first three months of her life as a feral, until my little sister found her on a brutally cold Minnesota afternoon. She was VERY malnourished, and had injuries that the vet diagnosed as the result of fighting with other cats, likely for food. As a result, Terra likely has a lack of confidence in her hunting skills, and would quit playing within 5min, due to the difficulty. I also learned she LOVES having various objects in the playspace that either she, or Da Bird could hide behind, and prefers a very fast pace of play.

What I tried tonight was bringing out Da Bird, and lightly spraying it with some spray-able catnip. I would have Da Bird "fly" around for 5-10sec, then "land" to recover it's energy, and always behind cover. Being an avid gamer, I decided to incorporate a signature element from that into our play; Da Bird would start out relatively easy to catch, to build her confidence and keep her interested, then increasing in difficulty each time it was caught, progressing from being somewhat oblivious, to being wary of her, to taking creative opportunities to escape, like running under her legs when trapped, and eventually developing increased levels of awareness (i.e. knowing when Terra took her eyes off it, giving it an opportunity  to escape, or learning Terra's attack patterns, or recognizing when she was tired, and could therefor, rest longer to stay in the air longer). For the first time, I too, had fun playing with Terra, as I could see she was really getting into it. Terra is a wily, stealthy, and crafty kitty who hunts with her brain, and not just her instincts, so this played into her intelligence, and kept her interested. I was actually kinda of bummed 30min later, when Terra clearly wanted to keep atr it, but was just as clearly exhausted.

In the end, Terra the Cat is now chilling peacefully on my bed, pooped, and a fun time was had by both Man and Cat. I have also noticed, that since starting regular play, she no longer has kitty "pica", and doesn't chew on random stuff.

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm sure if Terra knew of your role in her person learning how to play with her, she would tumble for you and make a show of being adorable.

What a wonderful post!  Da bird is often a favourite, but you've turned it into an art form!  Well done!

We have a brand new article on this very topic:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/playing-with-your-cat-ten-things-every-cat-owner-needs-to-know