How do you play with your cats?

I know it may sound odd but I don't think my cats like to play with me! I've had them since they were babies and they used to love it when I'd bat around tinkly balls with them or drag a little mouse around they could chase. But for a while now I've been trying to play with them and they'll give it a half-hearted bat or chase and then act bored. I know they're not unhealthy because they eat, poo, and sleep all the same as before. They don't seem to have problems playing with each other either! Maybe they just think I'm a lame playmate?!

My moms cats like to chase things.. lol

Try different interactive toys...My guys yawn when I throw stuff across the floor now.. They LOVE their cat dancer. Cats seem to like interactive toys with feathers on wands that mimic live prey in the air.... Just don't leave toys with strings laying around as they could get hurt if unsupervised.
And switch the toys up a bit...Leave out three and then change them the next week.
Mine also like a catnip session with their big stuffed bees or mice that move when you pull the string...

As they get older, they often do become less playful. Just try different things, like a long shoelace or string dragged across the floor or a laser light shined on a wall.

And be sure you watch for them to be in a more playful mood. Garfield sleeps all day on Saturday even though we are home then. Mornings and evenings are better times to catch him wanting to play.

Wonderful suggestions! Thank you!

My cats like kitten mittens.

Otherwise, they prefer to play soccer with whatever they can find that looks fun, toys, milk jug caps/rings, dust bunnies lol

Cupid really likes things on wands! He likes to play fetch, but only on his terms, so I can't just sit down and start throwing things for him or he'll look at me like I'm nuts. He won't play with anything with bells--he hates them! He gets bored with things I'm not involved in--like that Panic Mouse or whatever it's called. He played with that for about 4 minutes then looked at me like, "seriously?"

Maybe you're not playing aggressively enough with 'em. When they get close to the mouse, do you yank it away and get them riled up? Cupid really likes the unpredictability about it. It's also really fun for me too.

Don't take it personally, though. I'm sure they love playing with you!

My kitty's favorite activity is retrieving bottle caps, namely Sobe caps, fetches them just like a dog. On her own time she looks like shes playing hockey. Also she does like rough play, like play fighting me, luckily she keeps her claws retracted when doing so. and fortunately or unfortunately she loves catching moths.

Teddy loves dancing toys... and anything he can bat, including me!

PJ loves to chase things - balls, lasers, etc.

PJ really only likes to play in the morning, and also, when it's cooler. When it's too hot, i.e. now (summer in Atlanta = HOT!), she just likes to lounge around and be pet most of the time - but still, she likes to play when it's coolest in the mornings.

Sophie likes anything that's attached to a string. I swear, she'd play with it as long as I kept moving it around! She also has a stuffed lobster that she carries everywhere with her. I bought her some balls when we first got her, but she isn't as interested in those as she is stuffed toys.

Mine will chase balls, but I can't say it keep their interest for long. I find that toys on wands/strings work best, you can get them running around like loons and pouncing/grabbing as if it's live prey. Max will often jump on it, dig his teeth in, then carry it off to 'his' box (being the pet carrier kept in the lounge). I think if I didn't stop them for a break every now and then, they'd chase it til they fell over with exhaustion!

If all else fails.........

get a laser pointer

My cat Mikey doesn't like to play much either. Although there is one thing he plays with. It is a fuzzy, rat toy that has tiny pebbles inside that make a noise when the rat is moved. Mikey absolutley loves this. He kicks it and carries it around in his mouth.

My cats current favorite (it changes frequently) is a piece of string, pulled along. They also like chasing the horsewhip (a lunging whip). Sometimes they'll chase a "paper bird" (piece of paper folded into an accordian) on a length of yarn, but their feather teaser (*yawn*) and catnip mice (*look away*), various balls (*we'll watch you chase it, or better yet, get a dog*) and the old stand-by, the crumpled up piece of wax paper or aluminum foil (*you sweep that up as trash - I saw you!*) haven't been popular lately. Also, my cats like to play best in the late evening (it's the cougar in every cat, I guess) or right before the sun comes up.

My cat is pretty strange. She is very demanding and insists that I drop whatever I am doing and play with her. Some of my cat's favorite toys are:

- "The bird" attached to a thick, stretchy plastic wire that is very safe.
- The catnip mice. I have to take these away from her at night because she gets a little too excited with them.
- Catnip fabric toys. She won't really get too wild with them until you put them up to her nose.
- My work shirt. She thinks that's the second greatest toy since catnip.
- Kleenex. She loves ripping up tissues, but she never manages to swallow. I figure, if it's not hurting her, why not. She also likes to play with the individual packets of tissue.
- My hands and feet...at night. So I don't go to bed unless she's ready to go to bed.

Ah the laser pointer... I've had plenty of great laughs over that! We call it "the red bug" and Zorro climbs walls to get to the thing.

Hammie carries around a straw in his mouth like a bone. He will beat, chew and torture that straw, then carry it around walking like he's a big shot cuz he killed it!

Dusty plays with birdies... she loves her birdies... she'll growl and chew and make throaty noises while she's carrying it around & beating it.

And Snickers with his catnip sock... take a sock, fill it with catnip and tie it with a ribbon. Snickers nip sock goes everywhere with him! Sometimes he scoots it across the floor, smacks it around, or just drools all over it as he carries it around the house.

As far as ME playing with them... they go into Attack Cat mode and take care of that much for me. I'll be walking around a corner and Snickers will jump out from nowhere and scare the crud out of me. Then he takes off & if ya chase him, he'll run til he's panting.

Ah, yes. Who can forget "Attack Cat". I'll play hide and seek with Miya and she'll just jump out of nowhere. Sometimes I think she's laughing at me.

i agree with carla.... for some reason even the laziest cats usually fall for the laser.... and it can be quite amusing for you too!!

as far as attack cat goes, my ex's cat used to jump out of the bushes at us whenever we'd come or go in early hours of the morning.... never once failed to make me almost fall over!

Before Gremlin started getting frequently ill, we used to play wrestle