Got The Grumps?

Our family cat has almost always been sorta grumpy. I was wondering if there was something I could do to make him less grumpy. He's 14 year old siamese cat. He's not aggresive, just he hates being picked up, and you can't play with him. He doesn't seem to mind being petted ( for a few seconds ) We have a dog, but they don't bother each other. Just so you know he is definetly treated right. Is there anything I can do to make him more playful?Now for decision time. Is it just old age, does he need a companion, or what? ?

Some cats appear to look grumpy...this is simply their temperament, and doesn't mean that they are unhappy. Growing up, I too had a Siamese cat, who was very regal, and king-like, and appeared to be perpetually cranky. The truth of it was, was that he loved my family and his life very much...and that he simply loved to lounge, to rule his "kingdom", and did NOT enjoy being restrained or picked up. I don't ever recall Simon seeking out a warm lap...he'd lay next to us, but never ON us. This was simply his preference, and we never forced lap-time on him. At 14, my guess is that your cat may not welcome another cat too readily...it would probably stress him tremendously. As far as playtime...well, your cat is a senior. He would probably prefer to lay around and be lazy. However, experimenting with different interactive toys (such as The Cat Dancer, or Da Bird) may spark his interest in playing again...cats really do need exercise at all life stages. My advice would be to purchase a variety of toys...wand toys, feather toys, mice, jingle bell balls, foil balls, catnip toys, chasers, The Cat Dancer (I've yet to see a cat that refused to play with this), etc., and see which types he responds the best to. Even if he plays in very short intervals with a toy, it's better than no exercise at all. Sounds like you need to do some shopping.

Thank You So Much! Your description of Simon sounds EXACTLY like Simba. (Guess What? We had a siamese named Simon. He was eXtremely loyal.) We even call Simba the king of the house. He relaxes on top of our fridgerator. Thank You so much!