Addicted to a Toy

[ariinya]

I'm not sure what your cats do all day. Molly stands in one place, occasionally yowling, until I come to play with her. It's just one toy, a wand with feathers on it, that she absolutely loves. I have it on the ground for her, but she needs to have it moving to be satisfied with it.

Molly does go eat and use her litter box, so no problems there. But other than that, she is literally waiting for me to wave that wand all day! I play with her for as long as I can, but I have neuropathy in my legs, so standing too long is very painful for me. Not to mention after a while, she gets tired. Still, she stands there. -_-;

Halp???!!!

 

[ArtNJ]

Picture looks like a kitten? What other methods of play have you tried? A laser pointer would be a great one for you, as you can do it while sitting. Beyond, I know others will have good toy recommendations.

It does sound a bit unusual, especially if its an adult cat. Almost pathological. But the simplest explanation is usually the right one, so lets talk about boredom first.

 

[ariinya]

This is an old picture that I love. Also, I've been having trouble cropping another one to fit. ^^;

She is 9 years old now. Just moved into a new apartment. First time we've had upstairs neighbors, so their tromping around is very disturbing to her (she is a very timid girl).

Also, this apartment is smaller than the last one, fewer rooms they (I have an older male, Sammy, about 14–15) can run through. I've bought them a new tower (which they don't touch except to use the condo as a bed) and a few new toys since I was also worried about boredom. They also have a ton of old toys which I scatter around for them and will throw for Molly when I pass (but again, those require me to move them).

Laser pointers are good except for how quickly they run through those batteries! And those little round ones are expensive! Still, I have some and nothing else to use them for... I think. >_>

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

Could you try this one:

CATIT Design Senses Circuit Cat Toy, Super Roller - Chewy.com

Buy Catit Design Senses Circuit Cat Toy, Super Roller at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

My 8-month old was single-midedly focused on a fishing rod toy with a worm attachment, which requires a lot of work by me. Luckily, her begging for the toy was only intermittent. I tried a lot of other toys that were semi- or non-interactive, and the track with ball worked well. Plus I feel comfortable leaving her to it unattended. Sometimes I'll go get the ball started and other times she will initiate herself while I'm working.

 

[ArtNJ]

If she will do other things, like laser pointer, its just boredom. I'm sure folks will chime in with toy recommendations. I'm not good with automatic toys, never bought any. We recently bought a cat tunnel thing and the spinning balls in a big top like thing, which my cats do like, but its not like they occupy massive time and I'm not sure how a 9 year old would react to them. You could also try food puzzles for a bit of distraction. There are many on Amazon.

 

[ariinya]

Okay, thank you very much for the help! ^_^

 

[ArtNJ]

And check amazon for whatever type of battery goes in your laser pointer. If its 2032s for example, you can get a 10 pack for about what you'd pay at CVS for 2 of em.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

Can you find an inexpensive RC car? Then you could for a feather to the back and drive it around for her to chase.

 

[Hellenww]

Laser pointers are good except for how quickly they run through those batteries! And those little round ones are expensive! Still, I have some and nothing else to use them for... I think. >_>

I've always used a small flashlight. The AA and AAA batteries are cheaper and if she loves a laser it could be worth it to investing in the rechargeable batteries and charger. We bought the round batteries from Amazon for my partners work headlamp. There were great reviews but only lasted a few hrs each.

I found a little RC dump truck in the toddler section when I had a kitten that broke anything made for cats. Sturdy, no small parts to chew off, was really cheap, and 17yrs later it still works. We tied different things to the antenna and put treats of toys in the back.

Have you tried the Cat Dancer? You hold it and any slight movement makes it really bounce around. Can be used seated.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006N9I68/?tag=thecatsite

Get a wand with a shorter handle. They are easier to shake wild while sitting down.