Change of play behaviour in my cat, is this normal?

[ernst]

Hi, great to join this forum. I have a question I wanted to ask. My cat used to love a thing called Da Bird and fly through the air to catch it. She was always leaping about and enjoyed vigorous play. You could get her to the stage of panting from tiredness! However now she is around 5 years old she has changed her play behaviour a lot. She has little interest in toys like Da Bird (we even bought her a new one with different attachments to see if the rather tatty old one was the problem but no change) and is now much more of a watch and stalk cat. 

She seems to like a bit of string being tugged round and will wait and watch then suddenly leap. me and my partner try and play with her twice a day and we have a long hall she can run down like a sprint track. She also now likes running after treats like a sprinter down the hall if you chuck them for her.

Do you think this change of behaviour is a problem sign? She seems pretty happy otherwise and seems to enjoy the different play style but I am concerned she is now not getting enough exercise.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Kieka]

Was this a sudden change in behavior or gradual over time? 

If sudden, you should take her in for a diagnostic blood panel and x-rays to rule out any medical issues as the cause.

If gradual, think of her like a human in her play preference. She is now the equivalent of 35 years old in human years. Did/Do/Will you like the same games/activities at 35 as you did at 10 years old? Taste and preference can change as we age in humans as well as in cats. They can also get bored after a while of the same thing. The treat chasing is a great way to get her moving but that can have drawbacks if done too often.

I'd probably try testing out different types of toys and see if anything else tickles her fancy. It could also just be a phase of wanting something new. My cats will seemingly randomly change which toy is the best over time but typically go back to old favorites periodically. We keep a toy basket with different types of types (crinkle balls, mice, feather toys, stuffed toys, catnip laced toys, springs, felt toys, you name it my spoiled ones have it in their basket) with a tube holding wand toys next to it, three ball track toys scattered around the house, two hanging door jamb toys and a play crinkle tunnel that I periodically close up for a few months then open until they get bored again. With the toy basket, I usually sprinkle catnip over it every few months as a refresh (I also inspect for wear and replace as needed about once a month) but some days I come home and toys are everywhere, other days no changes. It seems like almost every toy will get its day at some point between my three cats. I usually find better prices on toys online but will first check out in stores for durability/build then buy online.

.... and listing all that out I think I have a few too many toys. 

 

[ernst]

 
Was this a sudden change in behavior or gradual over time? 

If sudden, you should take her in for a diagnostic blood panel and x-rays to rule out any medical issues as the cause.

If gradual, think of her like a human in her play preference. She is now the equivalent of 35 years old in human years. Did/Do/Will you like the same games/activities at 35 as you did at 10 years old? Taste and preference can change as we age in humans as well as in cats. They can also get bored after a while of the same thing. The treat chasing is a great way to get her moving but that can have drawbacks if done too often.

I'd probably try testing out different types of toys and see if anything else tickles her fancy. It could also just be a phase of wanting something new. My cats will seemingly randomly change which toy is the best over time but typically go back to old favorites periodically. We keep a toy basket with different types of types (crinkle balls, mice, feather toys, stuffed toys, catnip laced toys, springs, felt toys, you name it my spoiled ones have it in their basket) with a tube holding wand toys next to it, three ball track toys scattered around the house, two hanging door jamb toys and a play crinkle tunnel that I periodically close up for a few months then open until they get bored again. With the toy basket, I usually sprinkle catnip over it every few months as a refresh (I also inspect for wear and replace as needed about once a month) but some days I come home and toys are everywhere, other days no changes. It seems like almost every toy will get its day at some point between my three cats. I usually find better prices on toys online but will first check out in stores for durability/build then buy online.

.... and listing all that out I think I have a few too many toys. 

Thanks for this good advice. Yes it was over the last year I think she changed her playing style so not a sudden thing. I try to keep the treat chasing to just before bed meal rather than randomly in day. She is her target weight so I think it is OK but good to be aware. 

I will try some of your ideas and see what happens but as you said if it is just a normal ageing thing then that puts my mind at rest