how much time does your cat get out of your day

[white cat lover]

I work outside the home, and having 11 cats currently indoors (and three dogs) plus 7 outdoors, I spend a fair portion of my time home with them. A few of the outside cats only care that I feed them, if I never touch them they're quite happy w/ that (next best thing to feral). A few indoors are also very "independent" so don't want much attention - Gumby, Tab, Ophelia.... Some prefer me, some prefer other family members. And we religiously play with Da Bird every day, and man they know what time is playtime - I'm not allowed to forget!

 

[ldg]

A lot.

With 8 in the RV, the key to making it work is lots of interactive play. We work from home, and I'm (now) great at using wand toys in both hands though I am FAR from ambidextrous. Thankfully they are all older now (our youngest is four), so they are GREAT about taking turns playing, and no one's a play hog. Unless we have to head out for work, they get a minimum of 1/2 hour of dedicated play in the morning and evening, usually 2x at night, and often in the afternoon.

Three of the kitties will play with each other at various points. Four of the others only play with the wand toys, and they really need it or they take out that pent up energy on other cats and get pissy and hissy. Skipping a day here and there doesn't seem to hurt when we've got long days... but thankfully those are at a minimum now.

We used to worry about them if we were gone for an 11 - 14 hour day (which happens rarely these days). But we always came home to them sleeping and not mad at us... so I no longer worry, but Gary frets about everything anyway.

Five of them are very demanding about pets, and it's just easier in the evenings to lie on the bed and watch TV or work on the laptops there, because then the kitties that like to lie on us can do so (after getting the requisite brushies), but there's still lap room for those that want to be on us being petted. We're usually ensconced in a few cats.

In about 1/2 an hour, Gary will be a kitty train - with Lazlo snuggled up on his ankles after being a total spaz while being brushed; Flowerbelle will be tucked in around his knees (and she's not big into pets on any kind of schedule), and Shelly will be on his lap demanding to be brushed (he's a brush hog). Spooky will be inbetween us, getting up THE MINUTE someone isn't petting her, though she prefers being brushed, and we coax her back with.. "Aw Spooky, c'mon!"

Billy will run in and out, wanting brushes and pets for a few minutes here and there, and at some point Ming Loy will come barreling in here, and flop her way over to me and just bust her way through whatever it takes to get on my lap. WHY she won't use Gary's, I don't know, but I am insanely allergic to her drool.

Chumley needs dedicated play time. He gets at least an hour a day on his own, ranging from 5 minutes to about 20 minutes at a time.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have no idea. I'm a stay-at-home mom; but I probably spend less time with a kitty in my lap than I did when I worked full time. Before my daughter was born I'd come home from work and lay on the couch with Mooch. I'd also fall asleep there with her. (Our 2 girls don't sleep in our bedroom because of DH's allergies.) Noodles will come for loving when she wants it.

Now that I have a little one, especially one who is mobile, they are hesitant to come near me where she can get to them. They will sit out of her reach though. We get toys out when the baby is napping or at night. I try to focus some attention on them; but it seems I'm always getting pulled in one direction or another. They still follow me to the bathroom; so they get loving there too. I definitely have less time for them; but it's not like I have none. It's more scattered and random I guess. It's been an adjustment for us all.

 

[catsnotkids]

Somehow he does not understand the concept of I would like to pet you know and I will be gone long tomorrow so you should take advantage. I just wish I could explain but of course I know he is really okay.

I just love my cat. Getting him a friend would not be a good idea as I am allergic. He was a stray I could not let starve, but I don't want to get too crazy.