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- Jul 5, 2018
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Marple and Radish have a new baby brother...7 month old ʻUlu, who was reportedly trapped downtown maybe two weeks before I fell in love and adopted him. ʻUlu is super shy and really loves to hide. Like will do nothing but hide all day in one of the several forts we constructed for him in his bedroom. Yet if you can reach his head and pet him while he's in his chosen hole, he'll come right out purring and rubbing himself all over you before eventually deciding to duck back into his hiding spot....well, we've only had him for about a week and it's a work in progress.
He is only the third cat I've lived with but he is the first cat I've ever met who just doesn't seem to want to play. I've tried trailing strings around in front of him--no response. Crinkly toys--nothing. Mouse-shaped furry toys--nope. Last resort, the laser pointer, which even increasingly lazy Marple will go pounding after. Pretty sure he only thought "What the heck is that thing?" And he got scared of a toy with a bell in it, so no more toys with bells for now.
Anyone had a cat that was so shy it didn't want to play, or didn't know how to? I feel like if he could stretch his legs playing it would help a lot with his anxiety/shyness...but maybe it's his anxiety/shyness that's keeping him from playing. He could also just not know how to play as I doubt there are many rainbow fleece worms on sticks roaming the street he grew up on, but who knows. We aren't planning on letting him out just yet because he's so shy and has already gone hiding behind the washing machine twice when he escaped his bedroom, and Radish also is still growling at him when he sees him (Radish is improving a lot from growling just from smelling my hands after petting ʻUlu, but we don't think either of them are ready to face each other in the open). There's plenty of space in the spare bedroom for play to happen...he just doesn't want to. Does he just need more time? I know a week isn't a super long time for a shy cat. Is there something I can do to encourage playing?
He is only the third cat I've lived with but he is the first cat I've ever met who just doesn't seem to want to play. I've tried trailing strings around in front of him--no response. Crinkly toys--nothing. Mouse-shaped furry toys--nope. Last resort, the laser pointer, which even increasingly lazy Marple will go pounding after. Pretty sure he only thought "What the heck is that thing?" And he got scared of a toy with a bell in it, so no more toys with bells for now.
Anyone had a cat that was so shy it didn't want to play, or didn't know how to? I feel like if he could stretch his legs playing it would help a lot with his anxiety/shyness...but maybe it's his anxiety/shyness that's keeping him from playing. He could also just not know how to play as I doubt there are many rainbow fleece worms on sticks roaming the street he grew up on, but who knows. We aren't planning on letting him out just yet because he's so shy and has already gone hiding behind the washing machine twice when he escaped his bedroom, and Radish also is still growling at him when he sees him (Radish is improving a lot from growling just from smelling my hands after petting ʻUlu, but we don't think either of them are ready to face each other in the open). There's plenty of space in the spare bedroom for play to happen...he just doesn't want to. Does he just need more time? I know a week isn't a super long time for a shy cat. Is there something I can do to encourage playing?