Guilt

i rescued a kitten last fall. He is adorable and has great habits. I already had 2 geriatric kitties and 2 small dogs. I feel guilty because I don’t have time to play with him and as a result he’s not much of a cuddler. He plays well by himself, with the dogs and with toys. Of course he is fed and properly vetted. He will lay on the bed with me from time to time. Should I think about finding him a home where he can get more attention? One of the old cats—20 years old—takes up a great deal of my cat time!

No, I wouldn’t rehome him. He is happy, has playmates and is loved, the most important things for a cat. He has a long life ahead of him and time to get more attention from you if he needs it. I wouldn’t worry or feel guilty, you are doing the best for him and your seniors.

sounds like he's happy, and that's all that counts.

btw, there's no reason to feel guilty. lots of cats who get tons of attention also aren't cuddlers, either. most cats, if they want more attention, will strongly let you know.

Thanks! Watching him do laps around the house right now. I bought him a ball with cut outs—put a toy mouse inside—he loves it. Has learned to bring to me to throw! I feel bad because when someone comes over he begs for attention!

maybe he likes a variety of people or new people. unhappy cats don't play.

He sounds happy to me! And quite friendly.

I would say he is very happy with YOU! He gets along with other animals, loves you (even if he's not super cuddly), loves strangers and other people (which is a great sign that he is not stressed or fearful - very content in his home, thanks to you) and loves to play, and even engages you to play with him. You, my friend, have a wonderfully well adjusted cat. Do not feel guilty, he really does seem VERY happy in YOUR home, and that's just from what you have written, I'm sure there are even more positive signs that we are not aware of.
You're doing great!
And on a side note, thank you for the care that you are providing your senior cat. I'm where you are, and I know it can be tough and very time consuming.

yes playing with strangers is the bonus round. I would guess the cat senses they would benefit from more time with you. But keep up the 1 on 1. Maintain the bond and Kitty will be OK

palikakitty said:

Thanks! Watching him do laps around the house right now. I bought him a ball with cut outs—put a toy mouse inside—he loves it. Has learned to bring to me to throw! I feel bad because when someone comes over he begs for attention!

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I do not think you have anything to feel bad about. Some cats just enjoy interacting with guests too. I have a young adult cat named Casey. He gets plenty of cuddle time from us and he gets along great with my other cats. There are times when we have guests and he starts spending more time with our company then with us. He just loves interacting with new people. We do not have company over a lot but Casey loves it when we do. It is possible that your kitten is like my Casey and just really enjoys interacting with people that visit you.

I do not think your kitten is unhappy at all in your home. Even if you can not spend as much time with him as you would like he has companionship from your dogs. He does still interact with you so that leads me to believe he is happy with you. If he was unhappy he would not play with you. He has has a great home with you. You are doing an excellent job of meeting his needs and the needs of your seniors. You have a well adjusted cat that just loves interacting with your company. This is something I would actually encourage as long as the guests are comfortable with this. Anyone that visits my house is told that Casey will probably climb in their lap. I have one friend who's hubby is allergic to cats. We simply hang out elsewhere. Her husband actually loves cats but can not be around them. The first time we invited them over her hubby decided we should go out to eat instead. He explained his allergy issue to me and said he would never go into someone's house to visit and expect them to keep cats away from him. If he had come into my house he would have wanted to interact with Casey and despite the risks.