New Cat Not Looking To Get Up High?

I am new to cat ownership, so I'm not really sure how to word that question!

So, Piper has been with us for 3 weeks now. She's never been skittish or nervous... she walked into my house like she owned the place the day she wandered up after living life on her own for what was clearly a pretty decent amount of time given the shape she was in.

Her favorite lounging spot when she wants to get away is underneath the guest bed, but she spends most of her time sprawled out in the middle of the floor despite my 6 and 4 year old human kids running around. She doesn't seem to seek out high places though. She doesn't get on the counters, couch, tables, or anything. It makes me hesitate to spend money on a cat tree for fear she won't use it. Is she still adjusting? Or do some cats just not care about being up high?

Also, if she is as young as the vet thinks she is (around 1 year old), I haven't found her to be very playful. It doesn't really matter if that's just her personality, but I don't know how common or uncommon it is. She doesn't seem to have very developed back lack muscles compared to other cats I've seen. Maybe she is still rebuilding herself? She was severely malnourished and infested with fleas/ticks. She was dewormed and is currently being treated for giardia. I am just curious to know what others think! Thanks!

Thank you for taking this little one into your home.

Some cats just aren't huge on going high. My crew know they aren't allowed on counter tops and tables so they stay off those. But they still enjoy the cat tree. The thing about cat trees is in addition to providing a high cat spot, they also are a scratching post and scent soaker. Also, since you have young children you can set up a rule that when kitty is on the tree she's invisible so that she has a safe spot from little hands.

As to playing, if she is malnurished it could simply be she is rebuilding her strength. It could be she never really learned to play. It could be she is still adjusting. It could be you don't have the right type of toy to catch her interest. I wouldn't worry too much, she will come out of her shell in time.

PipersMom said:

do some cats just not care about being up high?

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Some breeds are ground dwellers. If that's her in your profile pic she might be part ragdoll. My Mawkin was the laziest cat I've ever met. Even as a kitten I used more energy trying to get her to play than she ever did. She was healthy and alert but prefered spectating to joining in. She also preferred the ground or her recliner.

Mine are “cave dwellers.” They sleep in the tunnels on the floor or as in the picture under a box.

Thanks! I honestly never imagined I'd have a cat having always had dogs. She reminds me more of a dog than a cat in her behavior and temperament. She does like the catnip toy I got her, which is the only one she's really played with. But she loses interest pretty quickly. She uses it for a pillow more often than not. Lol!

And that is her in the picture! She's a sweet thing and quite nice to my obnoxious 4 year old. The kid really was built for a puppy...

This is her:

She may still be settling in. But it's true some cats don't care to go up high. I have a cat that came from the bushes outside my old apartment. He is a true bush cat because even at home he likes to stay at couch/bed level. He'll go on counters and tables but he doesn't ever go up to the top of the cat tree or top of my kitchen shelves.

After 2 weeks with me, mine is exploring more and discovering heights in the house (china cabinets, bookcases, etc.). I guess getting a cat tree is next. Savvy is banned from kitchen counters and dining table. I wonder if she knows that. LOL.

PipersMom said:

This is her:

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Gorgeous and I love the Tortitude on her face!

Hi!
Just in case this helps you and your gorgeous baby;
First-time Cat Owner's Guide

We have one bush cat, but he will occasionally surprise us and jump on shelves or our super tall cat tree. You might want to try getting a cheap cat tree and see if she likes it. She may start climbing or jumping more once she feels better and gets more comfortable.

Hellenww said:

Gorgeous and I love the Tortitude on her face!

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She gives me that look quite frequently. And she nipped at me the other day for not presenting her majesty with breakfast quickly enough. She definitely has some attitude sometimes.

And sometimes she can look pretty sweet and innocent:

She's a beauty. One of our part MC cats liked to climb, the other didn't.

It sounds as though your kitty had a rough life before you got her. She may have found it easier to go to ground, than climb down a tree after danger passed. She'd probably like some tunnels, boxes with kitty doors cut into them, furniture she can fit under... Or she may just adore your kids.

I would suggest for now getting her a 'cave' or two. Like my cat cube or a cardboard box on it's side with a towel/blanket draped over 3/4 of the entrance. I would also suggest trying out with a starter cat tree that is waist heigh. Feed her treats there if you really want her high up.

Be sure to give her a safe cave that kids are absolutely not allowed to bug her if she is there (I like giving cats a safe room from little kids!) She will get her confidience eventually. Lastly one of my boys as a slight vision issue from getting his eye scratched as a kitten. He tries to avoid heights, so I give him footstool to get up to computer desk, the cat tree and dresser easier. It might just be a vision thing.

PipersMom said:

Her favorite lounging spot when she wants to get away is underneath the guest bed

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Thats her safe spot. A place where she can look out and nobody knows she's under there.

It's just 3 weeks she's been there and its a great progress that she spend time sprawling in the middle of the floor with your kids running about. This shows that she's at home and comfortable with the surroundings and noise.

Give her more time to explore. Place her favorite toys up on the cat tree or sprinkle some catnip up there. Some cats may like catnips and some are not drawn to it.

Cats will change sleeping area very often but will have their favorite spot. When my boy was young, he use to sleep right on top of the cat tree or in the box of the cat tree. Then he'll move on to sleeping top of cabinets. After a year or so, he moved on to sleep under the armchair which is his favorite spot till now and also he'll move up to my armchair or sometimes up the cabinet. He is so comfortable at home and he chooses where he wants to sleep now.

Also give her time to recover from the episodes of fleas/ticks and feed her well so that her health level will improve and gain back her health and weight.

Thank you for taking her in and for giving her a warm and fur-ever loving home and she's such a pretty gal

If you're not sure whether she'll like the cat tree, you could look for a cheap starter one (as KarenKat suggested). You could try getting a used one at a garage sale or on Craigslist, and there are also occasionally good deals available on Amazon, Woot.com, or even at stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx. If your cat doesn't like it, you can recoup some of the cost by selling it.

If she's shown any interest in looking out the window, and the cat tree could be placed by the window, that's probably a good sign.

My first cat had no interest whatsoever in her cat tree, and I think this was due to how late in life we got it for her (at about 11). Our current cat loves it, and it really helped us integrate her into the household successfully, because she came
to us quite skittish, and it gave her her very own space in the living room, where
she could be part of the action but control our ability to approach her. So you never know, I guess....

Etarre said:

you could look for a cheap starter one

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A few yrs ago I got a new 5ft tree (2 shelves plus a tunnel) at Petsmart on the day after Thanksgiving for under $30. A friend has ground loving Himalayans that love their 3ft cat house that looks like a princess castle.

Thanks! I will look into smaller cat trees to see how she feels about it!

She made me a liar today. I found her in the bed this afternoon instead of under it. I went ahead and ordered a small cat tree.

And, yes... she was giving me the look for disturbing her to take a picture.

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=847
We love this one. You can add it to your email list for when the price drops buy clicking that button. I have seen it as low as maybe $136? I think I paid $160. This stuff lasts forever, all my flying high cats use it all the time, and then there is my tiny tortie who will not use the 6 foot cat tree. She likes to lay on top and stare out the window.

Maybe she just hasn't got the energy right now to find high places? I used to think Raja preferred low places (we have beds under a coffee table because that's where they used to go). But over the summer she started jumping on top of my desk. I put a cushion there and now it's her favorite place to be. We've only had a tree for a few days and while they go on it now and then, they still look for their favorite spots.