Bored cat vs sleepy cat?

[potatodood]

I have a one year old cat that I adopted after living the first year outdoors (the son of feral parents). We're slowly transitioning him to indoor only, but his time outside has ranges from a few hours to 15 minutes. Currently, he's only allowed supervised visits outdoors (harness and leash) due to a traumatic event described here: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/268562/i-need-help-to-change-his-behavior

Anyways, my mom hates pets but we convinced her to keep him, but he had to be relegated to our lower floor which I guess is about the size of a small studio apartment. room. His "normal" schedule which has been changed since that traumatic event goes like:

6:00-wakes up and hangs around the room

7:00-I play with him with a wand toy

8:00-breakfast

9:00-1:00-random things/complains

1:00-5:00-nap

5:00-6:00-play session

7:00-dinner

8:00-11:00-nap on perch

11:00- goes into bed and sleeps.

I'm only able to spend a lot of time with him since I work part time, but once I get a full time position he needs to entertain himself, especially in the mornings. He likes wands and cat dancers, but obviously he need people around to use it. He doesn't seem to like the balls in the doughnut track or the ball on a spring with a base or crinkle balls. It may be a product of living outdoors, but he's also not interested in boxes, paper bags and wads of papers. He does like toy mice, and we have a few that we rotate every week. Also, although he likes the wand toys, I never see him make those acrobatic jumps you see on Animal Planet, instead he does these little bunny hops. He also has a large cat tree.

Any thoughts on how to keep him well entertained and fit and well exercised? It seems like I've tried every type of toy. Catnip doesn't seem to work either.

 

[tulosai]

Hi 

Is there a TV down there? He might actually be entertained by watching shows on animal planet or similar.

The other thing that comes to mind is that you don't mention if he has any vertical space.  A cat tree can work wonders sometimes, and might really improve his mood.

FInally have yo tried any electronic toys that will move even when you are not there if you pop batteries in?

I will keep thinking about this.  Hopefully others will also chime in.

 

[mservant]

Yes, is his cat tree at a window or anywhere that gives him a view of stuff going on?  My boy spends quite a bit of each day nose up at one of the windows thinking about what he could hunt, or just checking nothing's trying to climb in to his territory....  and if your cat does sleep when you're out he will be bouncing more and looking for you to play when you come home.   can always tell when Mouse hasn't had a busy day because he's almost bouncing off the walls trying to play when I come in the door.

You can also try leaving bits of dry food out - not a lot, but hidden in places he has to search for it.  Tunnels, or boxes and places he will play in but maybe has to dig about a bit or crawl in to and paw to fish things out.

 

[potatodood]

Well, he has a cat tree that's taller than I am (the tree is at least 6 feet). Unfortunately, the view isn't that great, its much better on the upper floor where he isn't allowed . There's not a lot going on but we have bird seed out to attract birds. He perches on there when he takes his evening nap. We also tried that crinkle tunnel, but he doesn't seem to like that either.

Part of it is I think because he was born and lived outdoor for the first year of his life, he really wants to go outdoor. He's been whining for the past hour with no letting up and its just something that he has to get used to I suppose. Friends aren't an option, his feral dad still hangs around but he only comes indoors to eat as company, and never stays for long (he urinated on our couch the other day). We have an aquatic turtle that he can look at but he never seems to want to.

I feel like I've tried so many things, he seems like a picky guy to entertain.

 

[mservant]

Cats do have their own pursonalities and some are a lot more active than others.  Picky? A cat? Probably!

See if you can tempt him in to c hanging his play routine more to the evening if that's when you're going to be about more.  Don't fret too much, cats do sleep a lot, and much of the time they are awake they find a comfy spot to watch their terrain and only occasionally twitch a tail or stretch their jaw in to a yawn - they are watching what's happening though and things like the birds outside and stuff are all part of that.  I used to have a fish tank and one of my girls would sit in front of it for hours  (I called it cat TV): mostly waiting for me to take the lid off for feeding time because she liked the taste of the fish food and stinky water.