Cat Won’t Play, But Wants To

[Deleted member 10013100]

I have all types of toys —

Laser pointers, wand toys, squeaky mice, remote control mice, catnip toys, chirping bird toys, you name it! My cat will not play with them.

I have looked up many strategies such as making the toys mimic pray, and she is just not interested.

You may say, maybe shes a lazy cat? No! She wants to play so badly! She runs around with such high energy and attacks my legs and feet to get me to play with her, then she just doesn’t?

As a result, she gets play aggression and is aggressive towards us because we don’t play.

What can I do??

 

[susanm9006]

Some cats just like to play with a certain kind of cat so keep trying different toys - balls of all kinds including golf balls, crinkle balls, and sparkle balls, Yeoww catnip toys, crumpled paper, cardboard box with holes cut out, plastic milk caps and rings, q tips, plastic straws . One of my cats favorites is a plastic shopping bag which she uses to bury and then hunt out her toys.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Sometimes it take a while to figure out what toy is gold to a cat. AND, when using wand toys, remember that you MUST BECOME the "prey" on the end of a stick. If it is feathers, you can't just swing the stick. You have to make the "bird" swoop and flutter and hop a bit on the ground before taking off again. If it is a mouse, it must skitter and hop along the floor. SIGH...a good method acting course helps. Don't ask me how I know this.

 

[ArchyCat]

I have had cats that loved ping pong balls. Light, travel far when hit, bounces well. Good luck

 

[susanm9006]

We have started a new game at home this past week which involves the cat sitting next to me while I reach into the couch cushions and pull out stuff - initially crumpled wrappers, hair scrunchies etc for her to play with and Willow thinks this is the greatest game in the world. We exhausted my cleaning failures the first couple days and so now I have the cushions stuffed with springs, mousies and crinkle balls. This last week she has spent more time sitting next to me than she has done in the last seven years.

 

[Etarre]

Does your cat play with items that aren't toys...and aren't your feet? Mine loves to play, and loves her toys, but she also really enjoys pouncing on a pile of pet blankets and stealing my socks to run around the apartment with. Last night, one of my sweaters mysteriously disappeared from the drying rack and wound up in the hallway. Dunno what that was all about. My previous cat also loved ponytail holders and those little plastic rings from milk jugs. If your cat isn't into normal toys, maybe he'll find something else to play with if you discourage him from going for your feet and he's forced to find an alternative.

 

[vince]

The ping pong balls are a good suggestion. If your cat is a bit standoffish, you might try the ping pong balls in the bathtub or shower so she can play by herself.

My two go nuts for dowel rods. According to them, a dowel rod is the best thing since flush toilets and sliced bread. I keep a supply for them to play with around the house, as they often break the little ones (which they seem to like best). I'm always worried about splinters, but it never seems to happen. You might try that.

 

[susanm9006]

The ping pong balls are a good suggestion. If your cat is a bit standoffish, you might try the ping pong balls in the bathtub or shower so she can play by herself.

My two go nuts for dowel rods. According to them, a dowel rod is the best thing since flush toilets and sliced bread. I keep a supply for them to play with around the house, as they often break the little ones (which they seem to like best). I'm always worried about splinters, but it never seems to happen. You might try that.

Dowel rods - would never have thought of these as a toy. I love this as it goes to the point I was trying to make that sometimes a cats idea of the greatest toy in the world may be different than ours. Give them lots of options, pay attention to what seems to interest them and you will find something they like to play with.

 

[duncanmac]

Dowel rods - would never have thought of these as a toy. I love this as it goes to the point I was trying to make that sometimes a cats idea of the greatest toy in the world may be different than ours. Give them lots of options, pay attention to what seems to interest them and you will find something they like to play with.

Found this one out by accident - one of my guys went nuts over a stick that ended up in the house. They also like playing with the sticks from their wand toys - just hold it by the wrong end and rub it on the floor. If they aren't playing with a box - turn it upside down and it is instantly and adventure.

 

[Etarre]

Creative little creatures! In another thread, I remember someone mentioning that their cats liked to play with string beans, which I would never have thought of either....

 

[Mamanyt1953]

An empty toilet paper roll with a few treats or bits of dry kibble inside, and blocked on each end with crumpled newspaper...cats have a blast figuring out how to get to the treats.

 

[susanm9006]

Creative little creatures! In another thread, I remember someone mentioning that their cats liked to play with string beans, which I would never have thought of either....

One of mine stole potatoes out of the bag all the time and loved to knock them around the room. The problem was she eventually would take a bite and would get nauseous from it. So potato’s had to be hidden and kept away from her.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Mine likes bowling...

 

[Furballsmom]

a good method acting course helps. Don't ask me how I know this

heeheehee

We exhausted my cleaning failures the first couple days and so now I have the cushions stuffed with springs, mousies and crinkle balls. This last week she has spent more time sitting next to me than she has done in the last seven years.

too funny, but awww how terrific!

 

[Furballsmom]

There's one other thought I have, well, three actually, because the Big Guy was somewhat the same way, and at his slightly sagely age, he needs his action time LOL.

What about real fur mice? There's an online store called catsnus . com that sells retro and classic toys and this is where we FINALLY found a replacement mousie for his favorite that came with him from his original household.

The other is partly due to another member's mentioning she washed the toys to try and freshen the catnip. somewhat short of that, I took a catnip filled fish and ran it under the faucet to wet it, and he went bonkers for it, for a couple days no less which was quite the deal.

The other is instead of catnip, what about honeysuckle toys? I see that some of the smaller online stores aren't carrying them anymore or are closed but at a quick glance ebay, amazon and etsy have some and if you're outside the US madaboutcats and kittykottage also carry items.

 

[duncanmac]

What about real fur mice? There's an online store called catsnus . com that sells retro and classic toys and this is where we FINALLY found a replacement mousie for his favorite that came with him from his original household.

This was a hit: http://a.co/j3pSM1x

Its rabbit. Only downside is that there is no weight to them so they are hard to throw.

 

[sabrinah]

My cat is 14 and has never, ever had any interest in playing with any kind of toy., or with me. I've gone through a frightening number of them. However, if I tear off a little piece of paper, roll it in a ball, and let it sit on the floor for a couple days she'll eventually go insane over it for 5-10 minutes. She also likes the rings off of milk and soda caps. Some cats just aren't in to fancy toys or set playtime I guess.

 

[lorenaavila]

I have the same problem. My cat wants to play and cries for it but when I start playing she just looks at me with hunting eyes but does nothing, just sits and looks at me lol. Now finally I found a good game which is tying a natural feather to a string tied to a stick and I make her follow it. She went nuts playing with this for about 2-3 days but now she doesn't do much anymore again. Sigh. Patience and try to create a new game every 3 days.

 

[stephmnichols]

Things my cat goes crazy for: q-tips, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, crumpled up paper, brightly coloured pens, small sticks or twigs, leaves (she is indoor but they get tracked inside), and just garbage in general.

Things my cat could not care less about: the multitude of expensive toys I have bought her.

Cats are funny.

 

[KarenKat]

I found my cats won’t really play unless they have something to hide behind ... my best combo so far has been Da Bird and a ripple rug. I also leave shoeboxes, chairs with towels draped over so they feel they have enough cover to pounce on things. Acting like prey is step one, giving them an ambush spot is step two.