Do you think cat's can have ADHD??

[kookoo4kitties]

OOps, Title Typo - that was Do you think cat's can HAVE ADHD?

If so, then I am positive my cat has it! lol

I've had a lot of cats, so I am used to them having a hyper time of the day. Most of my cats have had their hyper time at night time, when the humans are settling down for the night 10 -11 p.m. or so. I learned with my last cat the best way of dealing with this is having strenuous play time about half an hour before I want to go to bed. That way they are tired out and ready to settle down themselves. Our new kitty also gets super, super hyper around 10 - 11 at night. We have tried all manner of toys with her. Drag toys, flying toys, laser lights, turbo chasers, I even spent a small fortune on a really good flying -feathers on a wand type toy for her. Problem is, she loves them and plays with them for the first few days, but once the new has worn off, she gets bored with them. The expensive feather wand, she sits and watches me wave it around - but she rarely goes after it anymore, on the rare occasion that she does go after it, she will bat a time or two and then walk away.

She has almost full access to the house, the only exception is the kitchen counters and table. We have these beautiful large sill windows with great ledges for her to lay on, but the windows are huge and drafty - so since the weather got really cold here, she has largely been ignoring the windows. (Insulating isn't an option - you would have to see the windows to understand)

Out of ideas for playtime. She needs to play, not just to tire her out, but for exercise as well. She's still a kitten, so we are free feeding her, but I worry about her getting overweight down the line.

 

[mservant]

This all sounds quite normal to me, and I suspect the more intelegent a cat is the faster they get bored.  They figure out what they have to do to get the reward or to catch the toy, then whether there is anything special at the end like something which feels good or tastes nice and if there isn't they will loose motivation. They enjoy the hunt and chase but it has to have variety and reward to hold interest and not end up making them feel anxious.

It works best if you rotate toys, put them away somewhere out of sight for a week or two and swap round.  Try adding variations like hiding chase games partially in a bag, or putting games in a box or under a fabric tunnel.  Keep human interaction and unpredictability though it is hard; humans generally get bored faster than the cat who is sitting happily watching you twitch some little toy backwards and forwards until you move it just the right way.

The things that cost the least generally get enjoyed the most - cardboard boxes, paper bags, bottle caps large enough to not get swallowed small enough to bat about the floor.... and best of all are the things they think they are steeling off their humans.  If you play with the box or the toy mouse they will want it.  

 

[dianamc]

I know how you feel.  Some times I feel like I'm the only one getting exercise with the wand toy.  She's sitting there watching me or taking a breather.  She likes the feathers least of all and the tiny mouse about the best.  We have 2 wands and several attachments.  My son brought a laser home and that drives her nuts so sometimes I get her going with it and then switch to the wand.

It might help to catch her in the mood or try to keep to a schedule but we can't seem to manage these consistently. No, they don't have ADHD, just other interests

 

[kookoo4kitties]

First of all, thanks to whoever it was that fixed my Title typo. LOL 

Great ideas here, thanks! I never even thought about rotating her toys! Our last cats, Boo and and Dakoda,  was so easy when it came to play time - if it moved, they  would go after it.  Trix is a lot pickier. The only thing that is constant with her is that she loves the little cat nip mice, but it makes me realize that maybe she likes them so much because she doesn't have them all the time. She will bat them around until they go to a place she can't reach - then I fish them out when I am cleaning a day or two later and she has a  pile again.  I will definitely try this! 

She went absolutely nuts with the feathers and turbo chaser when we first got them - they held her interest the longest out of everything. She was actually afraid of the laser. I will look into some of this other stuff. I want to get her a cat tree, but with our getting her so close to the holidays, I just couldn't afford it.  She is the most unique cat I've ever had, she behaves nothing like any other cat we've had!  

 

[happybird]

They sell a cheap cat tree type thing at Walmart. It is a tension rod that reaches from floor to ceiling with three or four platforms spaced in between. It fits nicely into the corner of a room. The old model was carpeted, but the new model is made of that super thick cardboard.
For $30, it is a cheap way to provide some height and climbing entertainment for your cats.

I really would love to get a deluxe cat tree, but just can't bring myself to spend $200-$300 on one. The cats like this cheap version just fine

Almost forgot: Usually, they are stocked on the bottom shelf and not very visible, so you have to hunt for them a bit at the store.

 

[mservant]

...................
I really would love to get a deluxe cat tree, but just can't bring myself to spend $200-$300 on one. The cats like this cheap version just fine

Almost forgot: Usually, they are stocked on the bottom shelf and not very visible, so you have to hunt for them a bit at the store.

  All the best cheep stuff is hidden away!!!!   Top and bottom shelves all the way!