How to play with a senior cat?

[thefishyone]

So Terra the Cat will be turning 12 very soon. When she was younger and I lived on my own, she waa a very feisty, energetic cat. I can tell that she still wants to play, but she loses interest very quickly.

She had her annual check up earlier this year, and was deemed healthy. I’ve also been playing the same game with the same toy with her for her entire life. Might she just be bored with it? Should I be playing with her in a less physically intensive, more mentally stimulating manner?

If any of you have tips on how to engage an older cat in play, I’d appreciate it.

 

[maggie101]

Cats like to hunt so a wand toy like the go cat catcher,. At that age my cat was still running threw cubes and jumping

 

[thefishyone]

Yea, I had Da Bird ever since she was a kitten, and it’s been her favorite toy. Perhaps the problem is the setting. Ever since moving into my new place, I’ve had to play with Terra in my room because my roommate had a big ol’ bulldog who was very chill and used to cats, but Terra never really cared for him. The bulldog has since passed away, so I can now use the more spacious downstairs to play with her.

 

[Margot Lane]

i have a similar issue w/ my elder cat. He LOVES Yowzz catnip though, and when he is really goofed up on it, adores being pushed around on a circular grass cushion. (Admittedly, that’s ME doing most of the work and him just having fun). I keep fantasing bout getting him a goldfish to stare at, but then that’s two critters to tend to. Mostly what I’ve found is, like most old creatures they like attention, just being talked to, letting the world go by, and routine becomes increasingly important. Remember, in a year from now your cat will be 68 in human terms…mine would be 88! I also carry him to the fenced in garden when I water it, and he purrs the entire time, doing absolutely nothing.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Try everything; noisy toys, soft toys, catnip, shiny toys, different locations to play, diy toys et al

Playing With Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Margot Lane]

Afterthought: he seems to like music, and music precisely at 8PM. Don’t ask me why, maybe it’s a soothing bedtime ritual. But, maybe you could find out what he likes to hear and have that be a ritual between you.

 

[thefishyone]

I think part of thr issue is that when she was younger, Terra was what Jackson Galaxy would call a Lamborghini cat, whereas she can sometimes be more of a Model T cat now that she’s a bit older. With that in mind, I can regularly get her bounding about and being a cat, but I sometimes have to work to get her revved up enough to play.

Last night, she was absolutely bouncing off the wall while I was trying to sleep, until I bought out Da Bird, and she immediately chilled out. Not to be fooled, I was able to (with only a little effort) coax her into buring off that kitty energy.