How to Play with my Cat?

[calcifer]

My two year old male has always been really rowdy and playful, even though he is neutered. I always have a huge problem playing with him though because nothing seems to interest him for long enough to get him sleepy like everyone says you should do for excited cats that like to cause trouble.

I have tried stick toys, which usually work at least a little bit, but even after 20 minutes, he still seems to have endless energy and it's understandable. No matter how much I wave the bird around or try to get him to chase it, he prefers to sit and stalk for five minutes before pouncing, biting it once, and then retreating to do the same thing over again.

I've tried a laser light, and he does the same thing to this, so I've given up on that, since he doesn't even get the little bit of incentive of having an actual item to attack.

Toys without wands get very little attention. I have a lot of small mice, one even has a feather tail, a big mouse, some balls with bells in them, a big rope ball with a bell in it, a big ball that's mostly open with a bell in it, some little bells with feathers on them, a couple of small animals with squeakers in them, and a few other things, but he pretty much wants absolutely nothing to do with them.

Sometimes he will go crazy over a marble on our kitchen floor, but it doesn't take long for him to lose it under the stove, fridge, or pantry door, and then that game of course is over. Or he'll get it stuck in a corner and lose interest before I can roll it back out into the open.

Whenever he's bored though, he messes with the blinds, so my mom makes me bring him to my bedroom and lock him up with me. Then he tries to rip things off my walls or scratch my furniture, since I have blankets over my windows and they just stay open all the time, so there are no blinds. I go to a college prep high school, so I can't spend two hours trying to play with the cat to tire him out, and I cannot focus with him destroying things either.

This is my first cat, and I'm really at a loss. Is there a certain way I should be playing with him that will tire him out? Or are there certain toys you guys could recommend that might either keep him occupied by himself or will actually tire him out if I play with him? Any help is really appreciated

 

[smitten4kittens]

You mentioned he loves to play with a marble but he loses it under things. Try putting him in the empty bathtub with his marble .He can bat it around and it can't get lost. This might keep him busy for a while and tire him out .My kitten used to love to play with a ping-pong ball in the tub (no water of course). It bounces off the sides of the tub and keeps the game going.

 

[duckdodgers]

You mentioned he loves to play with a marble but he loses it under things. Try putting him in the empty bathtub with his marble .He can bat it around and it can't get lost. This might keep him busy for a while and tire him out .My kitten used to love to play with a ping-pong ball in the tub (no water of course). It bounces off the sides of the tub and keeps the game going.

I toss ping pong balls in the tub for Stella.  It's hilarious to watch her make laps around chasing it!  She will eventually find a way to toss it out, but the game does last for awhile. 

 

[p3 and the king]

Some cats just are not into interactive play.  My Piper is not.  Though she does enjoy catnip toys, especially stinky bananas!  Just recently, she started playing with the new track toy I got them for Christmas.  Piper has never previously shown interest in track toys or anything other than catnip toys on her own.  I have found her playing with the toy several times now.  It overjoys me to see her behaving like a kitten again... Though even as a kitten, she didn't really like those types of toys.  Still not interested in the interactive toys, though.  She doesn't like wands or Da Bird or Neko Flies.  That is OK, though.  Each cat is different.  Don't push your kitty.  You'll just annoy him.  If he wants to play, he'll let you know somehow.  If not, just let it be and try not to take it badly. 

Oh and it is a myth that cats personality change after being fixed.  The only thing that is different is they no longer wish to pursue a mate.  So don't buy into "Neutering makes cats less energetic", it does not.  If they were before, they still will be.  He may mellow with age but he is a youngster still so he could be energetic for a long while to come.

It's interesting to say he messes with your blinds... Windows.  Does he have a cat tree?  If not, find a cat tree and place it next to a window.  Remove the blind.  Some cats really like to look outside.  It may not be toys at all that he needs to curb his frustration, just access to be able to look outside and get up high.  Try it and see if that helps.  Cats love to be up high and watch the world go by.

 

[eb24]

Some cats just are not into interactive play.  My Piper is not.  Though she does enjoy catnip toys, especially stinky bananas!  Just recently, she started playing with the new track toy I got them for Christmas.  Piper has never previously shown interest in track toys or anything other than catnip toys on her own.  I have found her playing with the toy several times now.  It overjoys me to see her behaving like a kitten again... Though even as a kitten, she didn't really like those types of toys.  Still not interested in the interactive toys, though.  She doesn't like wands or Da Bird or Neko Flies.  That is OK, though.  Each cat is different.  Don't push your kitty.  You'll just annoy him.  If he wants to play, he'll let you know somehow.  If not, just let it be and try not to take it badly. 

Oh and it is a myth that cats personality change after being fixed.  The only thing that is different is they no longer wish to pursue a mate.  So don't buy into "Neutering makes cats less energetic", it does not.  If they were before, they still will be.  He may mellow with age but he is a youngster still so he could be energetic for a long while to come.

It's interesting to say he messes with your blinds... Windows.  Does he have a cat tree?  If not, find a cat tree and place it next to a window.  Remove the blind.  Some cats really like to look outside.  It may not be toys at all that he needs to curb his frustration, just access to be able to look outside and get up high.  Try it and see if that helps.  Cats love to be up high and watch the world go by.

I had a lot of the same thoughts as you, P3. 

All cats are different in the type of play that they like, but, I think his playing with the blinds and the marble could be telling you a few things about his preferences: It sounds like he likes things that move fast and make noise. He also seems to like smooth textures. And, he seems to like things where he has to stretch out to play with them (like trying to rip things off the walls). Based on that, here are a fee things that I would try:

First, do you have a scratching post or cat tree for him? If not I would highly recommend getting at least one. All cats scratch so they need to have a proper place to do it. This would not only provide enrichment but help direct him away from your furniture. I think he may really like one that had an attachment on the top- something that he can reach up and pull on. You may also want to look for toys that you can stick to the walls. Da bird is one of example that you may try. 

To incorporate the marbles, I love the idea of putting him in the bathtub and letting him go to town. You may also want to get a Crazy Circle. It's a circular track toy (as P3 mentioned) and mine love it. This link is just to one example to give you an idea: http://www.petmate.com/crazy-circle . But, they come in all sizes and you can find them at almost any petstore. Also, is he food motivated? If so he may love a treat ball. Just load it with his favorite kind and it will provide hours of entertainment! 

Do you have an IPad? I don't, but my brother was showing me the other day some awesome new apps on it that are made specifically for cats. They move quick and make noise- right up his alley. If you don't, this may be just the argument you need to get your Mom to buy you one. 

Finally, incorporating catnip may really help. Not just toys that have catnip in them but bagged catnip that you can rub on things. try rubbing some on his scratching post or roll other toys in it to give it extra pop. 

It's great that you are thinking about ways to help your guy. Remember, it's not just about running out his physical energy but making sure he's mentally stimulated. A lot of his behavior sounds like he is just a super smart cat who is bored with simplistic toys. Try to incorporate toys that he has to think about and work for. It will help keep him interested longer, run out some of his energy, and keep him mentally engaged!

 

[smitten4kittens]

I toss ping pong balls in the tub for Stella.  It's hilarious to watch her make laps around chasing it!  She will eventually find a way to toss it out, but the game does last for awhile. 

It is cute and fun to watch. Better than TV!

 

[denneamarie]

You mentioned he loves to play with a marble but he loses it under things. Try putting him in the empty bathtub with his marble .He can bat it around and it can't get lost. This might keep him busy for a while and tire him out .My kitten used to love to play with a ping-pong ball in the tub (no water of course). It bounces off the sides of the tub and keeps the game going.

That is a great idea. I do that with my Sadie sometimes when she loses her ball under the couch. I'm also a nervous mother and worry about any small ball (like a marble) being swallowed and my babies choking on it so I resulted to ping-pong balls as well. However, with my Sadie (she's mischievous) the ping pong balls didn't satisfy her and she took to her own method of discovering the stress ball that I kept in my purse for when I donate plasma/blood. She loves the stress ball because it's small and soft enough for her to pick up with her mouth or paws and throw in front of her and chase around. She'll even pick it up with her paws, throw it a little ways, run and pounce on it and then pick it back up in her mouth and carry it back to her original spot. She's extremely active and this will keep her busy for a good half hour just on her own. My parent's Maine Coon, Sheba, actually plays with tennis balls. She'll pick them up in her paws and "toss" them or bat them against the wall and the kitchen kind of like she's playing catch with herself. If your cat is big enough the tennis balls are a good idea because they're big enough they can't get caught under a couch or chair (unless they sit higher of course).