- Joined
- Jan 31, 2021
- Messages
- 196
- Purraise
- 376
Hello again everyone!
Sassy and I are settling in well to our new living space. For those of you catching up, she is a happy and healthy 12-year-old domestic longhair that I rescued from neglect about a year and a half ago. We just recently moved into a new apartment after living with housemates. Sassy has handled the adjustment to being alone all day pretty well for the most part, she clearly misses me but doesn't tear the place up when I'm gone, poop and pee stay in the litter box, etc.
Playtime has always been a little bit of an issue for her - I have never found a toy that she enjoys that doesn't involve treats or huge amounts of catnip, with the exception of a piece of string, which she will go insane for for as long as you wiggle it at her. All that said, she used to be indoor/outdoor and I think getting her outside gave her enough stimulation that playtime didn't need to be priority one when she was inside. I have a catio that she can freely go in and out of as well as cat trees and perches in front of every window, but she doesn't seem to have figured these out yet.
So, for the past few days she has started waking me up at 4:45-5am every day by getting out of bed, marching into the living room, and wailing mournfully until I come out and see what the ruckus is. This morning she walked over to the shelf where I keep the brushes and purring excitedly, but I explained to her that, no, we don't get to get brushed at 4:45am, and carried her back to bed. She has also just generally been vocalizing more recently. No other changes in behavior. She is eating and drinking and peeing and pooping and sleeping and snuggling normally.
Oddly, this started when I bought a window unit air conditioner, but that doesn't seem to stress her out. She sniffed it a few times and then ignored it. So I think that's a coincidence. I'm stumped otherwise, though.
All of which is to say, I think she is getting bored, and I'm sure the string is going to get old eventually - what can I do to keep her stimulated during the day other than what I have already done? I have bought every possible cat toy I can find and her reaction is usually "Hm. Interesting." What else could be going on here that she would have gotten it into her head that 5am is brushing time and playtime?
Obligatory photo attached, of course.
Sassy and I are settling in well to our new living space. For those of you catching up, she is a happy and healthy 12-year-old domestic longhair that I rescued from neglect about a year and a half ago. We just recently moved into a new apartment after living with housemates. Sassy has handled the adjustment to being alone all day pretty well for the most part, she clearly misses me but doesn't tear the place up when I'm gone, poop and pee stay in the litter box, etc.
Playtime has always been a little bit of an issue for her - I have never found a toy that she enjoys that doesn't involve treats or huge amounts of catnip, with the exception of a piece of string, which she will go insane for for as long as you wiggle it at her. All that said, she used to be indoor/outdoor and I think getting her outside gave her enough stimulation that playtime didn't need to be priority one when she was inside. I have a catio that she can freely go in and out of as well as cat trees and perches in front of every window, but she doesn't seem to have figured these out yet.
So, for the past few days she has started waking me up at 4:45-5am every day by getting out of bed, marching into the living room, and wailing mournfully until I come out and see what the ruckus is. This morning she walked over to the shelf where I keep the brushes and purring excitedly, but I explained to her that, no, we don't get to get brushed at 4:45am, and carried her back to bed. She has also just generally been vocalizing more recently. No other changes in behavior. She is eating and drinking and peeing and pooping and sleeping and snuggling normally.
Oddly, this started when I bought a window unit air conditioner, but that doesn't seem to stress her out. She sniffed it a few times and then ignored it. So I think that's a coincidence. I'm stumped otherwise, though.
All of which is to say, I think she is getting bored, and I'm sure the string is going to get old eventually - what can I do to keep her stimulated during the day other than what I have already done? I have bought every possible cat toy I can find and her reaction is usually "Hm. Interesting." What else could be going on here that she would have gotten it into her head that 5am is brushing time and playtime?
Obligatory photo attached, of course.
I don't know if your kitty enjoys the laser pointer, but mine does, and I toss her a treat like you mentioned whenever she catches the dot. However, the treats are greenies dental treats that I cut into ~7 pieces each, so the overall calorie impact isn't high. 4-5 treats is under 10 calories and engages her in catching the dot about 30 times! (Sometimes I give her 2 if she does a strenuous or particularly impressive "catch")
