Ideas to entertain a bored kitty during the workday

[sanfran_kitty_lady_21]

tl;dr: Would love to hear toy recommendations or ideas for keeping cats entertained while you're working.

I adopted my 6 year old kitty, Maya, about 6 months ago. I work from home and my schedule is the 6-10 hours of meetings/day type of work, especially during the mornings (and pretty early mornings). Maya has a lot of energy in the mornings and I'd love people's ideas on how to entertain her better. I do play with her in the evenings but my schedule makes it really hard to do that in the mornings.

Maya's actually pretty well behaved when I'm working and I try to accommodate her needs as much as possible:

• She'll meow for attention while I'm working but it's not too disruptive. I've try to give her a pet if I can or pat my lap telling her to come sit on my lap.
• She'll climb up behind me or on to my lap - not a problem at all. Sometimes she'll chill for awhile, a lot of times it's a way for her to try and get my attention
• She'll sometimes come up to my desk and explore a bit - I'll move her if I'm in an important call otherwise she's free to explore. I actually have a mat for her on one corner of my desk.

She's good about not getting into trouble. But she's clearly needing some stimulation in the morning that I'm just not able to give her.

As for the entertainment:

• I have a play mat/tunnel mat where I hide toys. Sometimes she's interested, other times she's not. She's definitely more of a bush dweller.
• I leave out a lot springs and fuzzy balls. In the past she loved playing with them and playing fetch with me (which I'd do with my meetings running). She's less engaged with them now. Do cats get bored of toys?
• I have a large cat tree she loves. She'll climb up, enjoy the view, and then come down. I live in an apartment building and there's just not a ton going on outside.

I have tried electronic toys but I've yet to find one she really engages with. She just watches them suspiciously. I've tried a few of the smart balls, the fish, and some the hide and seek ground toys.

What toys do you recommend or what did you do to entertain your cat?

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

I put a platform on the window above my desk, right on the other side of a bird feeder. At least until we were told to stop feeding the birds this summer (weird disease going around my area), she would love to watch the birdies while I worked. (I'm still always looking for other ways to keep her entertained).

 

[daftcat75]

Yes. Cats do get bored of toys. I recommend "retiring" a few of her favorites to a closet for a couple of weeks before bringing them back out again. Rotate toys so she doesn't get bored of them. If she likes tunnels or mats or boxes, periodically rearrange these so they seem new. Target has a lot of fun cardboard scratchers that I don't imagine are very expensive. I've only seen them on a foster's Instagram after my Krista passed last year. I'm still "between cats." I haven't looked for them myself. My next cat will be spoiled with these. I'll bring a new one home every month just to keep things exciting. Krista loved the Cat Dancer. It's a piece of cardboard on wire that vaguely resembles a moth--close enough for a cat. The Cat Dancer Deluxe comes with a base that you can stick against a wall. I taped it inside a storage bin and threaded the wire through the handle. I have to warn you though. Krista would bat it at all hours. Hey, happy cat is happy!

Amazon.com : CAT DANCER Deluxe 252 Cat Toy : Pet Supplies

 

[daftcat75]

Like this. Taco truck! How fun is that!
Taco Truck Cat Scratcher - Boots & Barkley™

 

[game misconduct]

a large tarantula in a see through cat proof box gives somthing they dont get bored of staring at

 

[lizzieloo]

Is she food motivated? IF so my vet recommended I challenge her with food to stimulate her. I bought one of those things where she had to scoop out the food to eat it and I'd give a few pieces and then I'd go and hide the rest somewhere in my apartment. She loved hunting for it! I also sometimes put her meal in a jackson galaxy puzzle ball.

 

[Cat McCannon]

You’re just going to have to bite the bullet and make time to play with your cat in the morning. If you’ve got your cat on your schedule, it’s been sleeping all night, storing up energy for the morning hunt.

Self play cat toys can take the edge of boredom, but nothing releases a cats pent up energy like playing with their guardian. Play with your cat, then feed it. Your cat will feel like it earned its breakfast and build its confidence and strengthen its bond with you.

Afterward eating, your cat will have a brief spike in energy but it will soon settle in for the day’s routine.