Is it possible for you cat to be TOO obsessed with a toy?

[srpjuly]

Hi all,

I recently got my cat Henrietta this real rabbit fur mouse toy that she LOVES. She's not much one for independent play but straight out of the package she was going crazy with it! Then, I got the idea to loop it on to my DaBird wand (I tried a plain old dowel and she liked it too but something about the DaBird wand makes her go CRAZY!!). She goes nuts for it: I mean jumping through the air, chirping non-stop the whole time. I'm so happy to have found a toy she loves so much that reliably gets her running around exercising every time.

The thing is, she's OBSESSED. It's really hard to end play time because she never even really attacks it, just chases it and lightly jumps on it (therefore we never reach the "catch" or "kill" phase of "hunt, catch, kill, eat" - which is how I used to end play sessions, with a meal!). She'll even ignore her food if I put it out after playing because she wants to keep going! She gets really tired out and I have to pause the play session for a few minutes in the middle multiple times because she starts breathing really hard (not to the point of panting or anything but definitely can tell she needs a rest even though she doesn't want to stop). When I put it away, she paws at the drawer ALL DAY and meows and trills at me telling me while I'm trying to work from home, telling me she wants to play.

I'm so conflicted, I love that she loves this toy so much! But it almost seems to be obsessive, where she brings me out to the living room to play before eating her breakfast in the morning! And it's showing no signs of slowing down after a month of owning the toy. Any tips for setting a definitive end to these play sessions (that will still be satisfying to her)? She's 7 years old and I can't believe she still has this much energy! I want to make sure she can be entertained and get it all out of her system, but I feel so bad having to say no to playing when I have to work since she doesn't like her solo toys, even ones that move by themselves. Ever since getting this toy, she went from begrudgingly playing by herself to ONLY wanting the mouse. Also just curious if anyone has had anything similar, if this is just her "jackpot" toy or if this might be some kind of behavioural problem?

 

[Furballsmom]

I wouldn't be concerned about it other than watching for the overexertion.
It's her jackpot toy .

Can you find a place (the freezer maybe) so she can't smell it during no-play times?

What you will want to do is purchase another couple of them and stash them away. There's hardly anything sadder, and more frustrating for the human, than a lost or destroyed toy, that you then can't replace.

 

[fionasmom]

Petlinks® Mystery Motion™ Concealed Electronic Motion Cat Toy | cat Interactive & Electronic | PetSmart

I am having an identical situation with this toy and my 18 month old flame point boy. I don't think it is behavioral, but that it is his jackpot toy, as you say. He loved Da Bird and crinkle tunnels, but this one supersedes both of those. Since he got the Mystery Motion toy, his interest in Da Bird has waned slightly.

Not saying that I have figured this out, but I am trying to establish short periods of play, followed by some rest time. I do watch for overexertion mostly, as he plays with my 6 year old HCM boy who also loves this toy. I offer a small treat at the end of the play sessions which seems to help.

Find a good hiding play where the mouse "goes away" when you are done playing and don't weaken.

 

[srpjuly]

Petlinks® Mystery Motion™ Concealed Electronic Motion Cat Toy | cat Interactive & Electronic | PetSmart

I am having an identical situation with this toy and my 18 month old flame point boy. I don't think it is behavioral, but that it is his jackpot toy, as you say. He loved Da Bird and crinkle tunnels, but this one supersedes both of those. Since he got the Mystery Motion toy, his interest in Da Bird has waned slightly.

Not saying that I have figured this out, but I am trying to establish short periods of play, followed by some rest time. I do watch for overexertion mostly, as he plays with my 6 year old HCM boy who also loves this toy. I offer a small treat at the end of the play sessions which seems to help.

Find a good hiding play where the mouse "goes away" when you are done playing and don't weaken.

Glad to know I'm not the only one! That's good advice, thank you! When do you end playtime? When they slow down a bit? People always say when they get distracted/lose interest but Henrietta never does! And, I also wonder HOW you put it away? For example before, when I would give her her meal after playing, I would put the toy away when she was occupied with the food (both so she wouldn't know where I put it and so that her prey didn't come back "alive" after she had killed it). Am I overthinking this part, do you just decide playtime is over after they've been at it for a while and put it away then and there? How do you avoid them following you meowing in protest as you try to put it back?

 

[fionasmom]

The toy I mentioned is motorized, and if the cats manage to stop the swinging "mouse" arm, it will burn out the motor. This is not my first time at the big dance with this toy. Given that, I watch for signs of exertion and/or overstimulation and then just arbitrarily stop it. I would say ten to fifteen minutes is it for one session. I offer a treat, then pick it up. The younger cat will try to stop me by sitting on it if he can get back in time, but I put it away regardless. He will also follow and meow in protest; unbeknownst to me, he watched where I initially put it, which was in a pantry used for emergency supplies, broke in and scaled the shelves to try to get to it. I fixed the lock on the door and once he realized that he could not manipulate it, he seemed to accept that the toy was not available. But if I get near that pantry, he runs over and waits in hope. With your mouse toy, I would try to put it in a place where the cat won't sense that it is hidden, while she is eating if you can.

 

[Furballsmom]

The younger cat will try to stop me by sitting on it if he can get back in time,

How do you avoid them following you meowing in protest as you try to put it back?

I don't think you can, unless you do something like pick it up with an oversized oven mitt which could somewhat hide your intention. Anyway, I still think the freezer is the best location for it.