My Cat Does Not Play

[Loki_Lily]

Dear all the cat parents ,

I have read many threads without becoming a member before as this site would come up if I googled anything. I finally decided to join to seek help about my babies.

Loki is a 21 months old Scottish fold. I got him when he was 3 months old. He was never a lap cat to begin with, and he barely showed any affection. He is an indoor cat and stays in my bedroom (Pretty large size with lots of windows, including a big bathroom with a window and a large closet) while I am at work 8 hours a day. His routine has always been this way since I do not let him roam around the house thinking it is not safe. As I mentioned, he was never an affectionate cat, but we played a lot until after a year or so. But he he has always followed me around, found himself a spot near me and hang out or sleep (I was content with that much affection, as I respected his space). I have a big family, and my nieces love him, but he does not care for them when they come over to visit. I also think he stopped trusting me because I let my nieces near him. Long story short, he almost stopped playing, I know he is healthy because he gets his regular check up, he eats and sleeps, purrs when I pet him (Only when he lets me), sleeps on his stomach on his back (Adorable!!!) and begs me for treats when I am in the kitchen. You can tell he is a happy baby but just aloof.

To get him to play, I got Lily, a four months old Scottish Fold. She is the sweetest little thing. He hated her for a few days (as expected), but they both got along within a week. Ever since, they play together everyday for about 10 minutes. (Maybe more while I am at work). Lily is not a lap cat either, but very affectionate. Super excited to see me, follows me around literally everywhere and cries when she cant find me. I keep their litter box clean, give them both wet and dry food, fresh water and leave them with many many toys. Lily plays with anything you throw her way, but Loki- nope! I know he needs activities, and that bonding with his mom, and I religiously play with them everyday whether he plays or not. He was always super picky about toys (Almost played with nothing) , but now he even gets bored chasing the laser after a few minutes (which was his only interest) lately. He has shown interest to go outside my room when I am not home, and I have even let him out the room while I am gone just to keep him happy. I do not have any human children, and these two are my babies. I try to provide them with the best of everything, but what am I doing wrong? Why would he not play with me? Why doesn't he like any toys? What can I do to keep him more active? How can I bond with him?

I am sorry for the long post, but I tried to include every little details. I have read almost all internet threads and watched all the Jackson Galaxy videos. What can I do? I have tried buying all the toys people suggested for aloof cats on different forums, but nothing gets him excited. I should also mention, both of my babies do not care for catnip or Valerian root. I want a long and healthy life them, and exercise is vital. I feel sad and hopeless sometimes, would someone please help this desperate mother?

 

[susanm9006]

I would cat proof your home and let them roam. Just having more space to explore gives them exercise and the stimulation of new sights and sounds. If you live in a home, try putting out bird feeders or waterers - this will keep your cats entertained for hours. Also add a cat tree in your living area so he can check out things from up high. And keep buying different toys, sometimes it just takes the right toy to get a cat playing. Also look at interactive food toys. These give the cat both physical and mental stimulation when they have to work to get their treat. One thing my cat loves is for me to wrap up treats in white tissue paper like tootsie rolls and toss them around the living room. She loves tearing the paper apart to get the treat inside.

 

[Kieka]

It's okay. Not all cats are big time players and some cats are super mega picky about toys.

In terms of toys, have you tried independent or etsy.com toys? Things with real untreated feathers are a huge hit in our house. My local independent pet store stocks this one with feathers and crinkle paper that my guys go crazy for. It isn't artificially colored and doesn't come with any sort of fancy packaging just out of a bucket on the counter from the local farm where the wife makes cat toys out of leftover feathers. Paper balls, ping pong, sparkly poof balls, my guys tend to go for the cheaper toys. I have a literal basket of toys that I have tried and they actually play with maybe 10 of them. Although sometimes I come home to the whole basket tipped over... but I think that is another game. I had a cat one time who only played with mice who had feather tails. Mice with leather or string tails were boring, but a feather tail made all the difference.

In terms of play, like I said, not all cats do play. We want them to of course. It is healthier for them in the long run. But some just don't play. My Mom's cat is the perfect example. He was a bottle baby, raised in our home with access to many toys. We have always joked that he just doesn't know how to play. He loves hair elastics and has to have a bowl full of them. All he does is stare at the bowl and sometimes nudge one around in the bowl. He won't take them out, he doesn't play with them, he just stares at them. If you toss one he will run after it but when he catches it he looks at it, looks at you, looks at it, and runs back to you. We have two other cats and he will gladly watch them play. Sits on a chair and just stares at them. But they gave up trying to get him to play because he just doesn't. Once in a while he will try to play but it always ends quickly with him running to my Mom and hiding on her lap. He even brings in lizards, mice and insects for my girl to play with but he releases it and then sits back to watch her play. Long story short, cats are weird.

Take what joy you can from your time with your fluffy children. As much as it may seem like he doesn't want to play I would imagine he enjoys the time with you. If he didn't he would be hiding when it was play time. And don't give up. My Moms cat has moments of play every now and then; but they seem to be more frequent now. Like he was slow to learn. Also, my girl had no reaction to catnip or valerian root until she was nearly 2.5 years old so that isn't a lost cause either.

 

[orange&white]

I would let him roam the house, though that doesn't fix the "won't play" problem.

My senior cat who is about to be 13 years old has never been very playful, even as a kitten. He's more of a desk chair supervisor, sitting on the sidelines making sure everyone else is acting nice while they play. He's the most laid-back cat I've ever owned.

It may just be your cat's personality. The main issue with a cat being more of an observer than a participant, is that the lack of exercise can lead to weight gain, particularly with age. I'd just say not to let your couch potato kitty turn into a fatty, (like I did with mine ).

Put his food up high where he at least has to jump up and down a few times a day.

 

[lalagimp]

Cat Dancer Original Cat Toy
This thing is ridiculous. We've been using the wand and the laser toys with our cats for years and a few of them recently went nuts for this very simple, cheap toy. It's worth a shot. My tiny tortie, who is about 11, recently claimed this toy as hers. She will wait nearby for the other cats to get done playing to have her own personal party session. When she's done she always goes and hits the water fountain after about ten minutes.
If he hates it, she'll probably like it anyway so the $3 isn't going to hurt anyone.

 

[Loki_Lily]

I would cat proof your home and let them roam. Just having more space to explore gives them exercise and the stimulation of new sights and sounds. If you live in a home, try putting out bird feeders or waterers - this will keep your cats entertained for hours. Also add a cat tree in your living area so he can check out things from up high. And keep buying different toys, sometimes it just takes the right toy to get a cat playing. Also look at interactive food toys. These give the cat both physical and mental stimulation when they have to work to get their treat. One thing my cat loves is for me to wrap up treats in white tissue paper like tootsie rolls and toss them around the living room. She loves tearing the paper apart to get the treat inside.

Thank You so much for your response! It was my first post and did not expect so many kind parents with such helpful ideas.
They have a cat tree, but he only climbs up there to the top post and sleeps. If I let him roam in the house, he goes in the second bedroom and sleeps under the bed. He is not super lazy or anything, he does walk around and stuff but he sleeps a lot. He watches me play with Lily, but he barely joins. I have thought about putting up bird feeders as well, but afraid my deck would be filled with poop, but if it comes to that, I would still do it and not care of cleaning up bird poop. Its great that your furrbaby plays with those wrapped up treats and this would be a great idea for Lily (Again, she plays with anything and everything!), but Loki does not care for dry treats. He would only like the wet ones from Fancy Feast. My whole house is kind of cat proof, but it may sound really weird, I constantly keep worrying about them while I am at work if they are roaming freely (Lot of places to hide and injure themselves, or eat something off the floor or eat anything and get sick before I get home). I should also mention, he was fine and happy in my room and would only go out after I got home and follow me back to my room for bedtime. I recently had a surgery and stayed home, that could be why he has been wanting to be out of the room while he sleeps the whole time I am at work. I have thought about turning my room into his room if nothing works out. I am thinking about putting those hanging shelves all over the wall from low to high where he can climb up and down and get the exercise and also be happy. I mean, hey, what should a woman's bedroom look like anyway other than a cat tree, toys everywhere (Just in case he ever wants to play), that huge green tent from Ikea (he loves to hide in it), floating shelves all around the room and two ugly accent chairs (I was supposed to get rid of them until I realized he loves sleeping on both of them combined, yes in the middle of it). I wont complain, because I seriously do not remember my life before them and my source of constant happiness.

 

[Loki_Lily]

It's okay. Not all cats are big time players and some cats are super mega picky about toys.

In terms of toys, have you tried independent or etsy.com toys? Things with real untreated feathers are a huge hit in our house. My local independent pet store stocks this one with feathers and crinkle paper that my guys go crazy for. It isn't artificially colored and doesn't come with any sort of fancy packaging just out of a bucket on the counter from the local farm where the wife makes cat toys out of leftover feathers. Paper balls, ping pong, sparkly poof balls, my guys tend to go for the cheaper toys. I have a literal basket of toys that I have tried and they actually play with maybe 10 of them. Although sometimes I come home to the whole basket tipped over... but I think that is another game. I had a cat one time who only played with mice who had feather tails. Mice with leather or string tails were boring, but a feather tail made all the difference.

In terms of play, like I said, not all cats do play. We want them to of course. It is healthier for them in the long run. But some just don't play. My Mom's cat is the perfect example. He was a bottle baby, raised in our home with access to many toys. We have always joked that he just doesn't know how to play. He loves hair elastics and has to have a bowl full of them. All he does is stare at the bowl and sometimes nudge one around in the bowl. He won't take them out, he doesn't play with them, he just stares at them. If you toss one he will run after it but when he catches it he looks at it, looks at you, looks at it, and runs back to you. We have two other cats and he will gladly watch them play. Sits on a chair and just stares at them. But they gave up trying to get him to play because he just doesn't. Once in a while he will try to play but it always ends quickly with him running to my Mom and hiding on her lap. He even brings in lizards, mice and insects for my girl to play with but he releases it and then sits back to watch her play. Long story short, cats are weird.



Take what joy you can from your time with your fluffy children. As much as it may seem like he doesn't want to play I would imagine he enjoys the time with you. If he didn't he would be hiding when it was play time. And don't give up. My Moms cat has moments of play every now and then; but they seem to be more frequent now. Like he was slow to learn. Also, my girl had no reaction to catnip or valerian root until she was nearly 2.5 years old so that isn't a lost cause either.

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I do not think there is not a website or store I have not tried buying something different from just to get him to play or keep him interested for over a minute. I live a simple life, but I go all out when it comes to them. I am guilty or buying a few more today, but again, he will only play for a few minutes. I guess I will have to change out the way my room looks to keep him more engaged.
Your girl did not like catnip or valerian in the beginning but started to like it later? Well.. that gives me some hope, then I could get him to play with stuff filled with them. I bought some catnip infused bubbles. He loves the bubbles and tries to catch them for a minute or two until he decides to just sit back and watch them. However, I think he likes the bubbles but does not care for the catnip.

You are so right! I will take what I get from him because now I cannot imagine a life without him and I do not want to imagine or have one. To make sure we get the most of it is by keeping him healthy. I smoked for a few years due to stress, and I tried many techniques to quit, but nothing worked. Yet another cigarette if I was stressed. Few days after I got him, I read somewhere that if you smoke near them, you put their health at risk. I never smoked indoor, but I did not want him to get any smell of it after I came inside. I quit in a blink! Cold turkey, overnight! I try to do everything the right way to make sure they have the healthiest lifestyle. I am overly concerned about him because Lily plays/runs a lot and stays in shape, while he is on the bigger side (Adorable looking! but not healthy in the long run. I will just be patient and keep trying new things.

 

[Loki_Lily]

I would let him roam the house, though that doesn't fix the "won't play" problem.

My senior cat who is about to be 13 years old has never been very playful, even as a kitten. He's more of a desk chair supervisor, sitting on the sidelines making sure everyone else is acting nice while they play. He's the most laid-back cat I've ever owned.

It may just be your cat's personality. The main issue with a cat being more of an observer than a participant, is that the lack of exercise can lead to weight gain, particularly with age. I'd just say not to let your couch potato kitty turn into a fatty, (like I did with mine ).

Put his food up high where he at least has to jump up and down a few times a day.

Thank you so much for your suggestion. You described him purrfectly! He is just like your furrbaby, the observer. He loves to watch Lily and I play, but wont join. I really really really want to get him to be more active because of potential health risks in the future, needless to say, he is not fat, but on the chubbier side (Extremely adorable)
I am totally thinking about adding some floating shelves around the room so that he gets the exercise. He loves to sit on the top branch of their tree (which he barely fits in anymore, again, adorable)!I figured, if I can manage to add shelves like a staircase, maybe he will climb up and down throughout the day and sit on the top shelf to observe and come down to eat and stuff? *Fingers crossed*

 

[Loki_Lily]

Cat Dancer Original Cat Toy
This thing is ridiculous. We've been using the wand and the laser toys with our cats for years and a few of them recently went nuts for this very simple, cheap toy. It's worth a shot. My tiny tortie, who is about 11, recently claimed this toy as hers. She will wait nearby for the other cats to get done playing to have her own personal party session. When she's done she always goes and hits the water fountain after about ten minutes.
If he hates it, she'll probably like it anyway so the $3 isn't going to hurt anyone.

That display picture face is adorable!! We have tried the tiny dancer, it was one of his favorites in the past. Until Lily came and now only watches us play but wont participate. It breaks my heart because I cant tell if he is having fun watching us play or he wishes I never got Lily and misses our time past. Maybe I am overthinking, I am sure you can relate, he is my first one and I am crazy about him! Thank You so much for your suggestion. Tortie sounds like Lily, except she doesn't have to claim, because her brother does not care about anything and let her have it all!

 

[Elfilou]

I agree that you should let them roam the house when you're away. I understand it's probably scary at first, but you've got to trust that they can somewhat take care of themselves, you know? It might make him more secure/confident to be able to claim and roam more territory throughout the day.

As for catnip, have you tried more "high quality" catnip and valerian root? I thought mine didn't like catnip until I bought one of Yeowww's banana's. Be sure to store them in an airtight container and only offer them once a week though! That way the smell doesn't dry up and he can expierence the same effect all over again.

I love the idea of shelves. I put some in my bedroom as well and I often find Elfie jumping up there to look out the window or just take a nap. I also put treats up there when I do "treasure hunts" in that room, which is my next suggestion.

I schedule in "treat time" every day after Elfie's walk. This is either in a puzzle ball, a food maze, or a treasure hunt. For the latter I just pick a room and put the treats in hidden places so she has to use her nose to find the treats. I throw some under the bed, some on top of the closet/shelves, some behind or in boxes etc. It's fun to watch them sniff and see how accurate their sense of smell is!

Elfie isn't very playful either. I play with her at least twice a day and feed her afterwards, or throw treats across the room for her to chase. I also take her on walks but that's not for everyone.

I also clicker train every now and then, which can be really fun for the both of you.

An active cat is a happy cat, but the amount of activity/energy differs per cat I think. I have a low energy persian, who sounds much like your boy actually. (Although Scottish fold are known to be more active I think?) She's pretty aloof, not very affectionate (only on her terms and before food), but likes to watch what people are doing. She's very particular about toys and only likes itty bitty, tiny wand toys that resemble insects. Butterflies, a large paperclip, centipedes and other bugs are among her favourite "prey". Doesn't care for feathers much, unless it's a real one that she found outside

You'll find what your cat likes! Just try lots of things and pay attention to his reaction. You're very sweet to care so much

 

[sargon]

My cat's favorite toy of are the "da rat" and "da mouse" by the people who make "da bird" on an actual fishing pole, so that the toy can be cast away and reeled back, and she can grab it and run of with the toy then call to me to rel it back to her...

 

[Loki_Lily]

My cat's favorite toy of are the "da rat" and "da mouse" by the people who make "da bird" on an actual fishing pole, so that the toy can be cast away and reeled back, and she can grab it and run of with the toy then call to me to rel it back to her...

Thank You for your suggestion. Yes, I have tried those as well. I mean, he will play for a bit but will get bored in a minute or two. He has a strange taste in toys. I bought one of those feathers attached toys to an elastic and that was a life saver. Not because of the feather side, but the other end of the elastic
Mommy will keep trying. I love this boy more than this world! I will have to keep trying, I guess!

 

[sargon]

Have you tried them on an actual fishing rod? it is a different experience than just on a pole... you can cast the rat away and slowly reel it in making it look like a real rodent, giving lots of pouncing and stalking fun. plus if your cat deciddes that they want to drag the "prey" off, you can just hit the button to allow them to drag the rat off for a bit then reel it back for another go.

Also, some cats, especially ones solidly out of kittenhood, only like to play a minute or two, so if yours plays that long, maybe you are more successful than you think.