New Cat Too Shy To Play

IronHippo

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Marple and Radish have a new baby brother...7 month old ʻUlu, who was reportedly trapped downtown maybe two weeks before I fell in love and adopted him. ʻUlu is super shy and really loves to hide. Like will do nothing but hide all day in one of the several forts we constructed for him in his bedroom. Yet if you can reach his head and pet him while he's in his chosen hole, he'll come right out purring and rubbing himself all over you before eventually deciding to duck back into his hiding spot....well, we've only had him for about a week and it's a work in progress.

He is only the third cat I've lived with but he is the first cat I've ever met who just doesn't seem to want to play. I've tried trailing strings around in front of him--no response. Crinkly toys--nothing. Mouse-shaped furry toys--nope. Last resort, the laser pointer, which even increasingly lazy Marple will go pounding after. Pretty sure he only thought "What the heck is that thing?" And he got scared of a toy with a bell in it, so no more toys with bells for now.

Anyone had a cat that was so shy it didn't want to play, or didn't know how to? I feel like if he could stretch his legs playing it would help a lot with his anxiety/shyness...but maybe it's his anxiety/shyness that's keeping him from playing. He could also just not know how to play as I doubt there are many rainbow fleece worms on sticks roaming the street he grew up on, but who knows. We aren't planning on letting him out just yet because he's so shy and has already gone hiding behind the washing machine twice when he escaped his bedroom, and Radish also is still growling at him when he sees him (Radish is improving a lot from growling just from smelling my hands after petting ʻUlu, but we don't think either of them are ready to face each other in the open). There's plenty of space in the spare bedroom for play to happen...he just doesn't want to. Does he just need more time? I know a week isn't a super long time for a shy cat. Is there something I can do to encourage playing?
 
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IronHippo

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...Well, this is embarrassing. He decided to come out of his shell a bit tonight and then this happened:



So if anyone else out there is also wondering why their new kitty doesn't seem to want play, the answer in my case was that it just took some time and patience!
 

catsknowme

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:clapcat: That is great!! I used to have an adult former feral who never did learn how to play with toys - he enjoyed watching the other cats playing but did not develop the hankering himself. He did use the fake mice to show foster babies how to kill real mice - it was fascinating to watch his technique and the rapt attention he received from his tiny furry students :tabbycat::bigeyes:
 

LozzyPiper

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...Well, this is embarrassing. He decided to come out of his shell a bit tonight and then this happened:



So if anyone else out there is also wondering why their new kitty doesn't seem to want play, the answer in my case was that it just took some time and patience!
He is so beautiful! Similar to our new baby! Glad he’s come out of his shell.
 

Mamanyt1953

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OK...I am laughing hysterically, while thinking, "Isn't that JUST LIKE A CAT?" What a cutie! And yes, with new cats who are shy, generally the answer is "time and patience," with no limits on how much time and patience! Especially for one who has been living rough like your precious 'Ulu! I'm willing to bet that toys with bells will rapidly lose their scare factor, as well!
 
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IronHippo

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Since cats like to grab things and chew, this is my cats favorite

Go Cat
Thank you for the recommendation! That's Radish's favorite--there's this wiggly worm like attachment that he goes absolutely nuts for. Luckily the manufacturer started selling them in a multipack on Amazon, because he destroys them! I'm just using the fleece snake with ʻUlu for now because it's quieter and he can grab the whole length. Also he got scared of the worm :sniffle: it might have been moving too fast for him. We're getting there!
 

maggie101

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Thank you for the recommendation! That's Radish's favorite--there's this wiggly worm like attachment that he goes absolutely nuts for. Luckily the manufacturer started selling them in a multipack on Amazon, because he destroys them! I'm just using the fleece snake with ʻUlu for now because it's quieter and he can grab the whole length. Also he got scared of the worm :sniffle: it might have been moving too fast for him. We're getting there!

This is another one she likes that has lasted over a year. It doesn't get tangled

 

maggie101

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I would love to get this for my 3 cats but Peaches and Coco do not like Maggie. Coco is afraid of her, Maggie bothers Peaches because she wants to chase Peaches . It may be because Maggie is so much bigger in size. When I rescued Coco a year ago, Maggie was mean to her but not anymore though Coco remembers the past
 

Mamanyt1953

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Hekitty is in love with this: Cat Dancer



It looks like a bit of nothing, but when you kinda wiggle the wire, those four things on the end vibrate and look VERY much like a moth fluttering around. I think it cost all of about a buck-fifty.
 
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IronHippo

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Hekitty is in love with this: Cat Dancer



It looks like a bit of nothing, but when you kinda wiggle the wire, those four things on the end vibrate and look VERY much like a moth fluttering around. I think it cost all of about a buck-fifty.
It's $1.30 on Amazon! Amazing! Add to cart... Thank you for the recommendation!
 

danteshuman

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Perhaps some treats might help him come out of his shell? Also homemade toilet paper roll cat toy are great fun. I would buy some :runningcat: jingle balls & place them in a large box :climbcat: ......two things that seem irresistible to cats! :dizzycat:Plus have you tried some sheets of lightly crumpled newspaper?

My bathroom floor is covered in jingle balls for my teen punk (it keeps the jingle balls from rolling under things in the kitchen, the balls roll better on tile then my short carpet plus it gives me a way to distract him when I’m on the toilet...... it beats him sitting on the cabinet and studying my soul as I try to pee! ;) )
 
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