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GranolaLouise

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How to get a 10 yr old cat to play.... I have tried wands with feathers..that lasted for 2 weeks . Now she looks and runs away as if she is scared! Stuffed animals? She gets all territorial. Fur balls that tweet as they roll? Just watches them roll by. Foil balls?..Boring. Spinning toys, kickers, mice with catnip inside and motorized mice? Just watches them. i have spent a mint on toys, only to give them to a shelter.
What captivates her interest? A plain ole string of yarn (supervised) being twirled(gotta be red yarn too!) and mice ,birds and ducks on Cat tv !
That's it. What can I do to stimulate play and get her interested at 10 yrs old? I don't think she ever played in her life!!!!
 

Margot Lane

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i just had to give away all the snubbed toys I’d bought for my 15 year old…could be some cats see right through these plastic gimmicks and just want the real McCoy. Age could be a factor? I had a cat once that spent HOURS starting at a goldfish I’d bought, if you want to go that route, tho looking back in it, I think the fish was pretty freaked out.
 

OopsyDaisy

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Have you tried a laser? I heard that they're good. When I first got my kittens I wanted to get them accustomed to daily play. They loved the wands and Ash went crazy for them until he got his disease. I'm worried that he won't be able to jump like he used to. Time will tell. He used to bring me the wand every morning, asking me to play with him.

With my older cats that have passed on, they liked to chase my hand back and forth under a blanket. That was about it. :)
 
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GranolaLouise

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Do you live someplace where you can attatch a bird feeder to the window?
That would be perfect, but it is inner city. also,If Louise saw a mouse or live roach she would probably just look at it scurry by and do a slow blink as she looked the other way. She'd probably think it was just cat tv and nothing interactive.
So many good ideas shared. Thanks all.
 

iPappy

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Have you tried a laser? I heard that they're good. When I first got my kittens I wanted to get them accustomed to daily play. They loved the wands and Ash went crazy for them until he got his disease. I'm worried that he won't be able to jump like he used to. Time will tell. He used to bring me the wand every morning, asking me to play with him.

With my older cats that have passed on, they liked to chase my hand back and forth under a blanket. That was about it. :)
I'd definitely try the laser. My work cats are all between 10 and 14, and their toys are rarely played with but when I bring out the laser pointer they go nuts!
 

catloverfromwayback

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How to get a 10 yr old cat to play.... I have tried wands with feathers..that lasted for 2 weeks . Now she looks and runs away as if she is scared! Stuffed animals? She gets all territorial. Fur balls that tweet as they roll? Just watches them roll by. Foil balls?..Boring. Spinning toys, kickers, mice with catnip inside and motorized mice? Just watches them. i have spent a mint on toys, only to give them to a shelter.
What captivates her interest? A plain ole string of yarn (supervised) being twirled(gotta be red yarn too!) and mice ,birds and ducks on Cat tv !
That's it. What can I do to stimulate play and get her interested at 10 yrs old? I don't think she ever played in her life!!!!
I share your frustration! Daisy is the same and she’s only five. Only thing she wants to play with is my knitting wool. She’ll watch a laser pointer but that’s all. Zero interest in wand toys.
 

OopsyDaisy

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I'd definitely try the laser. My work cats are all between 10 and 14, and their toys are rarely played with but when I bring out the laser pointer they go nuts!
My daughter has one and her cats like it. They're older now, maybe about 8. I don't have one yet, but I can see how they react to reflections on the wall. :hyper:
 

OopsyDaisy

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I share your frustration! Daisy is the same and she’s only five. Only thing she wants to play with is my knitting wool. She’ll watch a laser pointer but that’s all. Zero interest in wand toys.
They always want to play with things that we don't want them to play with. Just like toddlers. My cats like the strip that you pull off the top of the cat kibble bag.
 

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They always want to play with things that we don't want them to play with. Just like toddlers. My cats like the strip that you pull off the top of the cat kibble bag.
Mine like my corded headphones. I have an ancient Ipod that I still use and when I leave my headphones out overnight, the next morning I find they have been carried off and left in a cat bed as a little treasure.
 

catloverfromwayback

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They always want to play with things that we don't want them to play with. Just like toddlers. My cats like the strip that you pull off the top of the cat kibble bag.
LOL don’t they just! Phoebe’s a great one for that, too. She’s the embodiment of the phrase ”if the world was flat, cats would have knocked everything off it by now.”
 

catloverfromwayback

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My daughter has one and her cats like it. They're older now, maybe about 8. I don't have one yet, but I can see how they react to reflections on the wall. :hyper:
That’s a good indicator, I think. Daisy has zero interest in shadows or reflections. Phoebe chases both and loves the laser. Typical, she’s not the one in need of exercise!
 

Neko-chan's mama

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Feather wands don't always work for all cats. Neko-chan doesn't like feathers either. She needs a stuffed animal or fuzzy tail attachment. Have you tried different types of wand toys? Pet fit for life has a wand toy with different attachments to try.
 
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GranolaLouise

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I have tried all kinds of bought and home made attachments for the wand . She looks, looks away and walks off!
Since she loves to play with a simple yarn strand and wears my arm out she loves to play it so much, I ordered a toy that neely had on their list , the Moody Pet Fling Toy. Pricey, but worth it if it works.
Last night I saw her pawing something on the floor. It was 3 inches of a piece of yarn I had snipped off and she was trying to get it to move to start a game. it was dangerous and it made me scour the house for other little pieces , but at the same time I was thrilled to see her WANTING to play!
 
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