Toy Obsessed Cat

[ramscici]

Hi everyone, wondering if anyone here has had this experience!

My boy, Ramses, is really toy obsessed to the point where every time my girl, Celeste, plays with a toy, he goes after it and takes it away. He also won't allow her to get any playtime if I play the fishing rod game with her, even if he already has one to keep him occupied -- he'll catch it in his mouth, carry it around and go after whatever else is moving! He's considerably bigger (and crazier, lol) than Celeste so she usually just lets him have whatever he goes for.

I feel bad because I want her to be able to play with things without him infringing on her space. She almost never gets to play with toys while they're both out. I've had to separate him so I can give her some exercise/play time with the fishing rod but she seems a little timid about toys now and I hardly ever see her playing with them because she knows he'll plow her over.

Maybe Ramses will outgrow the behavior? Is there a definition for it? It's not a HUGE problem but just curious as to what you guys think!

 

[TobiDaDog]

Hi everyone, wondering if anyone here has had this experience!

My boy, Ramses, is really toy obsessed to the point where every time my girl, Celeste, plays with a toy, he goes after it and takes it away. He also won't allow her to get any playtime if I play the fishing rod game with her, even if he already has one to keep him occupied -- he'll catch it in his mouth, carry it around and go after whatever else is moving! He's considerably bigger (and crazier, lol) than Celeste so she usually just lets him have whatever he goes for.

I feel bad because I want her to be able to play with things without him infringing on her space. She almost never gets to play with toys while they're both out. I've had to separate him so I can give her some exercise/play time with the fishing rod but she seems a little timid about toys now and I hardly ever see her playing with them because she knows he'll plow her over.

Maybe Ramses will outgrow the behavior? Is there a definition for it? It's not a HUGE problem but just curious as to what you guys think!

How old is Ramses? He sounds adorable, even if he is being a little pill! My 7 month old is like that. She absolutely LOVES toys. She goes so far as to stash them in 'secret' hiding places. (i.e., under recliners, under curtains that she's pulled down, and under my bed)

I have to put her away sometimes when it's the older cat's turn. He's much more laid back, and she will come and take a toy from his paws because, hey, it's hers! I will say thought that as she has gotten older, she's gotten MUCH better about taking turns. She reigns it in so much better than when she was tiny.

 

[FelisCatus]

You could try distracting Ramses with an interactive toy like the Cat’s Meow in another room while you play with Celeste? If Ramses can play by himself and get lost in that, you would be free to play with Celeste.

 

[susanm9006]

I would rotate all the toys you set out and make sure you have multiples of each out. But I wouldn’t worry because if she gets too annoyed she will give him a slap, growl or hiss to let him know he needs to back off. As far as wand type toys, I would try to set up some separate playtimes for each if he is too possessive.

 

[war&wisdom]

My boy is like that, and my girl usually just lets him take things, but recently, Athena has started to get bolder and more energetic. She's more food-dominant and he's more play-dominant, so introducing treats can actually change the dynamic too. They're 9 months old now, by the way; I'm not sure how old yours are.

 

[duncanmac]

I have a 7 month-old female kitten, Paisley, and two two-year-old boys, Duncan and Barry, all neutered. She has a very forward, in your face attitude (which was why we chose her, the kitten reaching out of the cage to get the shelter volunteer's attention.)

Paisley dominates playing. Whatever wand toy we are using she chases first and most and fetches whatever is thrown before the boys can even try to play. The only solution I found for this is to absolutely exhaust Paisley and then get the boys involved. My wife will also play with the boys at the same time I play with Paisley that mostly works.

 

[ramscici]

How old is Ramses? He sounds adorable, even if he is being a little pill!

Thank you! He’s about to be ten months. He is just FULL of nonstop energy. I almost get scared for how psycho he is when we get the fishing rod out— I don’t blame his sister.