Hey all -
I moved my barncat indoors this year and he's having some trouble adjusting. He came as a stray about a year ago, est. 3 months old, and adjusted well to hunting on his own and keeping safe from the local coyotes... he was usually down to play but the call of the wild usually grabbed him sooner or later.
Currently I'm trying to get him a play->eat kind of schedule, but it's proving tough. Most of the time he would prefer to gaze longingly out the window than play, but when he is in the mood, he'll keep up with me for four or more hours! On top of that, he's pretty stubborn when it comes to toys. Most store-bought ones do nothing for him, and while milk rings and crumpled paper work temporarily, he usually loses interest quickly. I know I probably shouldn't, but one of the few consistent ways I've found to get him some exercise is with a leather glove, my hand, and his claws. I've built some pretty extensive cat shelves (pics included), I've got two trees, and the apartment is decently spacious, and despite my best efforts to play with him I can see many times he's unhappy. Plus, when he's so pent-up he doesn't wanna cuddle...
So to sum it up - does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm really struggling to make heads or tails of his behavior and how best to handle him. I'm going to be starting a new job soon that should be full time plus overtime, so I feel like it's more important now than ever to make the best use of the time I will be home.
I moved my barncat indoors this year and he's having some trouble adjusting. He came as a stray about a year ago, est. 3 months old, and adjusted well to hunting on his own and keeping safe from the local coyotes... he was usually down to play but the call of the wild usually grabbed him sooner or later.
Currently I'm trying to get him a play->eat kind of schedule, but it's proving tough. Most of the time he would prefer to gaze longingly out the window than play, but when he is in the mood, he'll keep up with me for four or more hours! On top of that, he's pretty stubborn when it comes to toys. Most store-bought ones do nothing for him, and while milk rings and crumpled paper work temporarily, he usually loses interest quickly. I know I probably shouldn't, but one of the few consistent ways I've found to get him some exercise is with a leather glove, my hand, and his claws. I've built some pretty extensive cat shelves (pics included), I've got two trees, and the apartment is decently spacious, and despite my best efforts to play with him I can see many times he's unhappy. Plus, when he's so pent-up he doesn't wanna cuddle...
So to sum it up - does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm really struggling to make heads or tails of his behavior and how best to handle him. I'm going to be starting a new job soon that should be full time plus overtime, so I feel like it's more important now than ever to make the best use of the time I will be home.
