Ways to get my boy running?

danteshuman

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Besides, you know when he escapes his harness and is running laps so I won’t catch him? He does run after the occasional bird or squirrel & I ussually let him. He sometimes runs after a bouncing golf ball. He ignores lasers (I think because he l control the laser pointer.) I can get him jumping after the cat dancer but he won’t run after it. He won’t fetch toys anymore. I’m just looking for ways to keep my almost 2 year old cat active & happy.
 

cataholic07

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Da bird is great, its a very long wand and string with a bird feather toy so yah you can really getting them moving :) It was the only wand toy my first cat would play with at all when she was a senior.
 
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susanm9006

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It’s hard if he isn’t that interested in toys but I would keep trying to find ones he really likes. Balls of all kinds, springs, crinkle or sparkle balls if he doesn’t have them already. Really anything that he really likes enough to chase.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Hekitty will chase Da Bee when nothing else works. She used to go for Da Bird, and still loves it, but wants me to flip the feathers directly TO her, and THEN praise her lavishly when she deigns to put a paw on top of them!
 
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danteshuman

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The big ‘yard’ I take him to BUT I have to schedule it to make sure his nemesis Dora the cat isn’t out there. (She really tried to attack him and attacked/tried to climb me as I was carrying him away.) So we are keeping them separate & I’m keeping him away from ‘her’ bench.

He climbed a post trying to get up to the trellis to hunt a bird.... that counts right? 🤣

Since he seems more active outside (& is willing to chase bouncing golf balls up & down the alley) I think I will try playing with him outside on his turf/ ‘yard’.
 

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danteshuman

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His ‘yard.’ I tried playing with him but he got scared of the truck and later got distracted. I will try playing with him outside again tomorrow. He did run a short distance after the bouncing golf ball twice ..... then walked the other times. Cats 🙄
 

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Furballsmom

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I don't know if you're familiar with this? It doesn't inspire running, exactly, but...

Home - The Ripple Rug

If you scroll down there are customer photos and videos :)
 
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danteshuman

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I’m going to look around and see if Petco or Petsmart or maybe even Chewy stock it. I read the amazon reviews & apparently it has a restock fee on amazon. Jackie is a curious, clever monkey cat that lives to climb everything! I think in the meantime I’m going to make homemade puzzle feeders for his dry food & make him some holes in his packing paper to see if he will tunnel.

Clever kitties, they get bored to easily. Thank goodness for outside time!

The only reason I want him to run more is I noticed he runs around when he visits his brother. But at my home, he is an only kitty 5-6 days a week. So he doesn’t have a playmate to chase him around. He looks so free and happy when he is running away from me because he opened up the screen door again. However he has to wear a harness outside (apartment rules plus cars & coyotes!) If he goes on a hunt to chase & run after a bird or squirrel or lizard, ok I often drop the leash & let him go for it ......and walk behind him to pick up the leash again.

I can’t really run but I do my best to walk quickly to try to get him going after the golf ball. Since I physically can only walk for short bits and then have to rest (or go get the walker) running around with a wand toy dragging behind me is not an option (like I used to do with my cats.) I take him for 2-3 short 10 minute walks every day & most days take him to the bigger communal yard (for 30-40 minutes) so he gets more open space along with a bigger chunk of land to explore. Plus he gets at least 2 hours everyday in ‘his’ yard or the front yard where I sit and read while he explores or lays down with his 50ft lead leash.

Any other ideas to help get my jungle kitty to break a sweat? If I could think of a safe way to do it I would attach one of his fur mice to a fishing line and go fly fishing with his toy. 😉
 

maggie101

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At his age, he is more interested in hunting and pouncing on things. As a kitten they like to run and chase. I would try a wand toy. I have played with cats that do not like feather toys but they all like wand with a mouse
 

Kittycatcat

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The Da bird wand toy is great for getting them running about and jumping!!
My boy is alittle over weight and this is fantastic for getting him moving about more and is actually the only toy he is interested in. I'd give that ago 😊
Your boy is beautiful by the way.
 
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danteshuman

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He ignores the self moving laser to (Nana’s house has one.)

I tried the wand toy outside and it was a mixed success. So I will try it again.
He was jumping like a kitten again and very into it ....... until a truck drove up the one lane road on the other side of the hedge & scared him.

He gets plenty of exercise but he doesn’t run unless his brother is there to chase him or his sister is around to hunt/annoy. So I’m trying to find ways to get him running at my place.

He gets plenty of activity because if he doesn’t; he gets bored. When he gets bored he just starts looking for ways to be naughty. He starts climbing things he knows he shouldn’t and getting into things he shouldn’t. If I get sick and he hits y 3 or more of being bored he starts play attacking me. 🤦🏻‍♀️

So inside he gets lots of short play sessions, plus a rainy day/I’m sick box/toys. Along with usually one longer play session a day.

Maybe he just is running less since he is almost 2 years old? He turns 2 on Sept. 15th. His being hyper/needing extra play comes from his siamese half.

Thanks for all your help!
 

kittenmittens84

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Hekitty will chase Da Bee when nothing else works. She used to go for Da Bird, and still loves it, but wants me to flip the feathers directly TO her, and THEN praise her lavishly when she deigns to put a paw on top of them!
Yes seconding this, my cat is absolutely obsessed with Da Bee and his mammalian cousin, Da Feather Mouse. I think it’s partially because they’re made from deer fur. I don’t even attach them to the wand/string, he just loves to chase them and pounce and bat them around.
 
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