# Why doesn't my cat play?



## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

My cat, Callie, never plays. We didn't realize this until Puffy passed away. Puffy was always playing with things- my hair elastics, plastic rings from milk jugs, balls of paper. We have toys for them, but they never played with the toys much. But when Puffy passed away, we realized that Callie doesn't play and I don't think she ever really has. Like I said, we have toys for her- a few of them have catnip in them and she'll sit there and lick it for a half hour, but she won't actually play with it. She's gaining weight and getting kind of chunky. She used to be very sleek and slim- kind of athletic-looking, but now she's middle-aged (9), and she doesn't really do anything. So she's gained weight, and she's been licking the fur off her belly so when she sits she's got this fat roll that looks like this little pink bubble sticking out. lol.
I tried to get her to play with one of my old hair elastics the other day because I know how much Puffy loved playing with them. So, Callie was on the bathroom counter, and when I gave it to her, she batted it into the sink and then stared at it. When I tried to take it back, she slapped my hand, picked it up with her claw, put it in her mouth, turned around and dropped it onto the floor and then stared at it from the counter. I picked it up and gave it to her again and she did the same thing. When she jumped onto the floor, I tried flicking it as her a few times, and she totally didn't care. It did disappear a while later so I have no idea what she did with it, but anyway, I don't know why she doesn't play. I think it would be good if she did. She seems kind of bored and it would also help her lose some weight.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

Have you tried interactive toys like da-bird? Catnip doesn't work on some cats and they might ignore toys that don't do anything. You need to make to toy behave like a prey the cat wants to chase, that means _you_ need to be an active participant. Also, some cats have prey preferences and will like toys that resemble or behave like their favorite prey, but you need to figure out what that is.


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

CJinCA said:


> Have you tried interactive toys like da-bird? Catnip doesn't work on some cats and they might ignore toys that don't do anything. You need to make to toy behave like a prey the cat wants to chase, that means _you_ need to be an active participant. Also, some cats have prey preferences and will like toys that resemble or behave like their favorite prey, but you need to figure out what that is.



Da-bird works miracles.


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

Hehe ok. I'll try Da-Bird. Thanks.
She is a good mouser. She's caught a few mice in the house this winter, and we used to buy the cats those toy mice with the real fur on them, and they loved them but they would be gone in a few days because they would end up under the refrigerator or the stove unable to be retrieved.


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Be sure to look for it by name.

I bought one last week and I'm very impressed with the results. You can make it move along the floor like a mouse.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Krista2882 said:


> Hehe ok. I'll try Da-Bird. Thanks.
> She is a good mouser. She's caught a few mice in the house this winter, and we used to buy the cats those toy mice with the real fur on them, and they loved them but they would be gone in a few days because they would end up under the refrigerator or the stove unable to be retrieved.


Murphy's little mice end up under the couch. I got a yardstick at Lowe's this weekend to use as a sweeper under the couch, and it works miracles. It's like boom! You have 20 more toys than you thought you did.


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## shan841 (Jan 19, 2012)

October said:


> Murphy's little mice end up under the couch. I got a yardstick at Lowe's this weekend to use as a sweeper under the couch, and it works miracles. It's like boom! You have 20 more toys than you thought you did.


lol. that's a good idea, I use a broom handle. allthough we had at least 5-10 sparkly pom-pom balls and now I can't find any! I have no idea where they could have gone


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Krista2882 said:


> My cat, Callie, never plays.





Krista2882 said:


> So, Callie was on the bathroom counter, and when I gave it to her, she batted it into the sink and then stared at it. When I tried to take it back, she slapped my hand, picked it up with her claw, put it in her mouth, turned around and dropped it onto the floor and then stared at it from the counter. I picked it up and gave it to her again and she did the same thing.


Sounds like she was playing. Just not the way your other cat played.




Krista2882 said:


> It did disappear a while later so I have no idea what she did with it


I wouldn't leave any cat alone with anything elastic. If she swallows it, it could cause her trouble.


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## KittehLuv'n (Feb 19, 2011)

I could never get my cat Caspian to play with any toy I brought home. I had tried just about everything- toys with feathers, toys on sticks, balls, mice, rattley ones, non-rattley ones..... nothing.

Then I read HERE about DaBird. My usual pet supply store doesn't carry it, so I had never heard of it. Found another store that does carry it and decided to give it a try based on the poste on this forum.

OMG- he goes crazy for it! I have to store it in the pantry when we are not playing. He goes over to the pantry and stares at it when he wants to play- cutest thing ever.

DaBird is totally worth it's cost (buy an additional feather end for it too)


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

KittehLuv'n said:


> I could never get my cat Caspian to play with any toy I brought home. I had tried just about everything- toys with feathers, toys on sticks, balls, mice, rattley ones, non-rattley ones..... nothing.
> 
> Then I read HERE about DaBird. My usual pet supply store doesn't carry it, so I had never heard of it. Found another store that does carry it and decided to give it a try based on the poste on this forum.
> 
> ...


This is exactly what I experienced with my oldest cat. I have to keep mine hidden, too.


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## Mhelmandollar (Dec 9, 2011)

My 11 year old Himalayan hasn't played with a toy a day in his life. 
If I'm lucky I will get two swats out of him. He just isn't interested in playing. Even when he was a kitten.


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

MowMow said:


> I wouldn't leave any cat alone with anything elastic. If she swallows it, it could cause her trouble.


It's a covered elastic- so not a flimsy rubber band, but a thick, covered one for tying up hair. So she wouldn't be able to swallow it.


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## juventas (Jan 8, 2012)

Is Da Bird that much different from other toys on a string on a stick?


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Yes.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

The feathers on the bird are rigid at set at an angle so they spin when it's dragged through the air, like an airplane's propellers.
This simulates live prey and drives many kitties bonkers, you should allow amble room for kitty to leap into the air without crashing into the furniture.


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## juventas (Jan 8, 2012)

Lol at the crashing into furniture part. Well, good to know. Da Bird is almost universally touted on the internet as the best cat toy known to man, so I've always been curious (ok, so that was a hyperbole, but lots of people on the net recommend Da Bird).


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

juventas said:


> Lol at the crashing into furniture part. Well, good to know. Da Bird is almost universally touted on the internet as the best cat toy known to man, so I've always been curious (ok, so that was a hyperbole, but lots of people on the net recommend Da Bird).


I kept seeing the Da Bird name tossed around a lot on forums, too. I didn't think much of it though. My oldest boy had a feather wand before, and while he liked it well enough it wasn't preferred over anything else. Especially plain old twine or thin rope.

But, I was it Petco the other day and happened to walk by a Da Bird toy and thought "what the heck" and tossed it into the cart. I knew my youngest boy would like it. Something different anyway.

I brought it home and was blown away by response I got out of both cats. My oldest (who's been hard to impress, especially since our addition of the young one) even came running, and does every single time I bring it out. Truman (young) begs to play with it. Every day. Since they are both indoor only cats, seeing them get this much exercise has been priceless to me.

Someone put some thought into this toy. It's high quality and completely captivates the cats due to it's motion. Bright feathers that will spin in the air, and thin black rod and string that don't distract the cats... Man, that thing is GOOD.


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