# Lack of Interest in Toys



## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Sienna when I first got her in February, played with toys quite a bit ... mice, balls, teasers, rings off milk jugs (don't let her have those anymore They're thinner than they were when I had cats play with them before .. eh .. 14 years ago? .. and she can bite them in half too easily). Since her spaying, she pretty much no longer plays with any toys. In fact, she loved to chase a bootlace, but now acts as though it will attack her and scurries away if I get it out. She will dart after me and the teaser but doesn't really interact with it much. She almost seems fearful. I guess she's not the most secure cat in the world. 

Is there a way to encourage a cat to play with toys if they evince no interest really in them? Her "play" nowadays mainly consists of stalking humans, darting through the house and playing with door jams and behind doors. She is playful, but not with toys.

She likes to be where you are, but doesn't really want much petting. She yowls outside the bedroom door every morning when she thinks it's time to let her in (she stays out so she will have access to her litter box, but I can't leave the door open as I can't let my old dog roam the house while I sleep). She sprawls in my garden tub while I get ready for work and pokes around in our big walk in closet. The cutest thing is when I'm at the computer. i leave the bottom cabinet door open so my computer can get more air and she sometimes springs up behind the door at me. I look over and there are two little paws hooked over the top of the door and eyes and flattened ears staring at me.

She just doesn't play with toys any more.


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## blossombeautiful (Jul 21, 2012)

*yowling*

For the morning yowling, you could use a doorstop on your side of the door (to prevent dog), but leave a kitty-sized opening


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## blossombeautiful (Jul 21, 2012)

Try a laser


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## Kitty-The-Cat (Apr 8, 2012)

My cat has also gradually lost interest in playing with toys. However there was nothing dramatic after I got her spayed, it's been pretty gradual (she's 3 years old). I've tried getting a few new things here and there but even the interesting stuff she loses interest in pretty quickly. Occasionally she'll bat around a cork, a toy mouse or a ball, but it lasts maybe a few seconds. Sometimes she does go after the laser pointer, though I only do it sometimes. I did get a Squeak 'n Play toy a while ago and she sometimes bats that around, but that's about it.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

Have you tried interactive toys like da bird? Squeek loves the leather bouncer toy I found on Amazon. She just carried into the office for me to play with her.


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## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

I have a teaser with a feather attachment and also one with streamers. I just changed over to the streamer and she is fairly fascinated by it. She is interested in lasers but pretty much will just watch it these days. She did chase it for a second yesterday but then she was done.

It's not the end of the world I guess, but I would like it if she found something that she always enjoying playing with *sigh*.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Do you have a cat tree of any kind?


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## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

No, no cat tree. She seems more of a low to the floor kitty; she doesn't even seem to like to lie on the furniture. The way our house is set up, I don't have a window available for her to look out either and even if I did, we pretty much keep the blinds drawn all the time (living in TX it's HOT!). 

I'll have to think more on that one.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I was asking because when my cats love it when I drape a blanket over anything. Gives them a place to hide and play _ambush!_ Would work with a coffee table, anything really. Then I play on the other side of the blanket and let them attack toys I stick under there. I was going to suggest long ribbons or a cloth measuring tape, but I saw that she's not interested in the shoe lace, another favorite at my house.

My girls go through phases, too. Sounds like your girl loves being around you, though. That's always nice. :grin:


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

marie73 said:


> I was asking because when my cats love it when I drape a blanket over anything.


Mine loves this too. It makes changing the sheets quite an adventure.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Wanting to wash all my bedding today, I walked into the bedroom and yanked all the blankets off my bed in one movement. Didn't realize Charlee, my kitty purrito, was rolled up in there. Oops!! Thankfully it was a soft, cushy landing.


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## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Although she seems quite at home, I guess I should also keep in mind that Sienna has only been here about 6 months. I'm not sure what happened in her first year, although I can conjecture that she was hit in the face as she would jerk back and cringe if her face was approached (she lived with a toddler). She is very playful in brrpting and running through the house. She also hides behind doors and behind plants and around corners to leap out at you. She also chases my husband through the house.

Just this morning I was sitting at the breakfast bar and heard her give a little trill from behind (unusual as she doesn't talk much to us). I turned around and she reared up on her hind legs and started boxing my side. She loves to finger fight between slats of chairs and around corners and through the edges of the doors.

I guess I'll just work with the toys she will play with at the moment. I got her streamer out again this morning and she chased it around (and up and off furniture) until I looked down and her cute little tongue was poking out a bit in a wee pant. So cute. We took a break then.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Sienna is beautiful longhair tortie btw....love torties! With longhair cats, they do have shorter play periods than shorthairs, as they heat up too much, especially in the summer time. I dunno she sounds quite playful to me. Maybe limit her toys to a few out and change them around often....put out an empty box or paper bag and see if she likes that. My two love toys, but different types. Zuba loves anything wirey, like those plastic spirals, plastic pull tabs off frozen juice cans, small electronic wires stolen from hubby's workbench. Alkee could care less about wires and loves her stuffed mousies, especially if they're catnipped regularly. They both like interactive toys like Da Bird or teasers, or chasing after a cord dragged around. Try different things and maybe you'll hit on something she really likes.....oth maybe she's one of those cats that is amused enough just watching and interacting with her people.


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

Have your tried catnip?


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## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

She has a catnip ball (an actual ball made of pressed catnip) that I get out and she'll lick it and roll it around on the floor. She loses interest fairly quickly so I'll put it up. Then she is interested again when I get it back down for her (for a few minutes). Maybe I'll try getting a mouse to stuff with catnip. Also, I was thinking about getting a mouse on a string (like Jackson Galaxy has) but haven't seen one locally. Anyone seen one online? His seems to have a longer wire which I think would be nice for play. Hopefully the same place would have Da Bird (also not available locally).


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

I believe the mouse on the string is called Cat Catcher. The string on the Cat Catcher toy is not as long as on Da Bird. I have both and you can attach the mouse attachment to Da Bird wand which is 36" long. My cats love it. You could just get the mouse attachment replacement and use it on Da Bird if you want it to fly further.

Cat Catcher Cat and Kitten Toy

Cat Catcher Do Mouse Replacement Mouse Cat Toy

Da Bird Original Feather Cat Toy


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

I think Da Bird is only available online. shipping to Canada is expensive so I haven't taken the plunge yet.

Have you tried other cat enticers? Io's opinion of catnip is "take it or leave it." I've heard some cats don't have the genes to get 'high' off it (sort of like asparagus pee lol). She does love to play, but we never saw her go crazy until we got her a mouse with honeysuckle!


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

Angel doesn't play with toys by herself. either me or my husband has to be at the other end of it so she's playing WITH us. more fun that way!

anyway, she does enjoy stalking, hunting and pouncing on the feathers at the end of the flexible plastic stick. what really works is when we have it peek out from beneath a pillow and pull it back under randomly. she just loves attacking that thing! and she also loves when we wiggle it underneath a blanket. she tracks the movement and then pounces and sinks her teeth into the blanket, too. she totally wears herself out and flops over on her side when she's tuckered. i love tiring her out like that.

does sienna like catnip? catnip toys are an occasional treat for Angel, too. it's fun to see her flipping it around, licking it to death, and gutting it with her back legs.


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

I think some cats just don't really like cat toys. My Zoe was one of those kitties. She would turn her nose up at all the most wonderful toys. I had fun playing with the toys, but no way would she touch them. She wasn't much of a fan of catnip either. I spent fortunes trying to get her to play with toys until I realized what she liked. 

What did she play with? Beanie babies! She had plenty of them (20ish+) and knew all of their names. She would roam around talking to them and pretending they were crying. We had to respond with the appropriate name for it or she would continue making it cry. LOL She is the only kitty I've ever known (and the kitty who taught me it's possible!) to actually engage in pretend play.

She also loved GI Joe's as well as HeMan & Ghostbuster action figures. She did not like She-Ra toys. She also really loved HotWheels and not the imitation kind - I suspect because they don't roll as well on the floor. lol 

Yup she was a particular kitty when it came to her toys.

Try thinking outside the typical box. Is there something of yours that keeps getting "stolen"?


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## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

That sounds so cute. Really she doesn't seem to have a 'favorite' thing. Right now she is enamored of her sparkly streamer teaser, but other than that, her favorite thing is darting through the house (doing her 'racoon run' I call it .. back bowed but not really arched as she scuttles along), leaping out at people, finger fighting and harrassing the dog. I'll try some different things and see if I can find something else that might interest her, not just traditional toys.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

My Murphy isn't especially toy-oriented either. The only thing I've had consistent success with are the small mice. 

Going outside on our bricked-in patio, though? Priceless. It's the gift that keeps on giving.


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

What about perhaps a remote controlled vehicle as a buddy for her? LOL Or maybe something like a PLEO? Perhaps she'd do better with toys that could interact with her rather than passive toys. 

Apple really likes her puzzle by Nina Ottoson. I keep meaning to buy her a new one, but with the one we have (Dog Brick) we have created all sorts of puzzle games to keep her interested. It's also something I can set up for her when she's not in the room and when she's driving me nuts I can put it on the floor and it fascinates her for 5-15 min.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Prince used to love playing but then one day just stopped. I tried everything and the only thing that works is to bring from the supermarket a cardboard box with holes on the sides (they're used for packing lettuce or other vegetables), add holes on all sides and make furry toys pop out the holes for an instant, for him to catch. He still loves that game.


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