# Playtime and how long?



## Obiit (Jul 14, 2011)

When i got Kimi about 9 months ago she would play for about 30 minutes then give up and wander off. But now she will play for about 5 minutes then give up but go back to the toy drawer as if to say "bored now change my toy", but then won't play. She has loads of toys to choose from to play with but dosn't.

The odd thing is she constantly goes to the toy drawer and says play with me  

Any ideas on how to get her to play like she used to? She is a house cat and I want to make sure she is stimulated enough for a healthy lifestyle!

Cheers


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## anotheruser (Aug 17, 2011)

Lazer pen.
Also, try being a bit sneaky with the toys. My cat likes more of a challenge, so hiding a feather wand half under the sofa so the feathers are poking out, then pull it under when she goes for it.


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## McSquirtle (Jan 13, 2012)

Totally agree on the laser pen idea, we have this:

FroliCat DART - buy at Firebox.com

And it's a huge hit! You can set it on for a certain amount of time and at various speeds. I know its less interactive on your part, but my cats really enjoy it.


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## Obiit (Jul 14, 2011)

She does like the sneaky approach but then she goes digging for it after - the word ribbons comes to mind 

Tried a laser pen before but she wasn't interested, may "borrow" a wireless presenter mouse from work and see if she will go for it this time 

Thanks for the advice and keep it coming


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

My two love the Da-Bird and I try and rotate between feathers, furry, Sparkly and mouse, but they are currently addicted to the mouse, but they don't get to play with it every day and it is always put away after an hour or so. Monty like the laser but it worries that it is an endless fruitless chase and that he get nothing for chasing it and he becomes very twitchy when he play, also ping pong balls are always played with.

Da-Bird

Sparkly attachment

Furry

Mouse


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## broccoli (Jul 1, 2011)

mine love things that they can move - the works do a pack of little eggs £1 - they will chase them a good long time!


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## Kat86 (Jan 26, 2012)

Definitely can relate to your concerns about how to keep an indoor cat stimulated...you have the opposite issue to me, you can't get your cat to play, whereas mine ALWAYS wants to play : It's hard work keeping him entertained, but here are some of the ways we try to keep him satisfied...

My cat likes dangly things..so string, dressing gown belts, dangle pole toys..I run around the house with these so he chases them, pull them along furniture, swipe them in an arch motion over his head so he does big jumps for them.

He also likes feathery/furry things..so little mice with feather tails, feather dangle poles, furry mice. I either pull them along for him to chase/ pull them under blankets for him to pounce on or throw them around the room/house...again he chases, but sadly doesn't retrieve  so this is good exercise for me too.

He will happily kick balls around and chase them under furniture. I get his favourite jingly ball and throw it up the stairs and he will chase it up and down..if it gets stuck on a stair he will kick it back down and the game continues.

We play hide and seek..I run around the house, he chases me and I will hide behind the sofa/bed and keep peaking at him, catching his eye to engage him ..... he mirrors my actions until eventually he runs at me and calls me out..he does a little excited jump up at me and runs away to have another go.

He has a 3-way tunnel which he loves playing in. I either dangle something at the end of the tunnel, poke the stick end underneath the tunnel so he's chasing moving objects underfoot or stick the feather tails of mice through the little holes in it so he grabs at those.

He loves Cat Mountain Cat Tunnels & Cuddle Bags at zooplus ... a bit too much as now he sleeps here instead of on my pillow 

He will hide in a big laundry bag I have and I again poke little mice etc into the edges of the bag and he shoots out to attack and runs back into the bag to hide..he can do this for ages. Using the same principle, I will make dens for him under dining chairs etc and again dangle pole toys etc outside the gap so he pounces out and runs back in.

I have cut holes in shoe boxes and placed treats and toys inside so he has to try and grab at them inside...but he usually just ends up tearing up the cardboard with his teeth :frown2:

Finally, he LOVES his laser toy. I felt the same as MontyMaude initially about this toy...

QUOTE:
"Monty like the laser but it worries that it is an endless fruitless chase and that he get nothing for chasing it and he becomes very twitchy when he play"

Luca gets very hyper and has the zoomie for this toy, and he would get very agitated and look for the dot for some time after we had finished playing with it. To overcome this, and the feeling that it is a fruitless chase, I plant treats around the house and lead him to the treats with the laser....e.g I place a thrive at the top of his cat tree, in a slipper, on a windowsill, on the top of the tv stand so he has to do a big jump from the sofa to get his treat. He's great at this and I feel happier that he's getting a reward from the laser play.

It's hard work keeping them entertained, and I must admit when I get home from work tired, Luca is raring to go and I just want to slump on the sofa. Eventually, I would like to get him out on the harness more for stimulation outside of the home. Until then, I'm going to try and find a little remote control car and see if he will chase that around....oh and get him a little Sister to play with 

Kat x


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Kat86 said:


> My cat likes dangly things..so string, dressing gown belts, dangle pole toys..
> 
> He will happily kick balls around and chase them under furniture. I get his favourite jingly ball and throw it up the stairs and he will chase it up and down..if it gets stuck on a stair he will kick it back down and the game.
> 
> Kat x


Great idea. We have had a couple of play sessions on the stairs today, she has definitely enjoyed herself :thumbup1:


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## Kat86 (Jan 26, 2012)

Wow that's fab and at least now me and luca aren't the only ones annoying the neighbours, bounding up and down the stairs lol  what must they think we're doing hehe!


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Kat86 said:


> Wow that's fab and at least now me and luca aren't the only ones annoying the neighbours, bounding up and down the stairs lol  what must they think we're doing hehe!


I have to listen to their awful music when I want a quiet afternoon in the garden - so I hope her bounding up and down he stairs really annoys them


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## Ian B (Jul 19, 2011)

Cookieandme said:


> I have to listen to their awful music when I want a quiet afternoon in the garden - so I hope her bounding up and down he stairs really annoys them


Awful music? Before he was sectioned one of my ex-neighbours used to regularly, ahem, *treat* everyone within earshot to his Best of George Formby cd at silly o'clock. Whatever you're neighbours taste in music might be, it surely can't be as bad as that.

Ian


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

No probably right, but he also sings and frankly he can't


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

She constantly makes me smile 

Cookie - YouTube


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## Obiit (Jul 14, 2011)

She seems to have gotten a little better at playing now. She will chase soft (i.e. will stick to her claws) balls around and she will play with wands etc for a couple of minutes. She will even untie a lace dangling from a drawer handle. I then have to encourage her for about another 5 minutes before she will get up and have another go. She is still healthy etc i'm just wondering about the change.

Thanks for the idea's/help


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