The Way of Cats

Cats love feeling in control of their environment. Giving them opportunities to influence our behavior will increase their confidence and security.

Here, we see RJ taking the advantage and rolling the die in one of my Konfuse-A-Kat games.

We roll the die and do something; he rolls the die, and we do something again.

This game, called Gesture, is played with a die that displays the words rock, paper, and scissors on the various faces.

By throwing the die, and using the appropriate gesture to pet the cat, we have a petting game that will draw them in.

We are laying the foundation for blending our verbal language with our body language. By saying the names of the different gestures, we give the cat a good reason to learn them.

RJ likes the game so much he can be lured from one room to another, simply by my making the three gestures, silently, with my hands.

When I announce the game is starting, Mr. Bond will appear and join in. If Puffy is going by, he gets roped in. This is a great bonding game for multiple cats.

Giving the cats something to enjoy, together, is always a good move to promote harmony.

So make gametime something that every cat can enjoy, even if we have to choose a new toy for each cat.

Encourage the cats to be happy in each other’s presence, even if some of them do not interact much.

Make sure we have a good time, too.

That’s the recipe for a happy cat family.

Find out more about Konfuse-A-Kat.

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A reader writes:

My cats won’t play unless I play with them. So, are they lazy, or what?

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Dear Readers,

These are not cats who cannot be playful. What, then, is lacking? It might be energy. It might be imagination.

A cat without interests might need a checkup to make sure their thyroid is still firing on all cylinders, especially if they are overweight. Keeping the cat on a Catkins regimen will help prevent weight and health issues which can interfere with our cats enjoying themselves. But if these are not problems that need to be addressed, we might ask ourselves what kind of cats they are.

Gamma cats are notable for such quiet interests, while Alpha cats will be downright elderly before they quiet down. Puffy, settled into middle age and passive as a beanbag chair, enjoys different windows to look out of, and batting at whatever is in the puzzle box, along with a daily stint on someone’s lap. It may not be much, but it is something. Anything less, and I would start to worry.

A kitten can play with a discarded grocery receipt for two hours. They have energy to burn. The older cat doesn’t have the same drive to keep busy physically. They should, however, be busy with something during their awake hours, and keep up their expected level of affection. A sudden drop in their usual activities, or hiding and withdrawing from social interaction, can be a sign of illness.

It could also be that they are bored. After all, there are toys that need us to activate them, and toys that encourage the cat to use their imagination. It can be as simple as putting a toy in a box, letting the cat see us do it, and let their curiosity take over.

We could talk to the cats more. Posing questions, even if we don’t expect answers, engages the cats curiosity by encouraging them to try to figure us out. Delay dinner and see if they notice or ask for it. Move their bowls to a different spot and see what they do. Cats can get in a rut, just as we do.

Maybe it’s better for both of us that we watch out for such.

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Age happens. It happens so gradually we might not be aware of it. That’s the gap we have to look out for with our older cat.

It seems like yesterday that they were a bundle of fluff who could play with a paper ball for seven hours straight. Or the long-limbed youngster who made us laugh with their athletic antics. But we have to face the fact that a ten year old cat is already middle aged. They are going to be changing their behavior, and their needs.

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As cats slow down physically, they don’t necessarily have to slow down mentally. In fact, along with sleeping more and whacking toys around less, a cat has an increased need of mental stimulation as they age.

If we haven’t been big on the mental games before, we can be surprised how much our older cat is receptive to these ploys, simply because they have much better focus and concentration than they did as a distractable kitten or active youngster. What kinds of games do older cats like?

Bring back the hunt. Hide the can of dinner somewhere, and then encourage the cat to help you look for it. Show them three cans, and let them choose one. If their dining area is noisy or cluttered, try to create a more relaxing and private area, and make a fuss over the new spot. Or play these same games with treats, using a puzzle cube, puzzle box, or even a tissue box with a transparent window. Food should never lose its appeal.

In fact, Mr. Bond has come up with a new game a few months ago, where he hangs around for the food ritual and then disappears. I’m supposed to seek him out and carry him over to his food, which I’m glad to do. I have one-upped him by leaving his food on the counter, so when I bring him into the kitchen he looks at his spot on the floor, and it’s empty! Your turn, Mr. Bond.

Change the channel. Liven up the same old window or bookcase with something new. A comfy pillow to sleep on, a suncatcher to make rainbows on the wall, or adding a birdfeeder on the outside is a great way to liven up the same old places for the older cat.

Since they will be sleeping more, see if we can’t create new spots that will be handy in our daily routine, and let us keep tabs on them. Baskets, boxes, and condo towers might be appreciated more now, especially if we make sure they are padded. Many cats lose muscle as they get older, and need a little more comfort.

Create moments. Older cats can retreat into extra sleep and more hiding spots because their mental filters, which keeps the input down to protect their sensitive nervous systems, do not work as well as they used to. Senior cats need more quiet time.

This can have the unwanted effect of the cat getting less attention. Find little ways of letting the older cat know how much we still care by having special times with them in the morning and evening, even if it’s only a few minutes of chat and some petting. Older cats will appreciate us seeking them out, and they will come out more if they are certain of getting our attention when they do.

Inside, they are still our lively kittens. It’s only that they cannot be as quick to seek us out if they have limited energy. So make sure their effort will be rewarded, keep a close eye on their routines and their mood, and we can enjoy our cat’s older years with the richness of a relaxed, well-seasoned relationship.

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Why do cats mess with our stuff? There are many reasons.

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Terraformers? What do I mean?

Cats are used to not only patrolling their territory, but participating in it. They rearrange things to suit them better. They want a clearer shot at an ambush, or to close off an escape route. This is why cats love to manipulate objects. They want to know what they can do with them.

Since this is a survival skill they must practice, we can’t expect cats to just leave everything alone. If we have a cat who is manually inclined, we must supply them with plenty of things to play with. If they are playing with our stuff because they are bored, it’s even more important they have toys they like.

We don’t have to stay with traditional cat toys, either. Old electrical equipment with knobs and switches can fascinate the lively Alpha, while Gammas love the subtle play of lights and shadow from a plastic snow globe. Even if what they want is not safe or playable, we should try to come up with a substitute which is.

If we see the cat playing where they shouldn’t, we should distract them with one of their toys, and make a fuss over them showing an interest. We should show an interest in it ourselves, demonstrating how it could be played with. Hopefully, the cat will see grave errors in our technique, and be eager to show us the right way to play with the toy.

If the cat specializes in playing with our stuff while we are gone, we might have to use cat traps. But we shouldn’t be unreasonable. Anything fragile or special to us should be moved to a safer place. The cat can be insistent about having vantage point or a place near us, and these impulses need to be respected.

We have arranged our place to suit us, and cats have the same desire to create spaces where they are comfortable and secure. The cat might be communicating this wish to us, so we can help them out.

After all, we both live here. By recognizing our needs, and the cat’s, we can live there happily, together.

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