The Way of Cats

A reader writes:

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

more animals

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.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.