Cat with winter blues and boredom!!

[Grace56]

Hello everyone. Hope you're all well.

I need some advice about Dave. During the summer and when it's mild (as it has been lately) I leave the back door open for Dave to either come and go or so he can sit and observe from the door mat.
However, now it's colder, raining and windy, I close he door as I need to keep the house warm and don't want to heat the street

Lately, if he can't (won't) go out in the rain etc, he becomes bored and fed up. He constantly wants me to keep opening the door but he won't go out if it's still bad and I won't leave the door open. So.....I cop it. He either wants to sit on my lap which I have no problem with usually; but sometimes, I'm working on my iPad. It's then that he 'attacks' my arms and hands. And believe me, it's painful as he uses claws and teeth. Yesterday, after one such attack, I pushed him to the floor and he attacked my ankle and drew blood.

I try to amuse him but he's not a cat for much play except rough stuff. And....he must be the only cat I know who runs away in terror from fishing rod toys.

I think he is definitely bored but I don't know what to do to amuse him. If any one has any ideas, please share them. And what to do when he attacks me. Apart from that, he is a very affectionate and loving cat most of the time.

[bobbys girl]

We have the same problem with Gracie. She won't go out in bad weather but she does want to sit in the doorway or open window 'taking the air'.

She pesters to go out, but when you open the door/window she just sits there, with a gale blowing past her! I can usually distract her with a few biscuits - but that doesn't help in the long run, as she is already a tub of lard!

I just have to move everything out of the window and let her get on with it. Either that or open the kitchen window and shut the door to the rest of the house. Then she gets fed up of sitting in splendid isolation from the rest of the family.

Pain in the neck ain't it? Or in your case ankles?

[lilynmitz]

You're right, this weather does leave them bored and frsustrated. I think the strong winds get them restless as well, my two have been all over the place the last few days.

Undercover Mouse is a good active toy, although not all cats like it, but three of mine did, to the point that they destroyed one and wore the other out. It took them about 6 months to get bored with it. You could also try Kong Kickeroo for when he starts getting rough = stick this between your arm and him, and he can grapple away with gusto without hurting you.

What's he like on catnip toys? The Yeoww range are very good, superstrength that leaves them first overstimulated and then stoned! You could also try a cat tree, placed near a window, so he can climb up it and watch the world go by at the same time.

Laser pens are also good for a bit of energetic exercise, and my two love chasing foam balls up and down the stairs and round the house. I started with 8, can only find 3 now! I've looked everywhere, but can't find where they've hidden them.

Just good old feathers on the end of a stick also gets them going, and can be as energetic as you want it to be.

Good luck - the weather may improve by Christmas, so hope this will keep him going without savaging you and the furniture.

[Crewella]

I feel mean now - all my lads hover at the office window when it's like this. They get one go at 'sniff and turn back' ...... after that they get pushed out! Before you ring animal services, they all know to shout to come back in, but once out there they usually have a pee and a wander before coming back in. They definitely squabble less if they've been out, even if only briefly.

[Jay1971]

I have 2 cats who will not go out due to a bullying black cat that has set up camp in my garden. They do seem bored, sleep a lot and want me to play a lot with them, which i do. Try and find out your cats play style. One of mine likes to jump and catch things (she'll even play fetch) but the other isn't interested and will only chase mouse on string type toys. Both love a deconstructed broadsheet newspaper to dive around in. I hide treats between the sheets for them to find.
May I recommend sunshine window beds. I got mine from eBay and they stick on the windows. Have to say it's probably one of the best things I've bought for them. They use them every day for ssunbathing, birdwatching and general lazing.
Also don't let dave get away with attacking you. Hiss at him loudly in the same way another cat would and then iignore him for a bit afterwards. Don't push him away, he'll think that's part of the game, especially if he's a roughhouser

[bobbys girl]

Both love a deconstructed broadsheet newspaper to dive around in.

When I wash the back door mat or if the weather is particularly wet I put the sports pages (all they are good for) down in the back hall. Within minutes Willow is 'surfing' the hall on them. She does it every time. Give her a 'ringy thing' off the top of the milk container and she is in kitty heaven.

[suelily]

They can be hilarious with toys. I bought the bird on the rod which makes the sound of a bird flying and Dexy wrecked it in 3 days. Pair of shoelaces seem to be the only things that can withstand the playing. Got him a great cat tree because he hardly goes on the window ledge because of his width (nearly 9kg worth) and he wont go on the perch of the tree. I made sure I got one he would fit comfortably on. I thought he would like to go on it and watch the world go by as we are in a 2nd floor flat (great views as well) but no. Just given myself an idea. I can open the window at the perch and he will have to go on it if he wants to smell the fresh air. They love that too don't they?

[suelily]

Dexy is an indoor cat. Even when I had a garden he would go as far as the washing line and when I turned to go back in the house Dexy could do the hundred meters faster than Usain Bolt.x

[meriad]

any reason you can't install a cat flap, then then can come and go as they please