New cat barely playing

[windee87]

Hi all, I'm a new cat parent. My cat has been home with me for 2 weeks now, and is overall super sweet. He adapted really well and seems to be totally comfortable in his new home and with me. I've noticed that he's SUPER energetic when playing with wand toys (he'll jump, race, flip, everything and anything to catch the bait) but when I am not playing with him he's barely playing on his own. I have a bunch of chew toys, balls, and other independent interactive toys but he doesn't seem to be playing with them. Most of the time when he's awake, he's just sitting and staring at me. Because I have not owned a cat before, I don't know whether I should worry or not. I feel like I'm spending all this money on toys that he refuses to touch, and don't want my poor cat to be bored or depressed.

[Mollycat]

Hi, welcome to the forum and cat ownership, by which I mean being owned by a cat.

You don't mention how old your new friend is, but regardless, at any age cats sleep for around 16 hours a day, more when they are very young and very old. They are not an endurance species, they have shorter explosive bursts of energy and spend a LOT of time grooming, watching us and watching the world go by. Most of the sleep happens in short naps, hence the term catnap (nothing to do with kidnapping)/ The French also have a lovely term "toilette de chat" meaning a cat-wash, usually for humans meaning a flannel wash as opposed to a thorough shower or bath wash.

Boredom and depression show up in cats quite differently to how they do in humans, usually as frustrating health issues or behaviour problems. Cats are VERY happy to sit and observe the world and it's very normal for them to practice it a lot.

However, they do like to keep us on our toes and out of pocket, so ignored toys are something you need to get used to, as well as beds which they will shun in favour of the boxes the beds came in, and everyone's nightmare the food they absolutely love until you buy it in bulk when they will turn up their nose at it. Welcome to Cat World!

[fjm]

So true, Mollycat, and it's not just cats. I have too many dog toys to count, and only three or four old favourites are ever played with. Part of getting to know a new friend is getting to know their likes and dislikes - your new cat seems to prefer chasing and grabbing games, particularly ones played with a human, and it sounds as if he has bonded with you very quickly, which is an excellent thing. Does he slowly close his eyes when looking at you? Try half closing your eyes when you catch his gaze, and see if he reciprocates - it is a signal of relaxed affection between cats that they also use with humans they like.

There are a few toys my cats enjoyed playing with alone as kittens, mainly ping pong balls, which are light enough to move at the slightest tap, and have the advantage of squishing flat if you tread on them rather than sending you flying. Tilly still likes to play with the top of a contact lens solution bottle tossed into the empty bath where she can bash it around without losing it. The weighted end of the bathroom light cord is another favourite. I would stop buying toys (which for the most part are designed to appeal to humans rather than cats - cats don't usually have credit cards!) and improvise. A rolled up ball of paper, empty loo rolls, cardboard boxes, a few treats in an empty plastic bottle - all free and fun. If he enjoys pouncing in and out of boxes one thing I might buy is a cat tunnel for interactive play - mine loved theirs when they were younger.

But it sounds to me as if your cat is revelling in a happy home and a human of his own. He will reveal more and more of his personality in the coming weeks and months - do keep us updated as you learn more about each other.

[windee87]

Thank you for the replies so far! I adopted my cat, who is just over a year old, from a rescue, and the people I was in contact with through the rescue suggested I get him toys that move on their own, however, those are expensive and the ones I’ve gotten so far don’t seem to be touched. One robot toy seems to scare him - he just stares at it in curiosity and then backs away when it comes near him. I’m hoping he’ll warm up to it soon so I can be more confident that he can play independently when I’m not home.

Thanks for the encouragement that my cat is happy and content, and that this behavior is normal!