Luna: the girl that never plays...

[Kirsten]

I wonder if there are other cats like that:

Since Luna was about one year old, she almost totally stopped playing. She's now ignoring all the toys she has, even new ones or interactive toys, and no matter how hard I tried to conduct a playing session - there's no reaction from her. No matter if I bring dangling toys, mice, balls... she just won't care!

The only two exceptions have been her kitty light and a little piece of flower soil which I would throw and she would bring it back to me in her mouth... but since Lily has arrived, she also stopped doing that. Sometimes I think she still wants to play that, but Lily is always faster so Luna gives up.

I wonder if her lack of interest in any game or toy might be a depression, but my vet says that some cats just are like that - they're happy when they have their peace.

However, Luna enjoys sitting in the window sill, watching birds all morning (and in the summer she loves chasing insects), and of course she's really enjoying the wrestling matches she has with Lily twice or three times a day.

Could it be she just finds cat toys too silly and prefers the real challenges like hunting and wrestling?

Would like to know if there are more cats like Luna.

Thanks,
Kirsten

[Barbara]

Filou and Tigris play much less if I compare it to their kittenhood. And sometimes they are blocking each other: e.g. Filou comes in my room and asks me to play with him. I start throwing mousies, Filou runs like crazy, then Tigris shows up. Just sitting in the door, watching.

And Filou stops and walks under the chair. Watching too

This can work the other way round as well.

One thing is: they have moments during the day for everything: time for napping, time for cuddling and a time for playing. If it's the right moment, then it can be either a short play or a longer or more energetic play. But if it's not the right moment, then nothing will interest them.

And if you are not available to play with them in the right moment, then it happens that Filou plays by himself. Or they start a wrestling match.

They like new ideas. I got a gift these days and there were small branches knotted in the bow. Filou loved knacking these branches I always marinate a mousie in the catnip box: very interesting. A new box etc.

Filou in general is more playful than Tigris. Tigris is much lazier.

So I think on one hand Luna is a lazy girl, on the other hand maybe you don't know when she's in a playing mood. I don't think it is some depression. Not as long as she is cuddling and wrestling with her funny little sis

[catmandu]

I too have found that the Found Cats will not play as much. Although they will , if it is an interactive toy , like thier Cat Dancer! It must be an Old Cat Thing!

[catland]

Sid is my oldest and is seven years old. He doesn't like to be "caught" playing. Still, once in a while he'll surprise me and be silly and playful.

I think that one big difference between cats and kittens is that its much harder to coax a cat into playing. If they don't want to, they don't want to and there's not much you can do about it.

I think Luna is fine.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Ally only occasionally plays now - when she was younger she would play for HOURS! Now IF she does play, it doesn't last long - after a few minuties she goes and lies down,

Maybe they just grow out of it?

[catnapper]

Allen plays a lot less than Before Pouncer (BP) He used to LOVE the feather on a cord... he'd spend hours playing with it and would actually drag it up and down the stairs.

Since Pouncer (SP) he basically has no interest in it. If I pull it out and dangle it in front of him, he looks at it, you can see that he's debating whether or not to swat. But just as he puts his paw out, Pouncer comes flying into the room and takes over the game. Why should Allen bother when he has competition like that?

But, wrestling matches? WE don't know what those are! **Wink wink, nudge nudge.**

[Logan]

We get so excited when we see our Mimi (now 14 years old) start playing with something. It is rare, but creates lots of excitement for us!! It might be a bug or a unique "toy" (something not meant to be a toy, usually). But if she gets excited and wants to play, we do too!!!

[CatDad]

Joey has never played with us much. She does however like to chase around balls and stuff. I think she was a soccer player, because she will bat it around and then purposely bat it under something like she is making a goal.

Bob used to like to play, but doesn't much anymore. I think it just depends on the cat.

[Kirsten]

Some very interesting points, thanks!

Yes, I think it's a fact that Luna is a very lazy cat, but it could be true that I'm sometimes missing the moments she's in the mood... (But I think in these cases, she's playing with Lily now).

She still reacts to the words "kitty light" and "spielen" (play), but so does Lily and that is reason enough for Luna to reconsider and chose to better sit on her butt and watch her sister playing instead...

Kirsten