Playtime is a very important part of your cat’s daily life. No matter
how old she is, she’ll benefit from having frequent opportunities to
stalk, chase, pounce and capture. In an outdoor environment a cat would
typically engage in about 12-20 hunting attempts. That doesn’t mean
she’d successfully capture 20 mice, but she’d give it a good try.
Your Cat is an Individual
Every cat is an individual so you may have to experiment a bit when it comes to toy preference. The type of toys your cat enjoyed in her youth, for example, may not be as appealing if she’s now less mobile and has stiff joints. Some cats, no matter their age, have strong toy preferences and others don’t care at all as long as the toy is in motion and they have the chance to hunt.
Respect Toy Preferences
There are so many cat toys to choose from in the categories of both solo play toys and interactive toys. When shopping, keep your cat’s size, athletic ability, personality and texture preferences in mind. A small, timid cat, for example, may not want to play with a large kitty kick-bag toy because it may resemble more of an opponent than prey. Your cat may have a texture preference and might prefer a soft toy that she can sink her teeth into over a hard plastic toy.
Pay Attention to Your Cat’s Senses
Sound also plays a part in whether your cat will enjoy or ignore the
toy. A toy that contains a bell inside may detract from its appeal if
you have a multicat home where one or more cats wear bells on their
collars. A toy that makes a rustling sound may be very appealing as it
resembles the sound of a chipmunk or mouse darting through the leaves.
Some cats like toys that have feathers and others might prefer
fur-covered ones.
Toy Testing
If you have a cat who isn’t responding to playtime, the first thing
to do is to make sure you’re using the right technique when you engage
in interactive play with
her. Next, set up her solo toys so they pique her interest as she
wanders through the house (i.e. don’t leave them heaped in a toy
basket), and of course, make sure you’ve provided toys that are
appealing. You may have to invest a little time and money into doing a
toy preference test by trying out different types of toys on your cat.
It’ll be worth the investment though because playtime is very valuable
to your cat’s mental, physical and emotional health.
Don’t Give Up
I come across many people who simply give up and claim that their cats just don’t play. Every cat plays! You just have to figure out what’s stopping your kitty. It may be there’s too much tension in your multicat home… maybe she hasn’t played in so long that her skills need a little practice… or maybe you just haven’t gotten the type of toys she prefers. Just as some cats have definite preferences when it comes to the size and shape of the kibble they eat or the texture of the litter they like, they can have toy preferences as well. Time to go shopping.