Dear Xander: Cats Want to Play

Cats just want to have fun.

Dear Xander is an advice column for feline readers. If you have a question for Xander, please leave it in the comments and he will answer in a future column.

Dear Xander:

Right about the time I want to play, my humans turn off all the lights and take a long nap!

I try to wake them up. I jump on them, I swat at their hair, and I play with their paws under the blankets. Instead of getting up and playing with me, they seem to get angry. They put me on the other side of the door last night after I played with the female human’s hair!

There is a communication problem. What should I do?

A Feline Just Wants to Have Fun

Dear AFJWTHF:

This can be a problem. Humans want to be awake and play when it is time to nap (when the sky is bright) and nap when it is time to play (when the sky is dark).

In the interest of keeping your household a happy, functioning place, reverse when you sleep. I know it isn’t fair. Unfortunately, I don’t think any cat, anywhere, has had the ability to explain the error of their ways to a human.

If you decide to try to switch your waking and sleeping hours, the problem becomes, how do you do it? Here are some ideas:

• Well before their normal nap time, when they are still awake, play with them. Go over and swat at the fringe on a pillow or their shoelaces. Start playing with a catnip stuffed toy. Swat it in their direction and play near them. Do you have a feather toy? Try to be obvious that you want to play with it.
• If your dry food bowl is full, try to time your eating when the humans go to bed. A full stomach leads to a happy nap. Once you finish, you can jump on their bed and settle down. If you don’t swat at them when they are napping, they will probably let you stay.

If you still can’t sleep but don’t want to be put on the other side of that door, go into another room and play with your toys. If you have a box, jump in it. Play with your toys. If you have a feline buddy, now is the time to get some extra play in. Once you get the exercise, you will be happy to get a nap.

Xander

Dear Xander:

I am younger and smaller than the other cats in my house. I would like to be buddies with them. When I try to play, they turn and walk away. I even try toys.

The problem isn’t just that I am younger. I am male and the older cats are female. Do they see themselves as my older aunts or something?

Look, I want to play. How do I make them play with me?

Kitten Just Wants to Play

Dear KJWTP:

I sense a trend this week. It is all about playtime. I understand why: play is serious business.

If we don’t play, how will we be ready for the hunt? You never know when the automatic food bowl will stop refilling and we will need to bring down breakfast.

In this respect, I call foul on your “aunties.” They should be training you for a possible future when you need to stalk prey. Shame on them.

In the short run, please understand that older cats are kind of over the whole “raising kittens” thing. You don’t say but I assume these bigger, older cats are past being young adults. Maybe not senior cats but closer to senior status than being kittens.

Older cats get tired. That could be part of it. They also get less patient. It is frustrating but true. A friend of mine actually made friends with a DOG. He was that lonely.

My best advice is to give the older cats space. Play alone with toys, or get your human to play with you, using toys. Sometimes that attracts other felines to play. Show them how much fun you are having with that toy. Maybe they will get involved.

If they refuse to play, you can’t make them. It is a tough truth to swallow. You may need to spend more time with your human(s) and learn to play by yourself.

Sorry, I don’t have better ideas.

Xander.

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