How Far Can a Lost Cat Travel?

[Evo]

Evo, maybe you and your cat could find an "exercise" game to play together that needn't involve toys, since he doesn't seem interested in them.

My late ferret Turbo got plenty of exercise because he absolutely loved "ferret bowling". I'd slap my hands of the floor and he would run over and play a game of "keep away" until he wanted to be caught, then I'd flip him onto his back, tickle him and rough him up (getting play-bites in return), then I'd scale him across the slippery Pergo floor on his back until he could right himself and get his little legs churning to stop the sliding and run back for another round. Usually, after 15 minutes or so, he'd be all tuckered out and he would come back to me and put his front legs on my leg, wanting to be picked up and held so he could take a snooze.

Aww, that's so sweet! I guess I can keep him going for awhile with the satin pants, except he's starting to learn to jump with his claws out now.

 

[Moonbear]

Evo, maybe you and your cat could find an "exercise" game to play together that needn't involve toys, since he doesn't seem interested in them.

My late ferret Turbo got plenty of exercise because he absolutely loved "ferret bowling". I'd slap my hands of the floor and he would run over and play a game of "keep away" until he wanted to be caught, then I'd flip him onto his back, tickle him and rough him up (getting play-bites in return), then I'd scale him across the slippery Pergo floor on his back until he could right himself and get his little legs churning to stop the sliding and run back for another round. Usually, after 15 minutes or so, he'd be all tuckered out and he would come back to me and put his front legs on my leg, wanting to be picked up and held so he could take a snooze.

That could work too. Ember and I do things like that too...I don't bowl her but we do wrestle and play "fight." (Can you tell she's an active cat?) Sometimes she'll sit up and I'll just bat at her paws like we're sparring, or I'll tickle her belly while she bunny kicks me, etc., and then she'll have enough, run off, and 30 sec later come back for more. We play "tag" too. The scratching post is "base." She'll run up, bat me in the leg, I'll give chase around the sofas, give her a tumble and scratch behind the ears, she'll take her turn again, and when she's had enough, she runs to the scratching post and practically hugs the thing, which signals the game is over.

Of course, right now, she's still too grouchy to play anything. She had no reaction whatsoever to her shots last year, but this year, the rabies shot seems to have gotten to her (that's the one that left a tender lump...since she got that shot over her hip, I can't really pick her up at all and support her weight without bumping it, and she's definitely not feeling her usual self...I was holding her in my lap and she was just growling, but not trying to bite or run or any of the things we usually play at when I hold her...I hate that...I know she doesn't feel well and there's nothing I can do to comfort her or make her feel better other than let her run off and hide...the only comfort I have is that I know it's just from the shots and will get better quickly).