Im seeing mixed opinions, and I’m worried I might be stressing her out unintentionally. She almost never initiates the chase (it’s always me), but she doesn’t hiss when I catch her.

After I chase her I will often hide behind furniture and around corners to signal to her it’s her turn to get me. She will usually pounce at me after a bit of hiding, but other times she just ignores my invitation and carries on about her business. Sometimes during these chases she will hide under the bed but come out a couple minutes after like nothing happened (like she won’t be avoiding me).

Also slightly unrelated, but whenever I walk through the lounge room throughout the day, if she sees me about to walk by the curtains or her car tunnel, she will often hide behind the curtains or in her cat tunnel to surprise attack me.

Is this a sign that the chases are ok to continue, or should I only let her initiate from now on?

Or am I just overthinking like crazy right now???

my cat is finally becoming an indoor only cat !!!!! it’s taken a very long time and some unfortunate vet bills to get my mom to agree, but we did it.

my cat had 24/7 outside access and in the summer would spend most of his time outside. i am investing in a catio but it’ll take longer to get, so im looking for indoor ways to give him the exercise he’ll want/need since he’s used to travelling quite far. i’ve seen a lot of people have “cat wheels” but not sure if they’re actually useful?

i have the space for it, i actually have the perfect spot for it i just dont want to buy what is a pretty expensive thing just for him not to use it, though i do plan to have cats for the rest of my life so even if he doesn’t like it i suppose maybe a future cat will.

curious if people have a pro/con list, or if there are any major cons?

What’s the best cat enrichment ideas for when I’m not home or sleeping? Yes I know a second cat is a good idea but it’s not an option unfortunately. My cat is very playful and social, and unfortunately changing my work schedule isn’t an option. We have tons of toys laying around, but curious about any other ideas.

Hi all, I have two cats that are both very picky about scratching materials. Neither of them like to scratch corrugated cardboard, sisal rope, or woven materials like carpet. Y'know, all the most common materials for cat scratchers to be made out of. One of them will scratch cardboard boxes (but has torn a claw out in the past doing so), and the other will scratch at faux leather (unfortunately). Thankfully, they both agree that one specific material is nice to scratch. The problem is, I have absolutely no idea what it's called in order to get more to replace the wrap on a cat tree that's worn out but where the tree is otherwise still in good condition.

It's a rope material that's surprisingly durable but smooth at the surface with no loose or scratchy strands. Where the cats have shredded it, it's soft to the touch. I can't seem to post images in the post body, so I'll put photos of the material in a comment below.

If anyone can tell me what this stuff is, I'd appreciate it!

I'd like to take my cat with me on walks or maybe even further but so far she hates the leash. I decided to take it easy and slowly make her get used to it by using treats but since she's not a kitten anymore it might not be easy.

I'm also worried about dogs and other possible dangers.

She’s had it for 2 weeks. 10% interest which is usually in the scratching post. She recently devolved into an inside cat and I want her to climb. Today I tried putting her on it every time she jumps on the kitchen counter. So that she knows she has high spaces but redirecting which area she does have permission to. I feel like she just gets scared of me. Idk if it’s working. I put a picture of it in the comments

She gets a lot of enrichment throughout the day, I just want her to be able to climb. My theory is that she’s too small to do those jumps or she feels insecure

My cat loves being inside and underneath and hidden away but with a view. Any reccs for cat beds like this that are also pretty and also are not full of chemicals and plastics? Wishing my cat more natural materials and fibers.
Also open for DIY inspo and guides and such

No hate plz. I was thinking about maybe letting her hunt a minnow/tiny feeder fish or a feeder mouse? Idk I don’t know if this is a good idea but any opinions are helpful

Hi there, recently my mom sent me this ad for the Catmobile outdoor sphere. They're all around her feed, it's basically this 3D hamster wheel made of net that purportedly lets you keep your cat outside without worrying about them jumping fences or getting under cars and stuff.

She says we could use it for Gringoire (our fluffy Maine Coon mix of 2 years) for the week we spend in a holiday home, to have him in the garden without worrying about him jumping the wall. Even if he was found as a stray on the street he's very much an indoor cat and both me and my mom are very afraid of him wandering off.

However, the ads seem fishy af to me. First of all they're Al generated, massive red flag. Then they show an actual video of a cat running away from their owner and being run over by a car, which I did NOT want to see. Lastly, I have found no reputable reviews for them, there are also many offbrand versions and those are even fishier if possible.

Has anyone actually tried the Catmobile? Is it worth a shot?

Thanks a bunch!

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this and maybe I'm just venting. But hear me out, please, or don't. Delete this and/or ban me if you must but I'd rather have a conversation first.

So if I were to say the name Jackson I'm sure a good majority of you would understand which Jackson I'm talking about, given that we're in a cat sub. And if you don't, Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviorist.

What I don't understand from seeing people in r/cats, other digital places, the show My Cat from Hell especially season 4 episode 10, and other places in real life, is what is there to not understand about a cat meowing at you constantly and following you around and getting distressed when you leave?

I'm not a cat behaviorist, obviously, but wouldn't doing the obvious like playing with your cat, be the thing that you would try first?

I was in a grocery store once and these people had a tiny kitten in a box while the stupid human was running around in the motorized cart and the cat was literally meowing over and over again. I asked to see the cat because I love cats, and I picked it up and guess what it stopped meowing. After I give the cat a few pets and come the cat to purrs I hand the cat directly to the person sitting in the stupid motorized cart and say your cat just wants attention. It's barely 6 weeks and it's scared and you have it in a box. They said oh I didn't think of that. I was like now you know. And I walked away.

A few minutes later the idiot was driving in his motorized cart again and the cat was meowing incessantly again. At that moment my heart broke because I knew that cat was going to be in for a very tough life. Before anybody rips my fucking head off, I just want to point out the fact that the kitten was very small about 6 weeks old and literally gripped the clothes when you picked it up. It was clingy and would have stayed anywhere you put it.

That's all.

I recently got a kitten and from what I can tell her and her sister dog are getting along great! If the dog is drinking out of her water bowl kitty goes right up and joins her. Follows her everywhere around the house and is constantly trying to cuddle with her if she’s lying down. My question though has to do with playing. The kitten will stalk the dog and then after the dog looks start running to get the dog to chase her. They seem to love this game. My biggest concern though is that the dog is 45 pounds and kitty is obviously significantly smaller. She has her spots she can hide but is there anything I should do or are they okay to continue playing like this? The dog try’s to be soft but because she’s so large I’m nervous that in the chase she might stomp on her accidentally.

I've grown up with cats for my entire life basically since I can remember I've had some.

But now that I've finally moved out of my parents house I really miss having them around, not specifically my parents cats just any cat honestly.

The issue now is that while I have had cats the ones I did have always had tons of space. I'm talking 3 floors, massive rooms and outdoor cats too, while the Appartment I live in now is essentially just a box. It's a 18m² (193 sq ft) Living/Dining/kitchen/bedroom + 4m² (43 sq ft) Bathroom + a round 5m² (53 sq ft) hallway.

So a total of 27m² or 290 sq ft if I did the math right.

Outdoor spaces are technically available as I live on the ground floor but it would be more of just letting them out as a whole rather than in a garden since I do not have one.

In addition to that I live alone and have to go to school on weekdays from 7:15am to 3:45pm.

I really would love to own a cat again, especially since just going to my parents is not an option, but I do not want to harm a cat in any sort of way which is why I'm asking here.

My brother told me he wanted something for his cats for his birthday. Im not sure what exactly to get them, he said they are kind of dumb and wouldn’t use a wheel. I was thinking something that would interest the cat while he isn’t home so maybe a slightly more expensive motorized toy?

If anyone had any suggestions of specifics please give me some! Budget is 100 or under.

Hello everyone. I adopted a kitten last month and now she's almost 3 months old. Since i wanted to go out with her, when she came home i bought a harness with a leash to get her used to that. The only problem is that now the harness is too little and does not fit her anymore (maybe also the winter fur but anyway). Giving that next month should be her second vaccine and then we can go outside, how should i tackle that? which harness should i buy that would not throw away 2 weeks after? or should i wait for her to reach 1 yo and buy a new one? idk she's growing so fast and making me crazy that idk what to do with this kind of things (also i always had dogs and this is my first cat so idk how to handle things like that) Thanks for your responses, if the flair is not correct i will change it

Hey guys, long story short, I currently live in an apartment with a balcony and might be moving into an apartment with no balcony. My cat currently goes on the balcony once a day, and when the sun is out, she gets really happy out there. She is also a senior cat.

I'm feeling SO bad and torn about the decision. If I didn't have her, then the move would be a no-brainer.

Has anyone successfully transitioned their cats from being either outdoor or partially outdoor to indoor only?

I really don't want to disrupt her routine since she is old, but I think inevitably I will have to move apartments in the next year, and this one is a good opportunity.

Hi guys, I’ve had a cat for a couple of months , we play a good amount but I still feel like she’s bored sometimes either tho she has so many toys . She really likes playing fetch and chasing after Tin foil balls

Is there any unique ways you guys play with your cats ? Would love to give her something new to have fun with

Hi! I have a 3 year old Siberian, George. He is SO smart and has a ton of energy and is very playful. But I’m a first time cat owner and it’s obvious he’s telling me I’m not doing something right but I don’t know what it is. He is definitely showing signs of boredom. He follows me around asking to play, and then when I bust out (what used to be) his favorites , the big tunnel and the pole toy, he plays for like 5 minutes then walks away, just not into it. I’m definitely the lame mom rn and I want to do better lol
I got him a treat hider activity board, but he couldn’t care less about it. He’s not particularly food motivated. He leaves his breakfast and dinner out for hours, just a slow eater. He only gets excited for his occasional churus, but I don’t want to rely on churus for his stimulation :/
Any advice for enrichment activities that aren’t kibble based or “games” you play with your cat that they love would be very appreciated!

Btw: this little boy has SO many toys of all kinds, he’s truly a spoiled only child.

My Freya 4 years old now when I adopted her she was already 2 it appears she was a stray before I adopted her. I live with my folks and she's terrified of them. I'm pretty sure they're kind to her when I'm at work.

I'm fine if I'm the only one she wants to, but it'd be nice to see her less fearful of people. Any advice outside of strangers giving her treats or trying to play with her.

My baby lowkey loves it when I use a stick and rub it on the sofa/bed under the blanket. It pokes out and she tries to catch it

She recently had to adapt to being an inside cat, after being an outside cat for over 6 months. She’s almost 14 months old, and even though her energy level has lowered, I don’t want her to be bored.

She has springs and we play with the feather stick thingy, which she slowly loses interest in. I spent around $200 on a climbing wall that she barely touches. Idk if I need to make adjustments to it, or if she just isn’t the type. My former cat loved her wall, so I’m not sure what the problem might be.

This also makes me wonder if I should adopt another cat — she’s very friendly with cats, and loved socialising outside with them. I would probably maybe be able to afford it, I just heard you need 3 litter boxes for 2 cats, and I barely have space for 1. I could ofc make space for 2, but not 3.

Anyway, all help is appreciated!

in the title! i have a tall cat tree for my 2 moggies (this one to be specific) and they love it!! they love to hang out on the topmost platform to nap or watch the rest of the room.

issue is. they're both pretty big for moggies (about 4.3kg each; not overweight, just big lol), and the single posts for the 2 tallest platforms are kind of flimsy, especially when my cats like to parkour across the furniture on to the taller platforms, and wiggle around when they're up there.

i'm a renter so i can't just.. drill or nail holes in the wall to add hooks or whatever to stabilize, and i don't have the space to put, say, a tall bookcase next to the tree + secure it to that (plus even if i could i'd worry about that being unstable too lol). so... does anyone have any advice for ways I can stabilize the two top platforms? i wish cat trees were sturdier in general...

it's already pressed against a wall, and has a table on the other side. putting something heavy on the bottom wont work as that doesnt move; it's just the platforms and the columns for the top 2 bits that shake. i've tightened the screws as much as i can and it's still an issue :(

hope this is enough info. thanks :)

I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for stimulating cat toys, specifically for cats who went from getting to go outside to solely indoors. i just moved states, & i never really wanted them outside back home but they were at least safe & knew their way around there. now, im not comfortable with the change in wildlife & also the laws are a bit stricter here about cats being allowed outside. i can tell my girl is getting restless by all the zoomies she’s getting, & my boy just yells 1/3 of the day. does anyone know of any good toys, cat trees or anything that could be as stimulating as getting to be outside? we’re working on harness training but they are older cats they HATE them & also working on getting a catio but it’s hard with the couple options we have as we’re renting. its only been a few days & i feel so bad changing so much of their life that im ready to release live mice in my home to let them hunt😭

Help! Just adopted a cat, and she will literally only play with one toy, but it just broke!! Literally have bought her $100 worth of toys and this is the only one that works……

It has a blue wand and this yellow fish attached above. Any advice on where to buy so i can buy them all would be so great!!!!

P.S. TOY picture is in the post reply’s sections i couldn’t figure out how to attach it to this post.

Hi, I know I'm probably just going crazy but I just adopted my cat Saturday and I'm crazy worried because she doesn't seem all that interested in playing 😭 the people at the shelter mentioned she wasn't interested as well, and she's a recent mother (now spayed) so that could have something to do with it?

I feel so bad, because I work 9-5 and I try to play with her before work and multiple times every night, but she doesnt seem interested. Im just so worried shes bored. Ive had cats before and been able to play with them no problem. Ive tried a feather wand, some springs, balls toy mice etc. I even tried a laser pointer even though I know they're not the best for them because Ive never met a cat that wouldnt go for it!! But every time I try to play she just shows brief interest then ignores the toys and tries to get to me for pets😭

Im hoping its just because shes new to the home and getting settled in and still exploring but I feel so awful! Ive made sure she has pretty much every window in the house available, vertical space in every room, scratchers, a cat tree... I end up just giving her a little catnip every night and give her pets while she rolls around on her scratcher, because Im so worried about her being bored.

More of a vent than anything... Any tips on things that made your cat play?!?

Hi!

Anyone have any recommendations for fun/cute/quality Advent calendars for cats? My boy loves food and treats & is apathetic towards most toys, so looking for a calendar that is food/treat-focused. I know Costco does some advents for pets, but the one I saw is toys only.

I love Advent calendars for myself, so I thought I would get my kitty his own to join in on the festive fun 😊 Thanks! 🐾💕

I noticed my cat Cheeto really likes to play with bottle caps (both plastic and metal). But I don't want him to hurt his teeth or choke on it.

So does anyone know any good cat toy alternatives? I think the shape and noise is what attracts him to playing with it