How much time should I spend playing with my cats?

30 minutes a day.

A gay man asking on a gay board how long he should play with pussy.

Max two 15-min sessions a day - no more, no less

You play with them and when they scratch you and hiss, it's enough

It depends on how hairy your pussies are.

R2, I was thinking of asking about my pussy but was afraid that people would just think it was a scroll on by.

R3, both max and min, then?

Thanks for responses so far.

*think it was a joke and scroll on by

Wear that pussy out and move onto the next one.

Easier thing is to get a mini laser pointer at a petshop. I think they are around $8. When you watch tv beam it around until the cat gets over it. That’s how long you play with them.

Good idea, R9; we did that, though, and the cats bored of it eventually. Perhaps they'll be more interested now after a hiatus as we stopped using it when they lost interest.

Get a roomba, tie a little fake mouse to the back. Let it vacuum your floors while the cats chase it around.

R10 Yes indeed. I forgot that our old cat was over it, but the young one still looks forward to it. He also loves the feather lure on a bendy pole. I’d do that until he got worn out. Probably about 10 min. I forget to play with cats until they start being needy & mischievous, so definitively don’t do it every day.

Thank you, dear R12. It's reassuring to know that others can forget to do it, too.

No problem. Another hands-off cheat is to crack open a screened window or door where they can track birds and squirrels. Their noses get activated, their instincts perk up and they might pace and pounce a bit.

Yes, R14, they do love looking at birds though I have to be careful with open windows. Perhaps I'll try to crack it open, as you said, and somehow block them from getting out. Thanks!

My cats are 14.5 and I adopted them 14 years ago. Our nightly routine from day one is 10 minute play session followed by dinner and bed. The play sessions used to be longer but they are old ladies now. Sometimes during the day they still ask for a few minutes of play here and there.

We are moving next week to an apartment with hardwood floors. I'm hoping that will provide more opportunities for independent play. They have lived in a carpeted apartment all their lives. Carpet stops cat toys from rolling and bouncing and my cats would rely on me to provide movement. Hopefully they are not too old to still bat and chase toys.

Well done caring for them for so long, R16, and thanks for the comments. Best of luck in your move, I'm sure the two ladies will love the new floors!

Don't get laser pointers. It's not fair to the cat because they can never catch it. It just makes them frustrated and mean.

You can get a catio to hang out of your window.

I have to admit I'd never heard of those, R18. They look great and not too expensive, either. Thank you!

R18, laser pointers are fine if it ends in treats. The kitty has to “catch” something.

Jackson Galaxy recommends playtime before meals to stimulate the cats natural hunt, eat, sleep instinct. My cat has plenty of toys she can entertain herself with and loves to stalk the dog. I probably play with her in 5 minute increments. She has a weight problem and is on a diet so I try to get her to go up and down the stairs several times a day and chase her around the house for exercise.

My late cat was a 22 year old Ragdoll that I adopted at 10 years old. He had no natural cat mojo. I would throw him a mouse or ball and he’d stare at me. Occasionally I could get him to play with one of those cat dancer things on a wire. I don’t know if it was how he was socialized the first half of his life or is a trait of his breed but he seemed totally content to hang out. He liked to watch birds outside and TV.

He was always naturally skinny under all his fluff and that boy could eat!! I always shared my food with him. I miss him so much. But he lived a good long life and don’t think he missed out on not getting enough exercise.

" How much time should I spend playing with my cat?"

Um, we have a choice?

R15 he said a SCREENED window. A SCREEN. That the cat cannot defeat. Sheesh.

[quote]It's recommended that you play with cats for mental stimulation and physical fitness.

Yours or theirs?

I don't think there's much risk in overdoing it. Cats aren't shy about letting you know when they aren't interested. They will just look at you if you wave a feather near their face.

That's true, R24 - they are good at "stating their boundaries" when they've reached their max. I do want to make sure that I'm doing enough but, as a poster upthread said, they do have ways of letting you know when they're very understimulated.

My mistake, R22. Thank you very much for being so kind as to point that out.

Sounds like your late Ragoll did have a great life, R20, and that you're making every effort with your cat. Thanks for your input.

*Ragdoll

Also, that was OP even though ça va sans dire 😊

I start play with a laser pointer but always switch to a toy they catch to end the session.

FOREVER.

Mrs. Slocumb, I think we've made it clear - we have no interest in your pussy.

My sweet cat comes around in the morning and likes to be brushed and beat up a bit. She then retires to her sleeping basket for the day and then comes to me very late in the evening for another round of petting. She is an old girl at age 16 and has no interest in toys. Sometimes I think she is more like a stuffed animal with her lack of energy.

Isn't that why you get a 2nd cat? So that they can play with each other. I hate the way cats "play." They look manic.

All day, every day

My guy is 9 years old, and he has little interest in any of his toys, even if I play with him. At most, he's good for about 2 to 3 minutes of play, then he simply ups and leaves the room. Is this normal?

R33, perhaps this is just a matter of temperament and/or age and your cat will somehow let you know if he needs more stimulation? I will defer to those with greater experience.

R31, I think this was part of what motivated my partner to acquire two cats at once. Having said that, their only communal play consists of a "scrap" once a week or so though they do, as I mentioned in my original post, monitor each other's activities and that is a form of stimulation in itself.

R30, she sounds lovely! And it sounds like you have a sweet dynamic together.

R27, good thinking! I must remember to incorporate a reward of some kind into such play in the future.

OP, do you think you could take them for walks? That would be good exercise for all involved.

I am fortunate to have a cat and a dog that are best friends. Neither knows what to do with a toy, but their favorite thing is to hunt each other. They both get plenty of playtime each day and are inseparable.

I slap my pussy for about 15 minutes every morning and take a shower.

My cats are both on the wrong side of 10 and still enjoy stalking each other, staring and pouncing, "boxing," etc. It always ends in friendly grooming.

There's no right answer to your question, OP. Some cats enjoy playtime and others just want to be petted or hang out in the same room with you.

As a lifelong cat owner... you play when they want to play. Yes, you drop what you're doing and play. Cats get bursts of energy and that is playtime.

Nothing excites a cat more than a string dragged horizontally across the floor.

Dogs have a master; cats have a staff.

Jezebel and Madame Foo-Foo are older pussies who still enjoy playing, both alone or with each other. They love an empty box or paper bag to sleep in, or play hide and seek, bunch up a piece of foil or newspaper ball, and they bat it all over the house, they love looking out the windows at the birds or lizards or children playing, we have a big fish tank which they're always watching intently and reaching out for, they like being petted, and they follow us everywhere we go in the house, afraid they'll miss out on something, they impose themselves and plop right on the computer keyboard or open newspaper, and then start grooming themselves, they like to curl up on a warm lap, or they embrace each other, entwined in mutual grooming or sleeping peacefully, they purr loudly, so I know they are both happy healthy contented pussy cats. :-)

^^ play time is on their own schedule, and then they sleep 💤

[quote]Nothing excites a cat more than a string dragged horizontally across the floor.

I agree. People buy insanely priced cat houses and the cat is happy to sit in the box. BTW cats also like rolled up pieces of paper. They don't need anything fancy.

For goodness sakes, they eat mice

My cats will show tepid interest in a new wand toy. Then I cut little toy/feather from the string and they get super excited chasing the string.

😼 Ask your cat. But you might not like the answer.