Kitten gets easily bored

[lottielou7]

Can you recommend any toys for him? His favourite game is jumping up and holding on to my leg (ouch). He's always looking for a potential toy but I buy something and he's quickly bored with it.

[GerundTheBehemoth]

Have you tried a laser pointer thingy? Or Da Bird? But kittens can play just as happily with a screwed-up ball of paper as long as you get involved and flick it around the room for them to chase.

One of the tricks of playing with kittens/cats (IMHO) is to make them think the toy is going to escape. So if it's a dangly thing on a string, drag it along and behind things so the kitten has to find it. Always keep it moving away from the kitten. The more interactive you can be the better.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Variety is the key.

Ping pong balls
Bits of foil rolled into small balls
Drinking straws
Da bird
Random feathers you find near the pond
Kickeroos
Kongs
Laser pointers

[Papergirl1968]

My cat is two now and his favourite game is "helping" to change the bed! He just loves diving around under the fitted sheet...
As for toys, he loves a life size stuffed cat to wrestle with - that might save your leg. He also likes a plastic circle with balls in, which has holes for him to stick his paws in and tap them round. And also a tunnel to run through.
He's not too keen on toy mice, balls etc.
Anything around the house he could have like a hair curler, or the cardboard from a kitchen roll? Tin foil scrunched up? Ours likes to play with and bite coat hangers, and was a little sod for running off with necklaces and beads when he was little - we took them off him when we could catch him.

[Papergirl1968]

Oh yes, he loves the laser pointer. Think we got ours from Asda pet section.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Feather on a stick, don't leave him alone with it as the elastic can get caught round his neck.

Laser pointer- ours was 2 quid from Wilkos.

Balls- LOVES them.

Balls of wool

[cozietoesie]

Good sized cardboard boxes rarely fail. You just leave them lying around on the floor partly open so that they can 'discover' them.

How old is he?

[lottielou7]

He's 13 weeks old. 'Da bird' looks great :)

We do have quite a variety of stuff already - I find that both he and our 1 year old cat love the crinkly silver balls.

[originalmavis]

How do you know when a cat is bored?

You do realise that the more you play with them as a kitten the more nanuc they are as adults (bitter experience from having a mad cat)?

[lottielou7]

What's nanuc? Well he's more demanding than our first cat was!

[cozietoesie]

I suspect that that was 'manic' having a typo moment. (The autocorrect. )

Remember to book him in for his snip at 4 months if his health and weight are otherwise fine. If he's already a handful, you don't need hormones added to the mix.

[originalmavis]

'Manic' as in 'waaaaaaaaaa, jump, run, scamper, shreeed the carpet/chair arm, up the curtains, waaaaaaaaaa!'

[cozietoesie]

My mother once acquired a pair of Siamese boys (littermates) who used to chase each other across the curtains. OK - they were large and heavy drapes but I still wouldn't have thought it possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

It could be worse for you, original.

[lottielou7]

Omg, 4 months? He's 3 months old already! You're right about that, he's already a feisty kitten.

[Mouseinahole]

Here are a couple of pics of Trevor with his favourites available from Amazon. Though the tunnels were from Home Bargains and only £1:99.

[cozietoesie]

I believe that 4 months is now the recommended timing if weight and health are otherwise fine. (I'll try to find you a link to guidance.) Some vets and people still hold to the old 6 month timing - regardless - but I'm mindful that Oneago's litter brother sired a litter at 5 months to the apparent consternation of his breeder.

Seniorboy's vet undertakes the op at 4 months. (On their website.) All other things being OK of course.

[cozietoesie]

Here you go, lottie. You'll see that the guidance contains a further link - at the bottom - to a Cat Group Policy Statement on neutering.

ICC - Neutering your cat

[lottielou7]

Thank you cozie. I will ask about booking him in when I take him for his last injections.

[Fluffycloudland77]

My vets wanted to wait till 6 months with ours, they like them to get "cobby"

[OliviaStabler]

I was advised to rotate the toys to stop kittens getting bored. Rather than leave all his toys out all the time, take some away, then a few days later, put them back and take others away.

[RustyBear]

The fostered kittens I watch on webcam all love tents like these: www.amazon.co.uk/Karlie-60866-Kitty-Assorted-Colours/dp/B00140OX26/ref=pd_sim_sbs_200_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=310XfCvG6DL&dpSrc=sims&preST=AC_UL160_SR160%2C160&refRID=YYJQJ8XGJMBMR2SQHEHW&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Though not all are as enthusiastic about them as this kitten... (second video down on the page) livestream.com/tinykittens/eve/videos/92785001?t=1436655285522

[lottielou7]

Thanks for your ideas. He does seem to get quite agitated if he doesn't have stuff to do. He's a ragdoll and I always thought they weren't known for being playful - our girl isn't particularly.

[cozietoesie]

He may be a ragdoll but he's also a young kitten. Who know but that he'll grow into a real sobersides though - they're all individuals.

[cozietoesie]

knows

[RubbishMantra]

You can buy dangly toys from Zooplus, that screw into his scratching post.

There's a similar toy to Da Bird, it's called a Flying Frenzy, and the bits you clip onto them are endless. Mine like the wiggly worm best.

When little Monsieur was a kitten, he was fascinated with the printer. I still have to sprint to the printer so the document doesn't end up like confetti.