Put up cat shelves for climbing -cat not interested!

[ToysDontWorkNoMore]

Any ideas for a novice? The shelves have a non slip surface.

For all the work I have done, new kitteh should at least havea try on it, instead of being uninterested/reluctant (even with treats on) or scared (when I stupidly lifted her up on the lower shelves). She is young and has not got any mobility issues.

I wish I had a fiver for every item I've bought expecting feline ecstasy and had nothing but boredom/ignoring - or even worse, knowing indulgence - in return.

Yet leave a tatty old cardboard box lying around somewhere and you'd think you'd made their week!

See how it goes after a day or two - once it smells more like home, she may take to it with more familiarity - and let her do her own exploring on it.

Good luck.

Thanks, cozie! ToysCat is one fussy bugger. Even cardboard boxes are of limited appeal to her. Bought one of those ball tracks for her only a week ago. She is very studiously ignoring that, as well. Meh.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a lovely new Flying Frenzy for Seniorboy. He's not only a very bright cat but also very old and wise and as I 'did' the feather thing on the bed - and very well too if I say so as shouldn't - I watched his gaze travel lazily from the feathers, up the string, along the pole, up my arm and - finally - to my (rather earnest) face. He then put out a paw to the Frenzy but you could clearly see the look on his face of 'Oh Gawd - if you really insist, Mum' before going back to his electric blanket with a sigh of relief.

I've put it away now.

She sounds like a bit of a cautious type - it happens. (Has she had First Mirror yet?) If so, probably best to just keep the normal strict routine - which she probably likes - and when you're with her in the room with the new shelves, watch a movie/read/ do something which she can read as relaxing and pay no mind to her. You being relaxed should help her to be relaxed and with luck, she'll make her own forays of discovery.

What is first mirror? Yes, I don't think she is as clever as your cat, but a bit cautious definitely. I have no choice but to give it time. I hope she comes around! She loves her flying frenzy mouse fishing rod - hated the feather attachment, though..

The first time they look in a mirror is usually quite 'entertaining' - but I'd be very careful in her case because if she's a cautious one, it might unsettle her a lot.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

Has she had cat trees or anything before? Does she get told off for jumping on counters or tables?

She may not know what to do with them or be confused if she's allowed on them. Mostly I suggest the three "t" - time, treats and toys.

See if tempting with a bag of treats helps, mine whine and would jump through fire for treats so rattling the bag, getting them worked up and them holding them on the shelves. Again an awesome chase game with a toy can lead them into the shelves. Finally, she may want to get used to them so give her time to explore.

Mine took three months to decide that her cat tree was not in fact the work of the devil.

She then discovered she can watch TV comfortably from the top. Seems to like GBBO in particular.

Seniorboy has a penchant for telly. He seems to like bad cop shows in particular but really anything with a strong theme tune will do.

Use a laser pen to get them to jump to each one. I saw the same thing on that programme with the man with the guitar case, if that makes sense to anybody?

Jackson Galaxy on My Cat From Hell, Toblerone.

I love that guy!

Yes yes yes to the laser pen - hours of fun!

also, well, they aren't very soft are they? look nice though

Put your treasured, irreplaceable, delicate stuff on the shelves.
She'll be right up then.

hang on - never mind the cat shelves! I NEED that chair!

...Put your treasured, irreplaceable, delicate stuff on the shelves.
She'll be right up then...

I think Zebra has it right, there.

Thanks so much, guys! Good suggestions - will try treats again (would you mind terribly if Ieft the wedding chrystal glasses in the cabinet, though? ). She has not gone up for a toy before, although can try again. She also has very little interest in the laser pen (seems to make her concerned more than anything else). I know the shelves could look cozier, but as they are in our small living/dining room and right at the heart of the house, I wanted to make them look niceish, instead of having those furry cat trees (and other people have constructed similar shelves with great reception from their, less feckung awkward, felines- just Google diy cat wall shelves).

She has not had a cat tree here before (but don't know about her previous home, as she came from a rescue). She has the run of the house and walks along pretty much everything apart from the bleeding cat shelves. She has also completely ignored the scratching post I had bought for her (sprayed it with catnip and put treats around it with no success) . Luckily she likes the pig ugly cardboard scratching sofa I bought!

LEM, the chair is actually prettier than it is comfy or practical. It tends to accumulate crap, as nobody wants to sit on it.. Maybe there is a theme here with uncomfortable unappealing form over substance stuff. However, I maintain those shelves should be very appealing for her, as the top one circles half the room and would enable her to move from on top of one cabinet to the top of another one I spent ages glueing the sisal rope on the mdf board ramps!

She also seems to ignore the massive floor to ceiling mirror in the hallway. I don't know whether that is because she is very smart of very stupid.

Toyscat also ignores the tv.

Ah - she's already seen herself in the mirror then. (They grow accustomed to it very quickly - and not everyone has a big floor to ceiling mirror around.)

I guess not! Ours isn't quite as extravagant and fabulous as it sounds in fact its cracked and missing a large piece in the bottom right corner where we have patched it with sellotape

It sounds great. CrapKitten falls off high surfaces (and drops trustingly upsidedown out of trees into our anxious hands), though, so I think we'll stick to low, fluffy cat trees.

Toyscat

Low fluffy cat tree woulb probably suit toyscat too, but I don't want one of them in the living room. I hope time will work. Got her to put her front paws on the lowest shelf with some dreamies. Would not put her hind legs on it. Very cautiously swiped at a treat further in on tge shelf to drop it on the floor. Did not entertain the idea of the higher shelf even with dreamies on it. She just meowed and looked at me with a "gimme dreamies on the floor now like a normal person, please" face on.

I agree with zebra. Or hang a voile curtain/ silk blouse etc from them!

It could just be they feel too exposed to her, with nowhere to 'run' to. Time might solve that, or short term you could hang an old sheet up to see if she prefers them with a hiding place.

Ooh, that is a very good idea! Will try that. I bough her one of those popup cat hide cubes and she never went in it, but maybe this will be different.. She only ever hides when DS is getting too loud/boisterous (maybe only once in two days)and she goes behind the telly, under the radiator. Comes out covered in dust bunnies. She is not very hidey..