My cat doesn't play!

[Destinysdaughter]

My cat is a stray who adopted us, slowly over time. He's sweet but v timid. If you go to stroke him, he'll cower like he expects to be hit. If I try to play with him even with a bit of string, he gets scared and runs away! I've seen him play with animals outside, maybe a mouse or a frog and think he's killed birds but just not playing indoors! Maybe he just never learnt how to do it?

It took my rescue a long time to learn to play and they do become less playful as they get older anyway.
Maybe you haven't found the right toy yet?
Try feathers, catnip toys, Da Bird if you think he's a bit of a hunter, little balls of screwed up paper, rings from the neck of milk bottles etc.

Poor little guy. They have to feel very safe and relaxed to play and he's maybe not quite there yet. Sounds like he's had a hard life so far. One of my 2 is definitely more playful - she was brought up in house with her siblings and children. My other one was found cowering in a shed as a kitten. I think their start in life makes a huge difference to how playful they may be.

We adopted 2 cats, a Mother and Son, from CPL in October. The Mum was really young when she had her kitten - he was 5 months old and she was just a year when we got them.

The Son was great at playing from the off but she was much, much more cautious. She would sit outside the room and run if she heard us coming but gradually crept in bit by bit. She couldn't play, and if she did it was by herself - no interaction with us at all. I started off by gently rolling a ping ping ball nearby, the leaving it - she would go bananas once I'd gone. Gradually she would let me Roll it to her and after a few weeks she'd let me play with her. Once we were ok with a ball I moved on to a ball on a stick toy (which she adored) and we're now obsessed with a Da Bird toy - to the point where she'll come and sit and stare at me until I play with her .

She's still very aloof - it's a good day if she allows a stroke - but is so much more engaged with us and Happy with our company. It's so rewarding but it took ages!

My 6 year old rescues won't play either. They like a laser pen though.