Cold weather = bored cat

[MardyMillylala]

Hi

Has anybody else's cat got bored child syndrome like Milly as a result of the bad weather? Reluctant to go out for more than 5 minutes, despite normally enjoying the outdoors for hours at a time? Seems to have loads of energy to use but impossible to tire out & doesn't know what to do with herself! She's got her scratching boards & umpteen toys ..

Mine don’t seem bothered by the cold and go out as normal - I suspect one of them goes to the neighbours and sits by their fire judging by how warm he is when he comes back though 🤔🤣

I’m fostering a young cat and they are not allowed outside while you foster.

Ive had more success with home made toys than shop ones. I pick up pigeon feathers when I see them and have used them successfully. Literally feathers tied to a piece of string. I’ve actually got Pampas grass in my garden and that’s works well.

Ive also tried bringing things from outside - yesterday was some grass from the lawn, and before that a (not too big) branch that had fallen down.

We also do a game I call Ready. I have about 20 milk bottle tops. We sit on the top of the stairs. I tiddly wink each one off the top stair, and she runs and tries to catch them.

Yes. We’ve got about eight inches of snow and our poor boy is bored and confused by the change in the landscape. He’s not fussed by being out in cold/rain but draws the line at this.

My younger cat definitely gets bored in cold weather. I find if I make her a little blanket fort, she will go inside the fort and sit there for ages, then come out and go to sleep completely exhausted by being in the fort. If I don't make the blanket fort then she tries to playfight with her much older stepsister, who is old and fat and absolutely not here for any of it.

Yes but Cat TV is helping mine

Ooh tell me about cat TV. I have a very bored old cat, he took us to the door to go out but refused at the threshold- too cold.

Cat is fuming that it’s cold out in the back garden so he comes in and goes out the front to see if it’s any warmer

My outdoor loving cat has no belly fur as she had to have a abdo scan, the cat flap is now permanently closed and she has accepted that, but she will dash out of the door sometimes, she has never gone far, just likes to be outside in the garden. In past winters she would have a lovely thick coat and spend an hour or more outside.
We find she is ready to come in within 5 minutes and if it is dark or below freezing we make her come straight back in.

I've only just found out about it! Go on YouTube and search for Cat TV. It's a channel for cats consisting of birds and squirrels. My cat loves watching it.

My elderly ginger boy is totally confused by winter sunshine! I mean, why isn’t it warm? What is this chilly white stuff?

Ha ha!
Childhood cat was like that with the rain.
Totally wouldn't believe us if we said if it's raining in the back garden it's also raining out the front.
We would have to open the front door to prove this every single time !!

Big cat is out as usual this time, but last time it snowed he stuck his head out of the cat flap, saw all the white stuff and decided to go back to sleep until the world corrected itself.

The kittens and foster cat are bored and busy annoying eachother. The kittens haven't been outside at all yet but foster cat used to be an outdoor girl and she's desperate to get out. We're distracting them all with various toys but they're back to chasing and hissing when we're not fully engaged.

I've posted on another thread, but my neighbours two black panthers absolutely love the snow! Pouncing on nothing, zooming about, chasing each other, even rolling about in it!
I think it's their first year with snow, don't know if their enthusiasm will continue as they get older, but it's cute right now!

Our cat is still going outside, but only for a few hours a day rather than his usual 18 hours! Rest of the time he is curled up under a radiator :)

This is exactly what my cat does 😂

Cat here is bored. She now loves a cotton rug on the landing and chases her tail on it! V funny to see.

We’ve had to resort to Cat TV today. Schools here are closed tomorrow because the snow’s so bad - this could go on a while.

Glad to hear its not just mine! We've had snow overnight so her Majesty is not impressed but keeps on bobbing outside for fresh air. Tried cat tv this morning which held her interest for all of 5 minutes but was happy watching a wildlife doc last night. She's got a large paper bag that she keeps on battering & her new catnip toy that shes taken a shine to.