Activity For the Mature Indoor Cat

Due to possible digestive sluggishness, I need to get one of my cats more active. He's a five year old Himalayan male ( neutered) who overall I would describe as a non-athletic sort of furry beach-ball.;) He is very sweet, but incredibly clumsy, (we believe he doesnt see well, though the vet found nothing wrong) He frequently misses his target when jumping. I've seen him walk off tables, trip on the stairs, and fail to execute a simple jump on to the sofa - do a cushion face-plant instead. I once chased after him when he darted out,and was astonished to see him run straight into a wire mesh fence, knocking himself flat on his back. ( poor little guy :sad: he didnt hurt himself)
He's not overweight and CAN run and climb. He just doesnt want to very often - perhaps due to these mishaps. :crazy: He seems happy and contented.

My other 2 cats are high/ normal on the activity scale.
I DO play with him every day, chase the shoelace etc.. but aside from this time period.. this is basically his only excercise... which until recently, I thought was enough.
(None of my cats play with each other, unfortunately)

I am wondering about some good interactive toys I could offer him...that might stimulate him to become a bit busier of a feline?
Or else I need to spend more time with him myself.
How much time do you spend with your cats playing each day? Or do you find your mature adult cats are getting plenty on their own?

I know from experience that Persians are not great athletes, but what you're describing does sound like your cat has some sort of vision problem.

If he does, this would certainly make him reluctant to exercise.

I really think you need to have him checked again, perhaps with a specialist.

What you say - he walks off tables, can't see fences etc. is definitely not normal.

Maybe your cat may have some kind of ear problem and that may be causing him to be off balance??
We do play with our cats, but they also spend alot of tome chasing each other .
We find a laser pointer (one that does not hurt thier eyes) is a great play toy!! they chase it for hours :D A fishing rod with a toy attached works good to.

turn all the lights off and wave a flashlight around, my cats climb all over each other to catch the light beam LOL

and it helped my 4 year old [human child, not kitty]get over her fear of teh dark :)



Eleni

Yes, Lucky, its not normal. We have had him since he was just 12 weeks old, and he's always been this way.
Its possible about an inner ear problem Happycats - I'd not actually thought of that. His equalibrium seems off-kilter definitely, but its not a temporary thing.
We just dont know what it is - but its something for sure.

Within days of bringing him home , hubby and I both noticed something seemed wrong. He was very "head-shy". He appeared to not "see" an outstretched hand when coming straight on. I still use a side approach to touch his head, so as not to startle him.
And though any cat can mistep, he's extremely uncoordinated - especially when hurrying. When he ran into the mesh fence, I knew something was really wrong. I've never seen a cat do this before. :confused:
We felt it must be a vision impairment, I took him for a check. The vet found nothing wrong with his eyes clinically, but said I could take him to a specialist if I wished - for vision and in-depth testing. As he was otherwise healthy, and seemed happy, I wasnt sure what could be gained, so just left that option on hold. This factor didnt appear to be hindering his life in any way, or causing him any distress.

He doesnt appear to have gotten any worse over the years. I do worry at times, though. Will he go blind as he gets older? Is it a neurological thing, and not his vision at all?
I dont know a thing about cat genetics, but I do know that he was a result of a pretty close line-breeding . This has always left me wondering..

Most people who meet Basil find him pretty unusual as felines go.
Whatever the cause of his limitations, I consider him my "special needs" pet and I'll always be extra protective :angel:

Try a lazer pointer. My indoor cats thinks this is the greatest fun. You point it on the floor and the kitty tries to catch the dot! I have one that charges around after the dot. My son in law introduced me to this new game when we were staying with them and their cats got the lazer game. Do not shine the light in the cats eyes :party:

:ca: