Cat Not Playful

Hello

I have an 18month old female Tabby cat.
About 6weeks ago I had her fixed and came home
and she remained very playful after she recovered from
her surgery.About 3weeks now she sits and stares at me
to play with her and when I start to do so she runs and
hides under the bed.She does this over and over on a daily
basis.I usually play with her balls to chase and she used
to have such a good time in doing so.I have tried to mix
things up for her by playing with toy mouses on string
she started to play with those but then she loses
interest and hides under the bed.I took her to the vet
last Friday and they gave her a clean bill of health.
If you could offer me some advice I would greatly
appreciate it.

Thank You

Answer by Kate
Hi, firstly can I say you did the right thing in taking her to see a vet when her behavior changed as this can often be a sign of something wrong. Luckily in this case she is healthy and so this new behavior is purely mental.

Now cats behaviors do change especially from kitten hood moving into adult life. i don;t know what your circumstances are and whether or not you let your cat outside or not. My first reaction was that she does sound rather subdued and this could be caused by boredom or frustration. But as long as her home environment is very stimulating then she should not be bored.

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/indoor-cats.html

I wonder if something else has changed in the home recently? Something moved around, new smells from new furniture or even a new after shave or perfume can make some cats feel uneasy.

If I were you i would give her some space and allow her to come to you. perhaps use some of the bonding techniques described on this page
to allow her to build her confidence in you again.

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/new-cat.html

Hopefully with a little time and perhaps a few new things to explore she will find her old confidence again.

best wishes Kate

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