Cat Won't Play? You're Doing it Wrong!

PLAY WITH YOUR CAT! You: MY CAT WON'T PLAY! Me: Every cat will play - and in this video I give you all of my tips to get you to understand how cats play, what play actually looks like (versus your expectations), and more. Believe me, whether bored kitten or chonky senior - everyone can play...starting with you!

0:00 Intro
1:35 Every Cat is Different
3:25 The Goal of Play
4:06 Play the Part
7:11 Don't be Lazy!
8:29 Social vs Individual Play
12:58 Jumping Tips
14:44 Boil and Simmer
16:27 Hunt Catch Kill... Eat!

More tips for playing with your cat!

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[smarie]

I was definitely a cat guardian that thought, “my cat won’t play.” One helpful thing Jackson said was, “all play is good play.” So, I committed to 10 min twice a day, whether I was feeling like I was playing alone or not. Obviously, if my cat way enjoying herself I’d go longer. Everyday I think, “this isn’t working” and I tell myself I’ll stick with it for at least 10 min, regardless. She’s never been able to ignore the toy for more than 7 min. Turns out is just take her awhile to get warmed up.

[janetwilliams]

I was confined to a wheelchair for nine months due to an injury. My favorite way to keep myself and the cats as fit as possible was to tie ribbons to the handles of the chair and roll around the house as fast as I could as the cats wildly chased me. So much fun for all of us!

[rhythmandblues_alibi]

My beloved girl is 18, partially blind and has kidney disease. She very rarely plays anymore, but when she occasionally tries to kill our feet or fingers under the covers, my partner and I get very excited. It is wonderful to see an old cat play 🥰

[sissyozzy]

Precious was 21. Loved play time. I never scheduled it. When she was ready I just played until she was ready to fall asleep in my arms. Sissy is 16. More problems. On medication. Arthritis. We always stayed busy. She helped in my garden by keeping neighbor dogs out of yard. Booping butterflies and birds. Bless her. She loved fetching things for me to throw. Now when I try to play, she looks at me like, “you go get it. Or WHY? I let her move at her own pace. We are both old. I’m 70. We spend a lot of time just cuddling and watching tv. She likes cartoons and Doctor Who.

[ladyorange]

I swear Jackson has our place bugged. Every time we run into a head scratcher, he makes a video about the very thing we talked about! Super excited for this video!

[judylee]

My kitty, Lobo, will be turning 15 years old this April. Besides playing with his pillows stuffed with catnip, he LOVES to play hide-and-seek with me daily.

[edna]

My boy-friend and me are going to adopt a cat. We went to a shelter with such a "fishing pole" toy and we ended up with the attention of every cat it that shelter room. Even an impaired cat came down from her hiding space to watch. I think everybody, who is visiting a shelter, should bring such a toy to engage especially with shy cats. 😃 It is such a nice way to interact without leaving an insecure cats' comfort zone. It's a positive first interaction and it's fun!

[thewannabegamer]

Playing with a cat is one of the most satisfying things. Especially if you’re interacting with a cat you’re not familiar with, it’s like a little puzzle to see what movements interests the cat. If you’re able to get them interested, it’s like you’re rewarding yourself. And if they’re super active, it can be really fun to see them run around for the toy. I absolutely love cats. ❤

[FireBlitz]

During my first time at a cat cafe, most of the cats would literally barely play. They weren't interested in someone just moving the cat wand or toy around. I found out later that moving whatever object in fast jitters with pauses was a really good technique to kept their attention! They want something resembling fast, unpredictive prey, and I feel like many fail to realize just how much patience and attention should go into their common style of playing. After getting a kitten a few months ago, I also came to learn that sometimes dragging the cat toy on the ground gets better reactions than waving it in air. Likely because it resembles a mouse closer that way

[mariag.]

Jackson, I became disabled a few years ago and everything in the lives of my 2 cats and me has changed — small home on one level, no daddy, and mom mostly has to sit. Please make a video on how disabled people can play with their cats. Any advice would be appreciated

[alexzmarkward]

Thanks so much for this video! We just got our first fur baby 2 days ago. She was immediately cuddly and curious, showing us signs she was comfortable and confident (based on your other videos!) But she would NOT interact playfully, only wanting to snuggle.

Today, I popped on a YouTube video of mice to see if it would get her Motor going and she immediately turned into a hint baby. After she got excited enough, I turned off the video and hid her toy under a dresser, popping it out like a curious mouse and she lost her mind! It was amazing to see her come alive so fast! I was so worried she was sad from moving in and I can’t believe how fast she’s made it home

[Xsksnssjccxghb]

Sometimes my cat stares into my eyes mid play almost as if he’s saying: can u try harder to be the mice/bird these moves are too predictable.

[kimbarbeaureads]

They just need the right toy. Just like people they have different interests. My cats both love wand toys, but Eli catches it and lets it go. Tiggie catches it and holds on for dear life. Same game but Different game

[sage]

Wow, I resonate with Bramble during social playtime on a deep metaphysical level haha.

[not_roadkill]

mr jackson, my cat likes to fall asleep to your videos, which is just another among the list of things i appreciate you for

[patch]

Me 2 months ago: "My cat won't play!!!" Me now, after playing every day: Woo! Finally getting some height and jumps with the wand, seeing hunting actions (wiggle butt and pouncing), kicking around random ball toys here and there. 🙌 Success!! Thank you for this video.

[Surferess]

Well, inspired by this video, I tried a new toy with my lazy cat, Daisy, a Peacock feather! She was very amused by that for almost 4 minutes! That's pretty much a record, Jackson. Thanks for encouraging me to try something different.

[dianaharris]

I'm glad you addressed the play with your cat. I think many humans think dogs you play with cats you don't. 👍😺

[nouranibrahim]

That what i'm instinctively do when i play with my cat even before watching this video ❤️ playing with them is MY therapy not just theirs 🥰

[victoriaward]

After only a few days of this with my cats they can’t get enough. First, I watched the boredom in cats video and realized they were bored. Then, I watched this video and decided to give it a go. The separation and 10 minutes of solo play has already made a hug difference in my wallflower. Today when we were done they refused to eat the treats because they didn’t want to stop playing and went for another 10 minutes! Thank you for the information. It’s super helpful! 😊