Ive recently moved house and now my cat seems bored. What can i do to keep him entertained?

October 28, 2008 6:14 AM

Around 4 weeks ago I moved house and took my cat with me. He seemed to take the move well he wasnt scared and settled in quite quickly. Ive installed a cat flap and for the past 2 weeks hes been using it if only to do business outside. I work 9 - 5 ish so the cat is on his own all day but when i come home the cat behaves very strangely. He will follow me round sometimes dashing back and forth trying to play sometimes just shadowing me and ocasionally meowing a bit. Im guessing hes bored and i have a feeling its because the area the new house is in only has 1 cat in the area. Im not sure. So im wondering what i could do to make him less bored. I was thinking maybee get another cat? or am i jumping the gun a bit is this normal behavour from a cat that has had to move? he does seem very happy
posted by toocan to Pets & Animals (10 answers total)

I don't know about normal behaviour for a cat that's just moved, but my cat does exactly the same thing as you describe. I figured it was just normal cat behaviour, full stop.

Say I'm in the kitchen doing something, my cat will kinda wait behind the kitchen door, then if I approach her, she'll bolt off up the stairs at a million miles an hour. We call it her Funny Five Minutes. I have two other cats as well, so I don't think it's loneliness or boredom.

You might want to check with your vet, but I personally wouldn't worry about it. Cats are independent and can fend for themselves... they don't need to be kept amused for hours on end, they can amuse themselves.
posted by afx237vi at 6:24 AM on October 28, 2008

Our cat does this when my wife or I get home. Generally he wants fed. Once we've been home a while he calms down. We live in development with about 15 odd cats around all day, so he's definitely not wanting for cat company.

Sounds to me like there's maybe a bit of anxiety at moving, but that he's also just glad to see you.
posted by Happy Dave at 6:29 AM on October 28, 2008

He will follow me round sometimes dashing back and forth trying to play sometimes just shadowing me and ocasionally meowing a bit.

Congratulations, you own a cat. This is perfectly normal. Does he leave you alone after you feed him? He's hungry. Does he wander off after you play with him awhile? He's lonely.

I highly recommend getting another cat; my psychotic weirdo cat turned into a halfway sane animal (well, for a cat) after we got him a kitten to play with. They snuggle with each other and basically ignore me most of the time.
posted by desjardins at 7:00 AM on October 28, 2008 [4 favorites]

I am not your cat, but as someone who loves cats and as someone who has moved a lot over the years, it sometimes takes up to a few months for cats to acclimate to their new environment.

But if you don't have a problem getting a second cat, why not get one? There is a cat at your local shelter that would love you for rescuing it!
posted by peewinkle at 7:00 AM on October 28, 2008

One of my cats is like this. He's been doing it for fifteen years now. It's not about food or company, since he has plenty of both.

He thinks he sees ghosts.

Are there ghosts in your new place? That might explain things.
posted by stubby phillips at 7:02 AM on October 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Do you have toys or anything he can play with during the day while you're gone? He's bored, wants to be played with and thus needs attention. Getting him a cat friend is not necessarily the end of your problems. I have two cats and one seems to need more attention than the other at any given time. Get a laser pointer and may a friend if you are willing.

I'd go the "he's hungry" route, but I am assuming that you feed your cat occasionally.
posted by wocka wocka wocka at 7:34 AM on October 28, 2008

Don't anthropomorphize your animal, he is just adjusting to a new environment, he sounds like he has plenty of space and room to explore and once he gets accustomed to that he will be his old self.
posted by BobbyDigital at 7:35 AM on October 28, 2008

Cats are extremely territorial, so I doubt he's lonely because there's "only" one cat in your immediate area. But if he seems to get along with other animals, why not get a second to keep him company?

Otherwise, it sounds like you have yourself a very typical cat: "CRAP! I had to be in the dining room TEN MINUTES AGO." (And much manic zooming ensues.)
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 9:20 AM on October 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

We have two cats and haven't moved recently and they both act like lunatics when we come home (and the rest of the time as well...). They want wet food, ice cubes, pats on the bottom, to lick our fingers, etc. etc. etc. Definitely normal.
posted by stefnet at 11:46 AM on October 28, 2008

Why would you depend on the cat population of your neighborhood to entertain him? He wants to play with you since you've been gone all day. So play with him. Unless you already spend a good amount of time playing with him each day, don't just throw another cat at the problem.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:46 PM on October 28, 2008