Kitten is not playful.

Question
Hello,

I have 2 months old Persian kitten. I feel she is not playfull. She is not playing untill I seat with her and play with her otherwise she will just seat or sleep. Is she happy here? She likes to chase wire and cloth string. How can I make her to play alone by her own?

Thanks,
Hemali

Answer
Hi Hemali.  Persians are not among the most active breeds, and many of them need to be encouraged to play.  There are kittens of all breeds who are not very playful unless they have a companion to play with.  I think her behavior is probably normal if she is interested in playing with string, etc., but you may be able to encourage her to play on her own by providing her with certain toys.  I'm not sure what's available where you are, but most kittens enjoy playing with a laser toy called the FroliCat BOLT.  My cats also love a toy called the Fling-Ama-String.  And catnip treated toys are a favorite.  A substance in catnip, called nepetalactone, causes the cat to become very excitable and playful.  There are toy pillows and toy mice that have catnip inside them that encourage kittens to play on their own.  However, catnip is not effective on most kittens until they reach 3-4 months old, so you will probably have to wait a little while before these are much good for her.  Finally, the absolute best thing that I can recommend for a kitten is another kitten!  Cats who live with other cats are healthier physically, emotionally, mentally and behaviorally.  They are shown to be less obese because they are more active, they have fewer anxiety problems than single cats, one study showed their brains were heavier due to constant mental stimulation, and they are less likely to knock things over or get into things they're not supposed to out of boredom.  These are all great reasons to keep kittens in a pair!  You wouldn't have to get another Persian, it could be a mixed kitten or a kitten of another breed.  I would probably avoid going with a breed that is very active, however, like a Siamese, because these can be overwhelming to the calm Persian.

Best of luck!

Jessica