Playing, finally

Taken from: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cat-Pet-Sisal-Rope-Woven-Ball-Teaser-Play-Chewing-Rattle-Scratch-Catch-Toy-7M1T/32751411632.html

So, I was really worried about Gus, because he hadn't really played like a kitten should --I shouldn't have worried.  Whether it was the big life change, getting shots, or being sort of run down, he's over it now. 

Last night, he played so hard, I thought he'd crash in place like he usually does.  He didn't.  he kept going and going like the Energizer bunny. He played until 10:30 when I ran out of steam.

It started with his meowing.  We couldn't figure out what he wanted. We haven't learned his language yet, although we are getting there.  We do know the meow that sounds like an engine that can't quite turnover means he's hungry, and he has a meow that means he's mad that he can't get in a door.  But that's it.

So he was meowing whatever last night and we didn't know what he wanted.  Finally, since he looked bored, I said, "I think he's bored." We started to play with him. He is finally not afraid of strings on sticks so I did that for awhile (I had to wait for my hamburger to thaw on low in the frying pan).

sneaking up on it

Then I cooked, and he was bored.  After we ate, we rolled jingle balls down the hall, because he loves to chase them.  Usually, he just runs down the hall and then waits for the next ball, because he hadn't figured out how to coordinate his paws to bat the balls around when they are rolling at speed. 

He finally figured it out.  He'd run down the hall, bat once or twice, and do these huge athletic, four-footed pounces that were at least two feet off the ground.  We laughed super hard because he isn't that coordinated at it yet. He can't quite get his huge paws and growing legs working in all the right directions at the same time so he tends to bounce off of things.  For example, we have a large couch that has two recliners built in.  One of them is on the end closest to the hallway and the kitchen. Gus came barreling down on a jingle-ball, pounced, and over did it.  He pounced up to the top of the recliner, bounced off of it and spilled at the bottom. 

Who's afraid of the stick and string?

Chad was in the recliner.  He said, "What was that?"
"Gus, just pounced and missed." 
"That was Gus?"
"Yes."
"He moved the whole chair."
"Yep, he's ten pounds of crazy."