I Thought My Cats Would Have a Ball

I’ve seen Cat Balls on other blogger’s sites, with happy kitties snuggled contentedly inside. Imagine a beach ball made from soft washable cloth, with a large hole on one end and a smaller one on the other. Perfect for cats who love to hide in boxes and under beds. Exactly the kind of thing that cats who enjoy running through tunnels would instantly love.

Besides, there was one on the website made of fabric that matched my family room.

So I bought it. Last August.

It came folded up and tied with a matching fabric strip. The more curious inhabitants of my house came to investigate.

Lilah and Calvin investigate the Cat Ball

Lilah and Calvin scrutinize the mysterious object.

While Elsa Clair watched from on high, Calvin decided the Cat Ball required close inspection.

Calvin looks through the Cat Ball

Looks kind of like a short cat tunnel.

Athena, the Official New Item Inspector came by to give the new item the requisite once over.

Calvin tests out the Cat Ball while Athena watches

Calvin enters through the smaller hole, while Athena judges him.

Calvin walked in and out a few times. He seemed to pronounce it acceptable.

Calvin really seems to like the Cat Ball

This is pretty neat.

And that was it.

After those first few moments, the Cat Ball remained unoccupied. Elsa Clair sniffed it a few times. Athena ignored it. Calvin forgot about it. Dawn refused to acknowledge it’s existence.

Weeks went by. The Cat Ball remained vacant.

Months passed. The ball seemed forsaken and deflated.

I thought maybe it didn’t smell right, so I washed it. The absence of cat in the Cat Ball continued.

I put it on the floor. Still empty.

On the couch. Sometimes Athena would lay near it.

On the Bird Watching Bench. Calvin walked around it

I flattened it, thinking Athena Who Sleeps On Everything would claim it. Nope.

I moved it into my office where three quarters of the cats tend to hang out when I’m home. The Cat Ball remained uninhabited.

During the winter, I noticed Elsa Clair warming herself by the heating vent in my bedroom. I moved the ball in front of it, angling it so the heat would flow inside. Once or twice I saw Elsa Clair within, but only briefly. I could never be sure she actually slept in it.

Like a rolling stone, the Cat Ball gathered no moss, as I moved it from place to place within my home, hoping my investment in cat comfort would eventually pay off.

Then, one night a few weeks ago (and nearly a year after I bought it), I set the Cat Ball down next to a cat bed — a cat bed that had , over the course of two years, been in and out of favor with our kitties for no discernable reasons. The bed had also become somewhat of a vagabond, as I moved it around when it became unfashionable, hoping to attract some interest. Apparently a cardboard box,  a lumpy keyboard, the New York Times and my backpack are all much more appealing than a soft furry bed designed specifically for cats.

The next morning, I found Elsa Clair inside the ball. Asleep with a feline grin on her furry little face.

She’s been there nearly every night since. In the Cat Ball, next to an unoccupied cat bed.

Elsa Clair relaxing in Cat Ball

I like this bed…today. I can’t predict how I’ll feel about it tomorrow.

Even Calvin finds the Cat Ball acceptable now.

Calvin enjoys the Cat Ball

If Elsa Clair likes it, I like it too. Because.

Cats. I don’t understand ’em. I just live with ’em.

And love ’em.

Do your pets have favorite beds, or ones you can tell they don’t like?

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34 Comments on "I Thought My Cats Would Have a Ball"

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  1. I wish we could get into their minds and understand what they are thinking! M pets seem to love all their beds, so that is good. But they do sort of “rotate” which is the favourite today.

  2. Ellen Pilch says:

    That is funny- I am glad someone finally found it acceptable 🙂

  3. MOL! We do the same thing. We have a hammick that when we first got it, we wouldn’t touch it. 2 years later, it’s now one of my favorite napping spots. We like to keep the humans guessing. FYI, we got a Cat Ball and we do use it…occasionally. Maybe 2 years from now, I’ll be in it all the time! ~Wally

  4. easy rider says:

    that’s th reason why we love our feline friends so much…they always have a surprise for us :lo)

  5. Elaine says:

    That’s so funny, all your hard work of washing it and moving it around worked! I don’t think I’ll ever understand cats either, but it’s fun trying.

  6. jan says:

    I bought a cat climby thing a year ago and got no interest at all. We use it to hang jackets on. I guess being inscrutable is being a cat.

  7. Connie says:

    now this made me laugh with recognition.. I’ve had that happen too with different things.. what is awesome today won’t be awesome again for a while.. so odd for cats who thrive on routine..

  8. I guess everything has it’s moment in time. Even a cat ball

  9. Earl Lover says:

    My dogs are also the same with new things. So strange sometime, but, I guess us humans can be the same at times. A new item of clothing has to bed in, until it feels comfy and like it belongs on us. My dogs take time getting used to new beds fully, but soon they come to accept them. Same as this, they can become bored of something and want something new in no time!! Somewhat strange, but on the other hand, almost hilarious.

    sumskersandearlskers13.blogspot.com

  10. da tabbies o trout towne says:

    guys…noe matter WHAT……knot even for fill aye oh steak…due KNOT get bak in de bed fora few…just ta throw yur mom fora loop !!! ♥♥♥

  11. Emma says:

    It is the same way at our house. Some things the cats have no interest in, but if they lie around long enough, all of the sudden they are the favorite thing around!

  12. Typical cat logic MOL ! We won a Cat Ball in a giveaway and we love it… since Mum found THE place for it after a few weeks moving it from place to place like you ! Purrs

  13. Cats are weird! Mr. N has a dog bed but he much prefers sleeping on piles of laundry.

  14. MyDogLikes says:

    The person who figures out cat reasoning will be a millionaire! So silly that they wouldn’t go in, on or near! Clearly a pile of papers, extension cords, cardboard,etc would be more comfortable!

  15. Cathy Armato says:

    I’m glad they finally took a liking to the cat ball, it’s so pretty! Pets just get to things when they get to things, you can’t rush them. My dogs are picky-oon about their beds too, we can never figure it out!
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

  16. I think even Pierre would LOVE to sleep in there! How fun!

  17. I’m the designer of the Cat Ball® cat bed, and I was pretty much biting my fingernails as the story progressed, continuing to worry that the phrase I’ve got a registered trademark for, “Your cat will figure it out®”, might not always be correct. But now Elsa Clair and Calvin are my new favorite models, and at least THOSE cats were able to figure it out!

    One of the common things I hear from customers is that their cats fight over the Cat Ball® cat bed. They are very territorial animals, and the bed is a resource, so the behavior isn’t a surprise. I’m wondering if you will see a change in your group now. Will the other cats start to show an interest in the Cat Ball? Will they start to bicker over it? Will it matter where the bed is placed now, or can you put it anywhere?

    • The cats did figure it out. In fact, Elsa Clair is in it right now as I type. I think with her scent all over it, the Cat Ball will become hers. Calvin will usurp it whenever he can. Even though he outweighs his sister by about 2 pounds, he knows better than to mess with her. She rules. The bed is hers. 😀

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