He will be shy at first, but soon enough he should warm up to you for some pets and cuddles - especially if you sit on the floor at his level. He likes cheek scratches and will pet himself by rubbing his cheek on your hand if you just hold it still in front of him. He also like strokes along the head and back. Under no circumstances touch his butt, tail, or stomach - his claws may come out if you do.
If you see him strutting about with his tail up or zooming, he probably will be down for some laser-hunting. Try to get 2-3 minutes in, and sometimes he’ll take a break and resume after a bit.
All his toys are on the desk near the window in the living room
2024 spring: Current fad is turning the back of one of the mesh chairs into a medieval torture chamber -
Hang out near a chair leaving it available for him to jump up
Once he jumps up, get behind the backrest
Run a thin straight object like a pen or the laser pointer (off) along the mesh
He will strike with deadly force, pull away and start from a different spot!
If you are willing to play on Ironman (more like iron maiden) mode for extra adrenaline, you can use your fingertips (carefully! on alert!). He will not hold back, but his accuracy is questionable.
2023 summer: Another current fad is the springy black hair tie. Just toss it on the ground or flick it with your fingers near him and he may treat it like a bug.
Ol’ reliable laser: If he is hunting it, he will pounce/chase after the laser sits on a single spot for ~20 seconds, a bit far from him, near a corner it can "escape" around. If he flops down and just watches it, he may be taking a break.
“420-squirrely”: the brown squirrel toy is stuffed with (slightly old) catnip. He may still go crazy for it if you get him to sniff it. Be careful though, once he smells it he will snatch it with claws out. Don’t try to take it away from him until he’s a good 2 feet away from it.
He enjoys the wire-toy for a minute or so.
If you get him by the grey fabric ottoman, you can slide the white stick along the side of the ottoman like a snake and he likes to go attack it when it enters his field of view.
If he’s been napping all day especially, expect him to get the zoomies late at night - typically around 2AM, he’ll go galloping up and down the hallway. Don’t be alarmed! But also there’s nothing to do about it...
When you leave the house, leave the window blinds open (we leave them open), he often entertains himself by looking outside or napping by the windows.
He may scratch at the front door and yowl if he’s feeling cooped up. You can ignore him, or try to distract him with cuddles and pets. We sometimes would take him out exploring in the hallways, but we do not recommend this.
Note: He does like to run out sometimes when the front door is open, so avoid leaving the door open more than necessary. He will come back eventually, but just make sure you keep an eye on him whenever you use the door.
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