5 Signs Your Cat Needs More Playtime

There’s nothing coy about a dog: When your Lab wants to play, he’ll drop his tennis ball at your feet and shoot you a big, goofy grin.

But cats tend to play things a little cooler. Our feline friends can be harder to read, and are above (as in far, far above) begging for a feather toy. In other words, they’re no basic Bichons. “Dogs are more nuts and bolts, whereas cats appreciate the subtleties in life,” says cat behaviorist and author Carole Wilbourn. “If cats were humans, they’d be the artists and writers among us.”

Known as “The Cat Therapist,” Wilbourn co-founded the first feline-only veterinary practice in New York City in 1973, and has since traveled the world helping clients better understand their pets. Here, she translates our kitties’ cues for play.

He’s extra-needy

Is your cat meowing as you read this? Pawing at your leg? Draping himself across your laptop, perhaps? Some cats are upfront about their need for attention, and th