I think my cat is bored with life...?

At nine years old, your cat is middle aged. A healthy middle aged cat should still be playful, still be interested in her surroundings, and have a good appetite. If she has recently developed the lethargy, please consult with your veterinarian, as there could be an underlying physical problem - remember that cats hide pain, and can't tell us what hurts. So it is imperative to observe for changes in activity level, appetite, litterbox habits, sleep habits, grooming and appearance, and mood. These subtle signs can often indicate vital health issues are amiss.

One possible physical problem that your vet might not address, is the quality of the food this cat gets. It may be time to find a higher quality food to give her more health and energy. Read the ingredients labels of the foods you currently feed her. Are the first few ingredients specific muscle meats? Are there any sources of starch lower down on the list? These are positive signs of high quality food. On the other hand, are there by-products or meat meals rather than actual meats? Is corn or wheat present? If so, this is a sign of a lower quality food. Are you feeding your cat dry food? If so, she is likely to be chronically dehydrated and this will affect her energy level, so please consider adding a higher quality canned food to her diet. Brands such as Wellness, Innova, Natural Balance, Felidae, and Eagle Pack are what I feed my cats, and the 11 yr old still chases his tail like a kitten - on top of an 8 in. wide ledge, no less. You may hesitate to spend so much more on pet food, but I have found that the higher quality food is more nutritionally dense, and so more satisfying - so my cats eat smaller portions, making the food last longer. Plus, just like with humans, the better they eat, the fewer the health problems. So in the long run, you save money at the vet's.

Once you have eliminated possible physical causes for this, then it is time to make some changes to enrich your cat's environment. Yeah I know, s/he's already got a million toys, right? Try putting away all but a few, and then rotating them every few days so they seem fresh and new. And don't forget to give some things to hide in and climb on, like a nice climb-able cat tree (I recommend the kind wrapped in sisal rope over the carpeted style), a paper grocery bag, or a cardboard box. If money is short, you can make a tree yourself - my boyfriend made one out of scrap lumber, 6in diameter pvc pipe, and some sisal rope; I'm not that handy, but I have made some kitty fun houses by gluing strong cardboard boxes together and cutting holes in between them so the cats could climb around, attached some burlap to one side for something to scratch at, and put a few toys inside. Give a couple of different bags or boxes at a time, so s/he can dart from one to the other. There are toys that are made to dangle from door knobs or from the top of the door. Catnip pads are great, too. Try one of those toys that drop treats as the cat plays with them. Consider changing how you feed kitty - instead of food always at one location, what about putting several small portions in different locations, for her to explore, hunt and find. Don't forget the value of birdwatching - if possible, put birdfeeders outside of your cat's favorite sitting-windows - instant CatTV. And don't worry too much if squirrels get to the birdseed - squirrels are fun to watch, too.

aww. She might not be bored with life, just getting old and settling down. When your 40ish years old, you won't want to run around and play a lot either. You sound like a really great owner, so I'm sure she's not bored with you!

If you want some ideas tho, maybe buy some of those remote controled cat toys? Or a laser? (my cat will run himself dizzy when we play with the laser). Buy a few catnip plants and put them in the windows. One toy my cats ADORE is that little hollow plastic ring/circle with a ball in the middle. (hope thats a good enough explanation lol). My parents cat (which is 8) goes nuts everytime they bring her over. Thats all she'll do! Just sit on the floor and bat the ball back and forth.

goodluck!

I actually felt that my cat was bored with his life, he's 3 and when he was 2 i was really seeing it. he's an indoor cat. We got him a cat tower and that cheered him up a bit, but my husband and I decided to get him another cat when he was going on three and it's cheered him up a lot. He always plays with her, he seems happier now he's not a lone he can relate to another cat now. If you can, think about getting another cat, one that will get a long with your cat, one that can be her companion.

She is approaching middle age and prefers to lie around rather than do childish thing like play.

You may have to encourage her to exercise by pulling her toys around in front of her.

lovely looking cat.

I don't have any advice... But I would like to say, that your cat is so f***ing cute!! :)