#be engaged

Does your cat never want to play? Do they ignore you when you use a toy and try to play with them? You made sure they've see the toy, but they don't really care, do they? Typical cats.

Does your cat suddenly start bathing when you are trying to play with them? Wow, why do you even try right? Cats.

Does your cat just lay there and half heartily bats at the string before rolling over? Laaazy!

Or what about the time your tried to play with them and they just turn their backs to you and the toys? Or won't ever use all those toys on their own? Cats really don't care much, do they?

Chances are your cat isn't as lazy as you might believe.

Mmm, my cat is pretty lazy. 

But what if they're not? What if they have just learned that you'll stop playing with them as soon as they show interest?

Uuuh, I think I know my cat. They are definitely a lazy butt. Those things you said at the top describe my cat.

If your cat does anything listed above, I may yet be able to give you some insight. Here are 3 quick points.

1. If your cat hasn't left the room while you are trying to play, they are probably somewhat interested. They may be trying to determine if you are serious about playtime. Their body language gives tells that they are interested, even when it appears they are not -  watch for ears twitching, head turning slightly towards toys movements and pupils shifting.

2. Did you know that bathing while playing is actually a sign of becoming engaged? It means their imagination is becoming active and they are seeing the toy as a prey. Bathing is both meant to disarm the prey from being threatened and to ensure that when it's time to hunt, there isn't anything cumbersome embedded in their fur.

3. Your cat may have started off by batting at the toy you are dangling, but pretty soon into that they kind of just stop. They may lay there, or turn their backs. This means YOU need to try harder. It's not very exciting hitting something dangling above you over and over and over and over and over....get the idea? Your cat is a hunter by instinct. They may be the worst hunter you've ever seen, but when it comes to playtime, those instincts are activated. Engage them. Be creative. 20 minutes a day to play is the minimum to keep your cat healthy, body and mind. You spend that long in the fridge deciding on what you want. And you are training your cat to prefer doing nothing every time you give up trying to engage them!

A way to remember how to understand what on earth your lazy cat is doing is Cats are more like human than dogs are.

Now is the time to re-think how we relate to nature and pollinators and take action to support them and the livelihoods they support.

We depend on bees and other pollinators for our existence. They play a vital role in agriculture and global ecosystems by maintaining our food supply and contributing to biodiversity and other ecosystem services. The vast majority of pollinators are wild, including over 20 000 species of bees and many types of butterflies, birds, bats and other insects. However, in many areas, bees, pollinators, and many other insects are declining in abundance and diversity. Most of these drivers are human-induced.