Play behaviour in senior cats declines with age and health changes; adapting play to seniors' changing capacity maintains welfare benefits while accommodating reduced mobility and energy.
Senior cat play welfare is an often-overlooked dimension of geriatric care. The assumption that old cats simply do not want to play may mask pain or illness that reduces motivation. Adapting play to a senior cat's physical capacity — using toys that move slowly, allowing play while lying down, using low-intensity activities that engage without demanding significant locomotion — maintains the welfare benefits of play engagement throughout older life. Restoration of play after pain management indicates both that the cat wanted to play and that pain was preventing it.