After a long day of eating and snoozing, Hilbert can't be bothered to actually get up on his feet and chase around a toy on a string. Last night he wouldn't even go so far as to roll over. But if you wave it right in front of him he will deign to wave his paws at it.
He is not always this lazy. But sometimes he is.
Hey, Hilbert has earned his life of ease - playing with humans is Charlie's job now!
Heh. My kittens are still so young, you can get them to come to you by rolling a toy across the floor. Even when they're "hiding" under the bed!
Note that this liveliness also comes with the inevitable path of destruction.
It’s at times like this when Da Big H comes upon the revelation that the toy actually exists for *your* amusement, not his. Hence, the subdued reaction.
“Wave it in front of your own face, willya? I’m busy contemplating how that cat in a box is able to be alive and dead at the same time. I think it’s something like how I’m able to be both full and starving at the same time. … Leave me alone so I can contemplate this some more.”
The best time to play with a cat is when they are already wide awake and restless.
My vet told me a healthy older cat can sleep up to 16 hours daily. My older cat, well, my cat, the princess, wouldn't put up with an interloper; is a case in point.