A non-playful cat

[Lydia Leftcoast]

As some of you may know, I have just acquired a cat because my cousin had to give up one of hers, due to a mean landlord.

The cat, a 5-year-old male named Kidley, is settling in after a few nights of steadily diminishing meowing, and I'm gradually transitioning him to higher-quality food. He is affectionate, likes to follow me around, and is willing to sit on my lap. He is spending more and more time on my bed each night.

I've bought him some toys, but so far, the only one he has really taken to is the catnip pouch. He seems not to know how to bat a ball around or to play with string. He LOVES that catnip pouch, though. I've never had full custody of a cat, but I've spent a great deal of time living in households with other people's cats, and they all enjoyed batting stuff around

He has spent most of his life with my cousin, who is very overweight and sedentary, so it's possible that he has never learned the normal cat routines.

So my question is, is his lack of interest in playing conventional cat games a function of still feeling uneasy here or is it something that a cat has to learn as a kitten? Or do some cats just not act like other cats?