Skip to content

ENFP · ISTP cat types The Game Inventor and The Solo Player

They differ on 3 of 4 dimensions.

ENFPThe Game Inventor

Joins in · Tries new things · Stays close · Goes with the moment

You sit down and it arrives with a toy in its mouth. A new box or tunnel is better if you come and look too. Halfway through a game it may wander off to a sunny spot, then come back to rub against you. None of this happens on a schedule.

Read the type guide · ENFP

ISTPThe Solo Player

Prefers quiet · Likes the familiar · Keeps some space · Goes with the moment

It spends most of its time on its own and can bat an old toy around the familiar rug for ages. When you are in the room, it watches from a stool and rarely comes over. There is no set time for play or sleep.

Read the type guide · ISTP

Four dimensions, side by side

  • Social style

    Different
    ENFP
    Joins in
    ISTP
    Prefers quiet
  • New experiences

    Different
    ENFP
    Tries new things
    ISTP
    Likes the familiar
  • Closeness

    Different
    ENFP
    Stays close
    ISTP
    Keeps some space
  • Daily rhythm

    Same
    ENFP
    Goes with the moment
    ISTP
    Goes with the moment

Where their days may overlap

On these dimensions the two type descriptions lean the same way. Similar habits can mean easy company, and also wanting the same spot at the same time.

Daily rhythm

The Game Inventor · An unplanned nap in the sun
ENFP · Goes with the moment An unplanned nap in the sun

Mid-game it flops down in a patch of sun on the rug, the ball still within reach.

The Solo Player · A nap between games
ISTP · Goes with the moment A nap between games

Between games it stretches out on the floor cushion and sleeps, the tunnel still set up behind it.

Play may start at any hour, and one cat’s burst of energy may land in the middle of the other’s nap. Keep food, water, litter and resting places steady even when the day is not, and set up a nap spot away from where they play.

Where each may want its own space

On these dimensions the descriptions lean in opposite directions. A difference is not a problem; it shows where each cat may need a choice of its own.

Social style

The Game Inventor · A new box, and you
ENFP · Joins in A new box, and you

A new box is more fun with company, so it checks that you are standing right there before looking in.

The Solo Player · A quiet lap of the room
ISTP · Prefers quiet A quiet lap of the room

It makes a quiet lap of the empty living room and stops to inspect a patch of sun on the floor.

Their days may cross only now and then, and that is fine. Keep a resting place the quieter cat can reach without passing through the busy part of the home, and let the more social one come to you for company.

New experiences

The Game Inventor · Off through the tunnel
ENFP · Tries new things Off through the tunnel

It bats the ball out of the new tunnel and goes after it, the next round already in mind.

The Solo Player · A solo game on the rug
ISTP · Likes the familiar A solo game on the rug

It crouches on the rug and bats the same old ball back and forth, with nobody watching.

A new toy may interest only one of them. Bring new things in without taking the old ones away, and let the more cautious cat watch from a distance for as long as it likes.

Closeness

The Game Inventor · A quick hello at your side
ENFP · Stays close A quick hello at your side

It runs up to push its cheek into your open hand, and comes back for more a moment later.

The Solo Player · Watching from the stool
ISTP · Keeps some space Watching from the stool

It sits on the stool by the sofa while you rest, looking out over the room, a comfortable gap in between.

Closeness that one cat offers, the other may not want. Watch whether the cat being approached stays, moves away or turns its head, and make sure it always has a way out.

Introducing two cats

These steps are the same for any two cats, whatever their types. Go at the pace of the less comfortable cat.

  1. Give the newcomer a separate room with its own food, water, litter, hiding place and bed.
  2. When both cats are relaxed, swap bedding or other items that carry their scent.
  3. Let them see each other briefly through a secure barrier, then move on to short, supervised meetings.
  4. If either cat tenses up, go back a step and give them time apart.
Read the step-by-step introduction guide

More pairings

This compares type descriptions for fun. How two cats actually get along depends on each cat and their home. How it works