How do you keep a shy cat engaged without catnip toys?

When I adopted Misty, she was painfully shy and spent most of her time under the couch. Catnip toys didn’t tempt her at all. One evening, I gently rolled a soft, fuzzy ball near her hiding spot. She peeked out, cautiously tapped it, then retreated. I kept at it every night, rolling the ball a little closer. Slowly, Misty grew braver. Eventually, she began batting it around the room. That toy became her first step toward trust. It wasn’t the catnip that brought her out of her shell—it was the simple joy of a safe toy that moved at her pace. Watching her blossom into a playful, confident cat melted my heart.