Cat Toy Tips

Im not convinced that our cats are like any other cats in the world, but with the holidays coming up, I thought Id share with you some of the toys our cats have delighted in. You might want to invest in these and see how yours like them. One thing I have found is that every cat has different specifics even if they tend to cluster along common veins. Heres my list:

1.) Toilet bowl box. This appears to be a favorite with all of them. I had to replace our toilet, and knew better than to immediately get rid of the box. I just reclosed one end and waited to see what happened. Powder Puff took to it first, and spent the entire evening fighting with it, in it, around it etc and brought other items to play with it as well. Next it was used by all to hide in to get away or to lure and launch attacks from. This morning Lucky almost woke Mary Ann up from the racket he was making with the box.

2) a pea. Perhaps not the toy you might think of immediately. I accidently discovered this one when I decided to see if Lucky (our one cat who reliably wants any of our food) would like to eat one of these. Being somewhat on the immature side myself, I couldn't resist trying. I rolled the pea to him, and he took one sniff of it then batted it off the table and was after it. At this point I began to regret the whole thing. I could tell you about it, but to save time suffice it to say that I never saw the pea again. The downside to this type of toy is the fact that you are essentially hiding garbage around your house. Think about this before you try it.

3) Laser light. They never seem to tire of this one. Its the never to be caught bug, and even after Marley knew it would appear when we picked up the laser light, and he looks to us when the click sound is made as we turn it off, he still can't resist it. My advice - don't point it in their eyes, and keep it just out of their reach. I suspect that you will get tired of it long before they do.

4) a plastic Starbucks cup top swizel stick. I have no idea what attracts them to this, but they love to play with it in the inside door mat. Maybe the way it makes noise, maybe the way it slides or maybe they are just part of the Starbucks craze.

5) a straw (the ones that can be bent seem to be best). Light, easy to carry and somewhat unpredictable when you drop or sling them, these can be a lot of fun. They are even nicely chewy.

7) Shoe laces Only one of our cats is facinated with laces, particularly the tips, so you wil just have to see what yours think on this one.

8) Shoes. Cats seem to love shoes - they can chew on them, get inside them, pounce on them, put things in them to try and get, and even drag them around. Personally I don't really get it. I will tell you that its no where near as fun to watch when you need that shoe.

9) Insects, reptiles and small mammals. To cats these are the most important things, and often very challenging. I would suggest you at all costs avoid allowing these as toys. You do need to remember though that cats have a deep seated need to catch anything they can, and will often bring their prize to you when successful. If the victim was in the house, you can be glad it was discovered even if you might want another method of getting rid of it. If it was outside, I suggest you not let the cat in the house with it. When ours bring some poor soul to our door, we tell them what a great job they did, but that they cant bring it in the house. Ususally this means they drop it and it scampers away which in my mind makes everyone win.

10) things to push off high places. Well, this isnt really a toy you can get them, but you should recognize that when you leave anything on a high place, its potential for a toy is greatly magnified. And cats seem to enjoy the effects of gravity on them.

11) Throw rugs or light door mats. These cat toys provide tremendous entertainment and can also serve a function. They are a place you can let your cat scratch, and unlike any other thing you approve for your cat to scratch on, it fights back by bending and folding towards them which is of course a big "fight me" signal to the cat. Often they can be on, under or around these (and sometimes all at the same time) while play fighting. They can also be great places to play with other objects when the other objects try to hide (or are placed) under the mat. One sure fire distraction for a cat is to put a toy just under the edge and watch them go for it. The downside to this toy is that it is mostly left in an unkempt position, and may represent a tripping hazard to everyone else.

12) Plastic Bottle screw on caps. One of the biggest advantages of this toy is its ease of portability as well as its ability to slide on hard floors like a air hockey puck. So, say you have an empty toilet bowl box lying in the middle of your living room floor, and your cat tires of batting and chasing the bottle cap all over your tile floor in the other room. She can quickly and easily pick it up in her mouth and carry it to the box, and there it becomes a brand new toy that hides in and around the box as the cat jumps, spins and snakes a paw around the box parts.

13) Playing with your cat. One way to ensure quality one on one play time with your cat is to have them participate in the ritual of changing the sheets on your bed. This can be wildly entertaining for you both although your entertainment may only last a few minutes...

There are lots more of ideas out there, and they dont have to cost you an arm or a leg. One suggestion - watch out for cats falling asleep under the bedcovers after their playtime...