Within the heart of your pet kitty lives a regal jungle cat.
Cats are predators. They had to be before you came along to feed and care for them. That predator instinct is still there, and it needs to be acted upon sometimes. They do that through play.
That they are getting exercise when they play is a bonus.
Our job is to find toys they can stalk, chase, and play with.
Cat Toys to Avoid
- small objects that can be a choking hazard if swallowed
- toys with small objects attached to them that can be ripped off and swallowed (such as toy mice and stuffed animals with plastic eyes and noses)
- pointed objects and wires that can stab your cat in the eye
- automatic lights and lasers that could harm your cat’s eyes because you are not in control of where the light beam is pointing
- household items such as rubber bands, paper clips, dental floss, etc.
- paper grocery bags with handles (I recall an incident where one of our cats got its head stuck in the paper handle of a grocery bag, then panicked and began running around frantically trying to get the bag off. Our solution to this was to always cut the handles with scissors.)
With this long list it may seem that there is not much left to choose from, but let me offer a few examples that I believe to be safe and enjoyable for your cat. In each case I have had positive experience with the type of toy I mention, if not the specific one I refer to.
Examples of Fun Cat Toys
Toy Balls
Many cats seem to love to paw a small ball into motion, then run after it, then pick it up in its mouth and walk around with it, then repeat the process.
These balls will tend to disappear under furniture and cabinets, so you may as well plan on having replacements available. Your appliance technician will probably find several toy balls when the refrigerator is pulled away from the wall for repair. Ours sure did.
Toy balls should have two characteristics:
- be small enough to be carried in your cat’s mouth yet be too big to be swallowed
- be soft enough for your cat to bite into it so it can be carried around
Here is a product that fits this description:
- Chiwava 12 Pack 1.6 Inch Soft Foam Cat Toys Ball
- For more info visit the Chiwava company website
Catnip in a Sock
You will need a crew type sock which you can get from your sock drawer.
Put a small amount of catnip into the toe of the sock and tie a knot in the upper part of the sock.
Show the sock to your cat and drop the sock on the floor.
Stand back and watch. Observe what your cat’s reaction is.
According to an article on the Scientific American website:
- reaction to catnip is hereditary
- 20 to 30% of cats do not react to catnip
- kittens under 6 months do not react to catnip
- a cat will react to catnip for about 10 minutes
For more information about catnip, visit my blog post How Will Catnip Affect My Cat.
Your choice of catnip that does not contain sticks and stalks that could poke through the cloth of a sock will reduce any chance your kitty might get scratched while rolling over the sock. Here is a stalkless catnip your kitty might like:
- From the Field ALL-NATURAL FRESH STALKLESS KITTY SAFE CATNIP
- For more information visit the From the Field company website
Laser Pointer
As I mentioned earlier in this post, a cat’s play habits often mimic their predatory activity.
There are people who propose that this toy can be frustrating to a cat because it does not allow the play to be completed with a prey capture. The cat does not get to catch anything.
I won’t comment on the validity of this hypothesis, but I have played with cats using a laser pointer on numerous occasions. They always raced after it with a lot of energy, getting some significant exercise in the process. I never observed a negative reaction. And I had fun too.
If you do choose to use a laser pointer for cat play, you may want to take some precautions:
- Take special care to not point the laser at your cat’s eyes.
- Do not run the light dot on a counter or table or any elevated surface. Your cat could plunge off a high place and suffer an injury from the fall.
- Do run the light dot along the floor but not towards a wall or furniture. Your cat will be looking down and going full speed and might slam into whatever you run the pointer to. Your cat could be seriously injured, so keep the light dot in an open area.
- You might want to end the playtime by turning off the laser with the light dot on or near a play toy or a bowl of treats. In other words, let there be a reward for the chase.
Please review this information from a paper issued by Radiation Safety Services of Harvard University:
- Class 2 laser pointers that radiate a maximum of 1 milliWatt of power and project a red beam are generally considered safe but should still never be pointed at eyes.
- Laser pointers that project a green beam are more powerful and more likely to damage eyes.
- A laser pointer should turn off when you release the hold-down button.
- Don’t point the laser at a mirror or a shiny surface because the reflected beam can damage eyes.
I am neither speaking for nor against laser pointers. However, since you will likely encounter them in the marketplace, I thought this information would be of value to you.
A Cat Tree
I love cat trees. I think cats do too.
A cat tree offers several good things to your kitty:
- satisfies their wish to play
- satisfies their wish to scratch
- satisfies their wish to climb
- satisfies your wish that they not play and scratch and climb on the furniture
To learn all about cat trees, visit my blog post How to Choose a Cat Tree. In this blog post you will learn about the material in cat tree posts, and why I prefer cat trees with solid wood posts, like the cat tree shown here:
- New Cat Condos Multi-Level Cat Tower
- For more information visit the New Cat Condos company website
Cats Love to Play
{“Cats do not have to be shown how to have a good time, for they are unfailing ingenious in that respect.”
James Mason – actor}
Imagine your cat’s excitement when you show up with a new toy.
Play satisfies your cat’s ancient predatory instincts. For additional information about your kitty’s natural instincts, visit my blog post What Are Cat Natural Instincts.
And being able to play really does seem to make them happy. For more ways you can make your cat happy, visit my blog post How to Make Your Cat Happy