Cat Toy Examples

[Atwater Vitki]

Below are a few examples of things we've made for our "kids" from cheapie store buys. Use at your own risk (of stomach ache from laughter) and make sure you make them safe!

"Disk Toss and Chase" - Items needed: "float"

Cut (a serrated bread knife works great) several ¾" to 1" slices off "float". Roll like you would a bowling ball on tile or carpet and watch kitty chase until they drop.

"Wrestle Buddy" - Items needed: "float" and an old pair of socks

Cut a length, to about the size of kitten, cover in a pair of socks (one each direction) and hand play with kitten to get their scent on it. Once a few minutes of play time, they will drag it out of their toy box on their own. A favorite of "Turbo's". If socks are too loose on "float", wrap in hand towel or another pair of socks before putting on outside sock...whatever makes it tight or it will be pulled apart! You can aslo use a "tie-wrap" to secure the open end of outside sock, but could cause injury to kitten if hit in eye so not recommended.

"Hanging String Bouncer" - Items needed: "float", string, 5-6 heavy duty rubber bands, 36" spring rod

Cut a length of "float" about 6-8" long, can be covered in sock, but not necessary, and secure it at one end of 4-5 feet of string by passing string through center of "float" and tying a rubber ball or cat nip mouse so float doesn't come off. At other end of string tie five or six rubber bands (we use the ones off broccoli bunches) by looping them together.

Loop last rubber band around spring rod and twist spring rod to length needed for door jamb (make sure it's really tight!!) We also put one of those removable "pull glue" picture hangers under rod on door jamb (one each side) to make sure it doesn't come down when tugged on.

Use caution and make your toys safe for your pet, I assume no responsibility, liability or warranty for your workmanship.

[Tsukino_Rei]

Thank you for the designs!

I made an uber scratching post out of carpet rolls I rescued from a local carpet store. The manager was happy to give them to me, and even gave me a scrap of carpet that was going in their bin.

I cut the carpet roll into three pieces. Two about the height of a door frame, and one about knee high. I wrapped them in two different types of string, and some slender blue rope. I also cut the legs off of two old pairs of trousers. One tweed, and one jean. And I cut up an old wicker shopping bag. I used all of these to vary the surface of the tubes.

Next I obtained two pieces of thin scrap ply wood from the local DIY shop. These I covered in the scrap carpet. One I put on the bottom as the base, the other I used as a shelf.

I bought some simple metal shelf supports, taped them to the poles, and attached them to the base, again using tape. I used more scrap wood, narrow bars, with tape and string, to create a frame, to stabilize the poles and create a place for the shelf to rest on.

I glued on the shelf.

Included on the frame was a bar stretching between the two tall poles, from that I dangled one of those multi-layered toy/laundry nets that are designed to hang in a closet and has lots of compartments. I trimmed off all but the top two compartments and cut a hole between them to make them one net tube. I attached a dangling toy to the inside, and put crinkly paper in the base.

Also dangling from one pole is a squeeky mouse toy, and from the other is a shoelace with a bell.

Happy Kitty. =o)

[Youch]

Funny post and topic.

My Bengal seems to like toilet paper and laser pointers.......

[BrDevon]

When my now-departed best fuzzy friend was young, I was working at my first nursing home gig. They were redecorating two wings of the building, and to the joy of my pal, that meant lots of odd-shaped small scraps of commercial carpeting. Bright colors!, Low nap to scratch on but not catch claws! Kitty Bliss! Little scraps were small enough to carry around from place to place, but were large enough and intact so no fears of swallowing. They also made great batting toys, some body-sized ones became nap mats. I let him use his imagination and play with his toys the way he chose. It was fun for both of us, because it showed me his imagination and how he liked to play. We had a lot of fun with various smaller pieces, batting them across the kitchen floor. I wish I had a video of the joy in his eyes, the one time I turned a larger carpet remnant nap side down on the kitchen floor, let him sit on the back and then slowly gave him a ride, bending down and slowly and scooting the carpet across the laminate floor. He was like any other kid on a sled, minus the snow. I swear he was giggling after the rides.

He also, like most cats, liked to hide from time to time and to explore, so I used to bring home the boxes that the vinyl exam gloves were cased in. Just the right size for a cat. Good for napping, playing, and from time to time, there might be a little surprise inside (like a toy or a treat) just to stimulate interest.

I used to love coming home from that job and seeing him dance at the door like a child. You could see the look in his eyes: "did you bring me a present?" And after a long day at the office, I loved coming home to play with my kid. He could always count on me for a game of kitty soccer or whatever caught his fancy.

One item that seems to make a good batting toy for smaller cats is the plastic pull strip that holds the plastic cap on a quart or larger plastic milk container. You know the strip that you peel so you can take the cap off? One day I opened a container of milk, accidentally dropped the pull strip, and for the next few hours, we had the latest and greatest in batting toys. He was so fond of these, I often found them in his bed or napping areas where he would carry them and keep them near.

My former roommate and I actually kept a small box that our guys learned to keep their toys in. Of course, they would sometimes take a toy or two to bed, or leave a couple out for later, but they always knew if they couldn't find a toy, it was in the toybox. Pretty soon, they learned to put their own toys away.

I had great furry kids. I wish I lived in a situation that was conducive to having them again, but my living quarters are too small, with not enough fresh air and sunlight for a little one, and the safety issues of living as I do so not make it a good environment for a small one. Their safety is much more important than my selfish wants, and to have a little one living here would be selfish and destructive indeed.

[Tsukino_Rei]

There's nothing quite like kitty glee!

The empty bathtub has become his personal slip and slide, and I know that somewhere in our apartment there is a box of styrofoam bubbles because every now and then he shows up with a new one and he beats it around until it's pulverized, then he shows up with another one!

[Atwater Vitki]

Nearly every gallon of milk we open we keep the "rings" as most get lost or I find them in the vacuum each week...NO! I'm NOT digging through the yuck to retrieve a silly plastic ring....but those are indeed one of the best cat toys available. We keep the cache in an old catnip container to boot.

There is a slight danger that your kitty will like to chew on or "eat them" as our Jojo does unless we catch him, but one can not be on guard 24/7. However, in some 25 years of using these as cat toys, I have NEVER had an incident with any of the numerous, numerous kitties I've let enjoy these free toys on every plastic jug of milk! I've found the "evidence" of eating them in the litter box but two vets have found no reason to discontinue use as the plastic is oft and will not cause harm to intestines.

Remember 75% of your kitty's acute senses are related to smell. They love shopping bags, shipping boxes and whatever comes from outside the home as it gives them a peek-a-boo look into the rest of the world. We have one 12"x12"x30" box that came from relatives in Sweden over 2 years ago that they still will not give up, though we've put it out by the garbage several times. "Her Be", our littlest one has been caught twice trying to drag it back in...too cute to watch.

It's so cool to hear about your well behaved ones Br. Devon and their toy box. Ours have one as well of which they are pros at getting things OUT OF...but alas, no matter what the incentive they refuse to put things back...well except for the occasional "Ooops!" when they are playing. Keeping your kitties active and spry is a sure fire way of keeping them young, healthy and active well into their teens. Our "Moki", now 12, is still the king...he runs the kids, "Her Be" and "Jojo" (1½ yrs) into the ground. They are tuckered out and sprawled on the kitchen floor while he's still racing around with that "PLAY with me!" look and spunk.

Many Blisses,

Edited August 18, 2012 by Atwater Vitki

[BrDevon]

Having worked at a veterinary hospital, I can tell you unless the little one is "flossing" with them or snacking on them, the occasional milk "ring" is usually harmless unless you have other issues. The plastic is much safer than the hard plastic that "jingle balls" are made from. Those splinters are sharp. Milk jug plastic is much softer and the odd chewed fragment usually passes with the digestion process.

The more hearing I lose and the more Sign I study, the more I remember my pal. He went deaf at a fairly early age (I always suspected it was a side effect of one of his meds, but that is beside the point). As his hearing went, I started signing when I spoke to him, and once he was totally deaf, it was just natural for me to sign everything I said to him. Anyone who thinks that a companion animal can't learn Sign, guess again.

His favorite game was "Kitteh Soccer", using a cat sized soccer ball (his favorite pattern. He would not play with any other sports styled balls). The object of the game was to bat the ball past your opponent. Bonus points for shooting it between the legs. At some point, he learned when he scored to sit up on his hind paws and do a "fist pump" with one of his front paws when he scored. But if I got one by him, and it didn't happen often - he was a pro - he would flatten his ears and have such a look, like "I let you have that one, but that's all you're getting!"

Our official name for the soccer game was made up of the signs PLAY and KICK. His face would light up like a kid in a toy store when I would sign "wanna play kick?" I'm sure he lives in a world full of sunshine filled window sills and bright soccer balls where he can PLAY KICK to his heart's content. Maybe he can hear the birds singing again - who knows until we get there? Hopefully, the rainbow bridge exists, and one day we can resume our daily matches.

[grateful]

Having worked at a veterinary hospital, I can tell you unless the little one is "flossing" with them or snacking on them, the occasional milk "ring" is usually harmless unless you have other issues. The plastic is much safer than the hard plastic that "jingle balls" are made from. Those splinters are sharp. Milk jug plastic is much softer and the odd chewed fragment usually passes with the digestion process.

The more hearing I lose and the more Sign I study, the more I remember my pal. He went deaf at a fairly early age (I always suspected it was a side effect of one of his meds, but that is beside the point). As his hearing went, I started signing when I spoke to him, and once he was totally deaf, it was just natural for me to sign everything I said to him. Anyone who thinks that a companion animal can't learn Sign, guess again.

His favorite game was "Kitteh Soccer", using a cat sized soccer ball (his favorite pattern. He would not play with any other sports styled balls). The object of the game was to bat the ball past your opponent. Bonus points for shooting it between the legs. At some point, he learned when he scored to sit up on his hind paws and do a "fist pump" with one of his front paws when he scored. But if I got one by him, and it didn't happen often - he was a pro - he would flatten his ears and have such a look, like "I let you have that one, but that's all you're getting!"

Our official name for the soccer game was made up of the signs PLAY and KICK. His face would light up like a kid in a toy store when I would sign "wanna play kick?" I'm sure he lives in a world full of sunshine filled window sills and bright soccer balls where he can PLAY KICK to his heart's content. Maybe he can hear the birds singing again - who knows until we get there? Hopefully, the rainbow bridge exists, and one day we can resume our daily matches.

sweet >^..^<

a favorite around here is a champagne cork tied with twine (the knuckleheads love it!)

[Atwater Vitki]

Another memory recalled is our "football games" using the paper table football, folded into a triangle. Then off the knee flick (with best 'kicking finger') past the eager kitties waiting to play. Our "Moki" will seldom miss one while "Me Shell"...the Princess....sit and watches them go by with the look of "silly human...is THAT all you can do!!"...until she's ready to go fetch it. Then she'll bring it back to exactly 1" beyond reach so you have to get up to retrieve it. Are they something.

"Jojo" and "Her Be" on the other hand take off with it and for the next ½ hour all we see are gray streaks of fur flying by in all directions while they play with it. Usually all that's left when they are done with the football is a few tatters of chewed up paper and an "evidence trail" from one end of the house to the other....which reminds me to vacuum today....argh! I don' wanna...I don' wanna...I don' wanna...I don' wanna!!..

Blessings of Pieces of paper....

[BrDevon]

Ahh yes... it isn't a party without some "cat-fetti" thrown around. My friend used to like to bat toilet paper rolls until they were dust. The basic toys are the most fun. Cats have incredible imaginations if their humans allow them the freedom to use them, and nothing demonstrates how bright and clever they can be like watching them fully engaged in play.

[grateful]

I wish I had the inclination to post some pics of the infamous bean, enjoying her retirement .. no one can have as much fun as her with a dried up leaf from under the porch, I'm talking all four paws off the ground and airbourne, she is and looking over her shoulder to see if we're watching

thirteen and laying in the sun, or chasing leaves ..

[Atwater Vitki]

"Bean" sounds an awful lot our "Moki" but of course he's much younger at only 12! Hes' the one that gets the kids, "Her Be" and "Jojo" so riled up they drop before the "Mokes" does.

We also have a neighbor's cat "Bucky"...namesake from doing an all fours off the ground bucking bronco style head butt into hand when you reach down to pet him....that goes nutz with the dried maple leaves around here. All too often it sounds like someone breaking in the back patio door with him frolicking and bouncing off every conceivable wall, door, bbq stand, etc etc.

Ca-kitten-ats!

Blessings Be,