KItty toys

Hi all,
This is my first post so you'll have to bear with me, please! I've been reading the forum for a while and I think it's fabulous! Anyway, I now have a question of my own... Just recently I adopted a beautiful 12 week old kitten who had LOADS of personality!

I am totally in love!!

I've bought her balls with bells and things in them and she loves scrunched up paper and dangly things from the end of a fishing rod, my wonderful old Dad even made her a floor to ceiling scratching post/climbing tree.
My question is, what other toys do kitties like to play with? This is my first time with a cat (have always had dogs). Is it more of an individual preference for each kitten or do all kittens like generally the same things? Help! I just want to be sure that she is a happy little girl and has plenty to keep her amused and entertained, especially for the times I'm not home.
Hoping someone can give me a few pointers!
Thanks!
Dan (Phoebe's Mum!!)

P.S. This is a fantastic forum! I love reading everyone's tips, questions and opinions! It's great to know there are so many people who are as crazy about their little babies as I am!

welcome to the forums. you should pop over to the cat lounge so you can get a proper introduction.


as far as toys, there was a thread started somewhere about toys. I'm sure here shortly one of the modirators will post a link for you.


my 2 girls LOVE the little mice made out of real fur. the really go nuts for them because they think they have something real.

I don't know if you are in the situation to get 2 cats, but honestly the best play thing for phoebe is another cat! I have 2 & there isn't anything I could buy that would entertain them like they do each other. and the younger phoebe is when introducing her to a playmate, the better.

best of luck!

Hardy and Homer are crazy for the laser pointer. They chase it all over the room and I can just sit there on the sofa. They also like the feather-on-a-stick toy, which you can get interchangeable toys for when they're bored with the feather. Thirdly, I'd recommend a handful of the little fur covered mice, which they love to bat around and chase. My boys are strictly indoors, so I try hard to keep them from getting bored. The scratching post was an excellent move--your furniture will appreciate it. These 2 are my first kitties, too, and I am so in love with them! I also love this site! Terrific for info, advice, sympathy...you name it! Welcome!

My advice would start with a good scratching post!!!!

My cats have always had pleanty of store toys, but seem to prefer little treasures culled from the garbage. EEEEWWWWW....
Pop tops, milk jug rings, bits of crumpled up paper, day old hotdogs, etc.... I try to keep my garbage closed and do supervise play with these illicit toys. My shoes, purse, jewelry, and pens seem to supply an endless fasination.

You may spoil your kid with toys but she may like your old smelly reeking socks better. Make sure that any "toy" she choses isn't small enough to swallow and does not have any sharp edges on it.

Of course at this age a cats favorite toy may turn out to be .....................(drumroll here) another cat!!!!! "C'mon Mom, Dad when has one been really really really better than two ???"

Especially when your cat is young enough to acclimatize well to the presence of a playmate.

Best of luck with the new

Sateycat likes toys that weren't made for cats specifically. For example, he loves tennis balls. I have one in my bedroom especially fo him. He rolls it then drops on his side and licks it. It must be the furry texture. He's also played with those plastic "caps" that you can put under furniture legs to help you slide them easier. These were under our washing ,achine and they were rather large. The washing machine got off-balance and exposed the little caps and Satey got ahold of one and never gave it up. He also loves Christmas time. I take two present bows and stick them together on the sticky sides and he just goes nuts. Lastly, a few years ago someone brought out my sister's old "Simba" (from The Lion King movie) stuffed toy for one of my stepdad's grandkids and left it on the couch. My cat claimed Simba as his own. Some days he loves on Simba and licks him (Usually licks Simba's "butt"), other days he gets really agressive with Simba and attacks him. It's really cute!

A few of my kitties' cheap cat toys:

ping-pong ball or golf ball

empty paper sack

laundry basket (toss another toy in)

plastic easter eggs

clothespins (mine keep disappearing...)

My two crazies are two years old. Here are their favorite toys:
Real fur mice (you'll hear it over and over again - these are the best); anything by Kitty Hoots (especially this ugly cotton rat with a 15" tail - it also makes a crackly, paper bag noise); ball in track game - you know, the round thing with the scratch pad in the middle - a little expensive but great fun; small stuffed animals - my cats have a fuzzy lamb that they sleep with, go to for comfort (during thunderstorms or sick times) and beat up; crazy balls ( they are basically super balls with bumps all over them); anything they're not supposed to play with (i.e. my sweaters, socks, garbage, etc.) You may also want to consider getting your cat a "car". Okay, its a box that's open on top and low enough to jump in and look out of. (Watch her in it and you'll know why I call it a car) Good luck with your new best friend!

My 7 year old tortie Mollie Rose comes screaming from the other room if she hears a piece of paper being crumpled up. A great toy is a piece of aluminum foil rolled up in a ball. My other cats love those furry mice, a piece of Science Diet cat food on the floor or whatever they're not supposed to get into.

Thanks everyone!
I now have some great ideas! I went out yesterday and bought her some ping-pong balls and they were a real hit last night. She seems to be responding to "where's your ball?" now too! I can't believe how fast she's growing! It's almost as though everyday she has doubled in size! (ok, maybe I exaggerate just a wee bit here...)

She does have two scratching posts (one would be better described as a scratching tree - it's 6' high with little platforms and dangly bits and coiled rope and fabric all the way up), usually she uses the tree to climb up to the speaker shelf just under the ceiling.
As for getting her another playmate, I'd have a difficult time trying to convince my partner to welcome another little ball of fur into our home - he was reticent about getting Phoebe in the first place (he does love her now though).

Anyway, thanks HEAPS for all your fantastic suggestions! Off to make some new kitty toys - don't you just love to spoil them!
Cheers,
Dan.

Hello DAn and welcome to this forum!
I am new to this- signed up about a couple days ago and LOVE it so far. So many people out there are very supportive and have a lot of advice regarding cats.
I would like to share something with u. I adopted a 8 year old cat last week and found out she grew up with 2 other cats and 99 percent of people in this forum said it's best to get another cat to keep her company.
Well, I did get another cat a couple days ago and it is not going smoothly. I cried the first night because Sunni (older cat)was very angry with me and the new cat (Zebra) hid under the couch. However since yesterday, Zebra has been coming out and playing more. She still won't let me get near her. Sunni is still very angry but sleeps with me at nights.
the reason I'm sharing this with u is that if u do decide to get another cat, it will be hard at first. Some told me it takes time from a couple days to 6 months to see these cats get along, become friends and "forgive" their owners sooo. Just letting u know..
Enjoy ur cat!
Cats are the BEST!!
Pamela

Dan:

My cats love ping pong balls, too. Recently I also found a ball that looks like a golf ball, but it is made of foam. They like this one because they can pick it up and carry it. A friend gave me a ball that is all fuzzy with pieces of foil mixed in. When I scrunch it up, they hear it and come running. My friend's cats love the fake mice. My cat, Joey, has a personal favorite. It is a plastic piece from a set of Lego toys. He carries it around and puts it in old old sneaker he has adopted. Then he fishes it out. It is very funny to watch.

Welcome Dan!!!!!
wow, I never thought of giving them ping pong balls. we have those little balls with bells in them. Paper bags were always a favorite with my Herculese (sob) and he also was very fond of empty cereal boxes. in my experience, the things that my babies find laying around the house tend to make the best "toys". pencils, water bottle caps, etc... have fun playing!

no matter how much time or money i spend on Farina's toys, when i bring them home, she always ends up playing with the plastic bag i brought them home in!

Just want to welcome you. I agree too that another kitten would be the best playmate for your baby but if its not possible you have lots of good ideas here. The scrunched up foil is one of my kittens favorites. I also put some catnip in a small sock that didnt fit my grandaughter anymore and just tied it in a knot. And the bags and boxes are another great one they like.

Hi Dan!
My kitten loves an old blush brush my daughter gave him. It's about 5 inches long and he carries it with him. The handle is just the right size to chew on. He also has a big brother he loves to play with. Wish I could say Mister Sosa loves to play with him! <G> They get along great, but sometimes, Mister just has to find someplace to hide. Seems the little one is like the Eveready bunny, he goes and goes and goes...

smiles,
sue

The blush brush is a fantastic idea. I will try that one.

Hey Dan! I know you're probably sick of hearing this but my male cat's fave toy is the tiny, fake mice w/ the real fur. I don't remember if anyone mentioned this but there are some that rattle and some that don't. My cat loves the ones that rattle! He goes crazy! He always pushes them under furniture though. I usually get out the flashlight to find them and that's a game in itself. You'd think it's Christmas! I ask him,"where's your mouse?" And he will make a quacking noise. It's so cute!
But my female cat doesn't care for toys. She likes to invent her own games(hide-n-seek is a fave). So I guess it depends on the cat. If you decide to get the mice, make sure and shake the package and see if it rattle. I know you can get like a 36 pack at Petsmart, which is a good investment b/c they will get lost. Good Luck!