What to do with old toys?

I decided the boys hadn't had any new toys lately so I ordered them some online and they came in today. They went CRAZY playing like I haven't seen them do in a long time.

I pick up the floor toys and rotate them a couple times a week but it seems like they aren't interested in them anymore. Most of them are catnip toys so I assume after awhile the catnip smell wears out and they lose interest in them. I keep them stored in plastic bags with some catnip to keep them "fresh" when not in use but eventually they have to 'wear out' even if the toys themselves are still in good physical shape.

So what do you do with old toys? Just toss them or is there something else I can do to make them young again? How long will catnip toys stay "fresh" and have that "new catnip toy" smell if I keep them stored sealed up in bags? I just ordered a mess of cat toys online so I don't want to put them all out at once, but if I don't won't they lose potency and not be fun anymore?

It seems wasteful to throw out perfectly good toys, but if they aren't being played with because the catnip has faded what else could I do with them? I debated trying to donate them to a shelter or rescue but if my cats don't want to play with them, I figure no other cats will either. And I don't figure rescues want my used old cat toys anyway. But my boys have a LOT of toys so it just seems wasteful to throw them out.

Unless they can be sterilized and your cats smell removed from them, no - it wouldn't be good to donate them.

Depending on how handy you are you can always replace catnip in the catnip toys.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Unless they can be sterilized and your cats smell removed from them, no - it wouldn't be good to donate them.

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That's kind of what I figured.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Depending on how handy you are you can always replace catnip in the catnip toys.

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I don't know if I trust my rudimentary sewing skills to hold up to my big kitties in a catnip frenzy!

As long as you can make your stitches small and tight, they should hold. It's a chance to improve your sewing and maybe you'll even decide to make a few toys of your own.

I offered a bunch of old toys up on my local Freecycle site. A lady who works with the Humane Society wanted them. I made sure to tell her before she claimed them that I had a herpes positive kitty and that the toys hadn't been sterilized. She told me it was no problem, that she would sterilize the toys and take them to the shelter.

But how do you sterilize a catnip toy? Tossing it in the washer on hot ruins the catnip completely - just ask Siri. I accidentally washed her blue catnip worm (an odd toy I made) with the towels and was rather disappointed. I had to make her another one.

I guess I could rip out the seams and pull out the filler, wash them and replace with fresh catnip and fill and then sew them back up? I dunno.

I gathered up all the toys I could find yesterday. The ones I thought were salvageable I sprayed with catnip spray and the ones that were really destroyed I tossed. They have so many though maybe I will contact the shelter I got Jinkers from and see if they can use them if I clean and re-fill them.

We take used toys at the shelter - wash them in hot/bleach water. Even if the catnip is gone from the toy, they're still fun to play with for bored kitties.

Find a secure box. Store them. Bring them back out in one year and you have all new brand news toys

Originally Posted by cococat

Find a secure box. Store them. Bring them back out in one year and you have all new brand news toys

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I do this ... or take a slightly degraded toy and put new fabric on it

I am always trying to figure out what to do with my kitties old toys. There are many that are obliterated by the cats that I wouldn't dare attempt to donate or fix, but there are also many that are in excellent condition, but no longer appeal to my crew. In that case, I do a couple of different things.

I usually rotate the toys weekly and also take out new toys for the kitties when I play interactively with them. Once the toys have been rotated for a while and the cats seem to lose interest, I put them in a sealed container and put them away for about a year. I'll then bring them out again and see if the cats show any interest. If not, they are usually donated or become hand-me-downs.

If it's something that can be washed and "sterilized" at home, I do that and then typically donate them to the shelter or to one of the local rescue organizations. I have a lot of plastic jingle balls and similar toys that the cats lose interest in rather quickly. So, about every 3 months, I bring the toys (already "sterilized" and clean) to the shelter along with the other things I donate (ie. food, litter, new toys, towels, rags).

For other toys, I usually pass them down to my mother as she has more cats than she can handle and doesn't buy them toys or other (in her words) "frivolous" items to play with. Her cats are all too happy to take on my toy bin rejects and I feel good knowing that I can help them out. Even if the catnip is long gone, my mother's cats really appreciate the gesture. I've seen them bat their new toys around for months and it's heartwarming to know that they have something to play with. (That's all I'm going to say there as that situation is very upsetting to me.)

With my kitties' favorite toys, I do open them up and replace the nip. My sewing skills aren't spectacular, but I do a good enough job that I don't need to worry about a stray thread coming loose. I also wash their cloth toys frequently and so this has become a routine for me. In between times, I take a large ziplock bag, fill it with either fresh or dried catnip, and then store the toys in the bag for a bit before returning them to the pile. Shaking them in catnip is also a quick way to rejuvenate the cats' interest in them.

And, finally, sometimes it's just time to say goodbye to the toy. I'm always buying or making new toys for my crew and so I need to throw them out occasionally or else I'd be overrun with toys. If the toy is old, unable to be cleaned, broken or torn, or in otherwise bad condition, I pitch them. As sad as it is, sometimes they can't be saved (though I have a toy or two from each of my cats that they loved as kittens in a momento box). I just try to ensure that I have replaced them if their one of the favorites beforehand.

I do the same things with my dogs toys as well as things for my small animals and bird. I try to give away or donate what I can, but I also know that sometimes it's not worth it. In that case, I'll usually pick up some cheaper toys to donate to the shelter or rescue group when I give my donations. I know they appreciate them and it makes me feel good. So, really, it's win-win.