Can I get some cat toy recommendations?

I am so sorry if this doesn't belong here. I was trying to look for the appropriate place, and couldn't find one. So if a mod wants to move this, feel free!

I have a 7 month old cat and I was looking for some toy recommendations for him. I'd love some toys he could play with without my aid. Something more interactive than just a stuffed mouse or something like that. He has 2 turbo chaser type toys that he likes, but he quickly gets bored of it.

I know a lot of you will probably be like "All a cat needs is a few mice! They will be entrained for hours!" but personally I LIKE introducing new fun toys to him   .

So any ideas?

I've heard of different puzzle type toys.  Ones they have to "work" to get food or a treat from.  Something like that might be good.  

My two get cheap toys...the rings off milk jugs!  Or the big ones off mayo jars.  Noodles likes the mylar balls that crinkle too.  I'm trying to think of what was a hit when they were kittens... lol

They each have a catnip filled banana that they're still attached to after years of use.  They'll forget about them for a while and then I find it in use again; sometimes soggy.    I think the shape of it is enjoyable to them for grabbing and bunny kicking.

Crumpled up balls of paper will keep most cats entertained for hours. My house has furry toy mice and water jug rings all over inside and on the back porch.  Sheba likes rolling batteries around.

Our 9mo old adopted stray has been pretty "low rent" in the toy department.

Although we immediately bought him a crinkle tube, multiple fishing toys, speaky mice, a catnip stuffed rat, and some plastic balls that sound like they have a BB in them to make noise - his favorite toys turned out to be (so far) a double bagged brown paper sack, a 12pk beer box opened on one end only and a golf ball. 

I also just ordered him a big Kickeroo and a heavy denim multi-ring toy that he can chew or claw the daylights out of.   Having recently neutered him, we're in the crazed, hormone burn off so we have to up our number of gnawing and kicking toys.  But I'm always looking for new toy ideas too.

How about a Weazel Ball?

Or some kind of automatic laser mechanism?

Our youngest cats will play with just about anything. However he tends to play more with toys with bells and feathers. He grabs them and throws them in the air. I'm not sure if he thinks they move by themselves but he gets entertained with them very easily hehe. I have read that it is highly recommended that you rotate their toys so they wont get bored. Maybe your kitty prefers a certain type of toy, too? Try buying toys that resemble bugs (shiny and lasers), rodents (mice ), or birds (feathery stuff and teasers) and rotate them to see which he likes best. 

Good luck!

Ana 

Ping pong balls, wads of paper, straws, a turbo track, and a mouse with a rattle inside.  If you want an interactive toy, DaBird is the bomb!

Bluebird Gal said:

Our 9mo old adopted stray has been pretty "low rent" in the toy department.

Although we immediately bought him a crinkle tube, multiple fishing toys, speaky mice, a catnip stuffed rat, and some plastic balls that sound like they have a BB in them to make noise - his favorite toys turned out to be (so far) a double bagged brown paper sack, a 12pk beer box opened on one end only and a golf ball. 

I also just ordered him a big Kickeroo and a heavy denim multi-ring toy that he can chew or claw the daylights out of.   Having recently neutered him, we're in the crazed, hormone burn off so we have to up our number of gnawing and kicking toys.  But I'm always looking for new toy ideas too.

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Can you link me to the denium toy? I should get him a crinkle tube! Good idea. My cat got neutered the 29th. I had no idea they went through a crazy hormone burn off period!

stephanietx said:

Ping pong balls, wads of paper, straws, a turbo track, and a mouse with a rattle inside.  If you want an interactive toy, DaBird is the bomb!

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DaBird IS awesome! He has one. He also has a cat dancer but I had to put it away out of his reach. He was chewing off parts and vomiting them up!

By interactive I meant a toy I wouldn't have to hold  I think I used the wrong wording.

My cats favorite toy is a plastic jug.  I'm all about low-budget DIY cat toys, and a sturdy plastic jug makes a great puzzle box.  I cut holes into it and filed the edges smooth so they wouldn't hurt themselves on it when they reach in.  Sometimes when I am particularly annoyed with my cats begging I will put their dinner into it and laugh as they have scoop it out pawful by pawful.  Sometimes I just fill it up with toys for them to bat around and attempt to liberate. 

Da Bird is great toy and very popular in our house, but it cannot be be left out unattended.  My cats are also pretty fond of feather wand toys and my youngest cat, Hector, is obsessed with your basic furry mouse.  The Niblet loves crinkle balls and will play fetch for hours.  Indeed she loves them so much I buy them wholesale since they don't last very long with her.

Auroraei said:

Can you link me to the denium toy? I should get him a crinkle tube! Good idea. My cat got neutered the 29th. I had no idea they went through a crazy hormone burn off period!

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The hormone burn off, crazed as we call it, seems to be a little more pronounced with tomcats.  Besides some of the stories/threads from the good folks here, our vet even indicated we would might likely see a bit of it for a couple of months.   Plus he's still very much a kitten at 9mos.   We sure knew the day he was feeling better .. when he practically ran up the back of my head - over it in fact - playing chase through the house.  Haha!

I got the Kong Denim Catnip rings for him, but I think he most enjoys the Kong Kickeroo.

Bluebird Gal said:

The hormone burn off, crazed as we call it, seems to be a little more pronounced with tomcats.  Besides some of the stories/threads from the good folks here, our vet even indicated we would might likely see a bit of it for a couple of months.   Plus he's still very much a kitten at 9mos.   We sure knew the day he was feeling better .. when he practically ran up the back of my head - over it in fact - playing chase through the house.  Haha!

I got the Kong Denim Catnip rings for him, but I think he most enjoys the Kong Kickeroo.

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Oh my god, just today my cat literally jumped on my head when I was STANDING on the phone. He got caught in my hair, it was crazy. Also today he pounced on my head as I sat on my computer chair. He's never done that before!

I think it depends on the cat.

One of my cats loves the laser to death!! he knows the sound of the click and will come running to you. he also like the feather toys. 

the other loves more to play with himself he has a soft ball that he loves. 

For balls try differnt types some like the hard balls with a bell, others like soft balls  with some fuzzy stuff.

Auroraei said:

Oh my god, just today my cat literally jumped on my head when I was STANDING on the phone. He got caught in my hair, it was crazy. Also today he pounced on my head as I sat on my computer chair. He's never done that before!

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Too funny!   Ours has never yet used his claws diving over my head sitting down.   The way our sofa wraps around on one end, where I generally sit, he comes barreling through the house straight up the back of that side, over my head.  The funniest part of all was the look on my DH's face.        He looked at me and said "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."   Bwaahahahaha!

I agree that each cat is motivated by different types of toys although both of mine go wild for Da Bird.  We also have to put it away when done with it.  Cocoa in particular, is adept at finding it otherwise and wrecking havoc to get after it.

I think you need to try a variety of toys, until you land on the right thing.  With Casper, he's low key and prefers stuffed catnip filled things that he can kick and bat around.  He also loves crinkly sounding things, so for him, a crunched up piece of paper works like a charm (the bags from Chinese noodles in particular are a big fav of his).  Sometimes he'll go after the laser pointer if he's feeling energetic (he's nearly 12 so that doesn't happen too frequently).

Cocoa, is more of a stalker and also needs mental stimulation.  She adores the ball in the circular track (got it on sale for only $10), and a small rattly ball with a feather attached that she will stalk and then walk around with in her mouth.  I've bought her all types of small balls, little furry "mice", and plastic springs, all of which keep her highly entertained.  She bats them, flips them in the air, chases them, uses her paws to throw them around, and yesterday, she actually carried one in her all the way up the stairs; dropped it on the floor by my BF.  So, he through it back downstairs and she ran after it, picked it up again in her mouth, and brought it back again!  I bet she was an excellent mouser when she was living on the streets.

Oh and boxes.  One can never provide too many boxes for your cats.  All cats, love boxes.

My guys lall LOVE the plastic springs. I woke up yesterday to one of the springs being repeatedly dropped on my face.  They also like the round, chase the ball inside the ring toy....the cheap one from Walmart.  I spent 3 times the money for one of them with a mouse that squeaks when you bat it....they could have cared less.  Balls by themselves are of no interest.  We also have a 4 foot long tunnel which they never tire of.  Mostly they play with toys I hang off the cat tree so the dogs can't get them.  They like to chase things on a wand toy...but I have to crate the dogs to play with it because the dogs go nuts.

How about the empty box the cat litter came in? It is a fort, a sleeping place and an ankle muggers hiding place. 

EDIT-  Ooops, I see somebody already suggested it.

And then there is the ever popular clothes basket for them to drag dirty clothes out of and drag all over the house.

I like Da Bird not because of the toy itself, but because you can attach practically any toy if you have the right tools! Currently the Da Bird pole has a mylar ball attached to it.

Other toys that Lox has liked are the Neko Flies, a paper grocery bag with holes in it, and more mylar balls. She used to really like the feather wand, but she hasn't shown much interest in the past few months.

I picked up a bunch of really cool toys at the cat show yesterday.....stuff I had never seen anywhere else.  If you notice a cat show in your area.....it's definitely worth a trip for the vendors, not to mention getting to see all the incredible cats.  Toys were significantly cheaper, and significantly cooler than the pet stores.