What around-the-house toys do your cats seem to enjoy?

I would appreciate ideas for toys that I might find around the house. Before I moved, I really bonded with one of my landlord's cats. I got a small container of catnip and stored a small, felt-type mouse in it. Then I took a length of dental floss, doubled it, and tied it around the mouse's tail. Whitefoot had a blast with it!

For a cat I had many years ago, I'd sometimes wad up some tin foil--too large for him to swallow, of course--and he loved to bat it around. Sometimes I'd wad one end of a length of dental floss to put into the center. He loved to stalk it and chase it around.

What low- or no-cost items do you use that your cats seem to enjoy?

My cat loves to chase around stuff like dried spaghetti or noodles, my mom's cat Honey (RIP) loved to chase ice cubes. They slide so well on wood or laminate. You could also try and old pair of socks wrapped up. I put catnip in an old pair of mine and Reilly loves it!

Well, right now it looks like we're very sloppy housekeepers that don't pick up the trash ... I've got plastic bottle tops on the floor, empty pill bottles, the "rings" from a couple of bottles of gatorade (they really like this one, they can pick it up and carry it around), styrofoam peanuts (which I don't want them to have unsupervised, but I keep finding the darn things!), bits of cardboard ... I really need to get a basket to keep all the cat/dog toys corralled, as I've also got Kellie's stuffed toys all over the house.

Oh, and as we're sitting here at our computers doing our morning surfing, I keep hearing some rather loud noises coming from the bathroom and told Sunny "I don't want to know..." He gets up to go investigate and tells me that Mithril has knocked a travel sized bottle of shampoo into the tub and is batting that around. Why spend money on toys ?

Cindy

My kitty loves the tab off a jug of milk better than any toy you can buy. He loses them all the time, and I have no idea where they could go, so I have to keep getting a new supply. I have all my friends save tabs for me for him to play with.

Paperwads, any kind of bag..boxes.......Feet

Originally Posted by ScamperFarms

Paperwads, any kind of bag..boxes.......Feet

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LOL.. Feet.. how could I forget that one. Feet are especially attractive when carrying something, like groceries in from the car.

Originally Posted by ScamperFarms

Paperwads, any kind of bag..boxes.......Feet

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You should see my mom's ankles - all because Ari likes to play with his tail!

Drinking straws - with and without your permission.

Cardboard boxes

As I type this, Oliver is having a BALL in the box that his new bed just arrived in! He also likes the rings from around the plastic milk jugs, a film canister filled with uncooked rice, he uses the bathroom as a cat tree, and TOILET PAPER TUBES! He will bunny kick tubes for hours on end, haha

Toilet paper tubes! I forgot about those; the next time I empty a roll I'll have to toss out the tube for the chilluns .

Cindy

They love to play with 2 in. white fur balls. For some reason...they like a new one often. It must be the scent.

Originally Posted by BuzbyJLC10

As I type this, Oliver is having a BALL in the box that his new bed just arrived in!

He also likes the rings from around the plastic milk jugs, a film canister filled with uncooked rice, he uses the bathroom as a cat tree, and TOILET PAPER TUBES! He will bunny kick tubes for hours on end, haha

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My kitty loves toilet paper rolls too!!

PS: I love the picture of your kitty!

Screwed up paper or tin foil, toilet paper tubes, hairbands, boxes. They both also have a thing for those cheap cardboard nail files, Max carries one around the whole flat with him sometimes

Oh, and the laces from all my shoes

Thank you all for your ideas. I've decided to try not to spend a whole lot on cat toys. But when she gets old enough to appreciate the joys of catnip, she'll have that toy that blows catnip bubbles. That one I will noooooot pass up!

I saw several years ago a kind of toy that looked like a ball with a ferret tail attached to it. I always thought a cat would really enjoy those things, especially if you put a bit of catnip on the tail and rolled the ball. Has anyone seen those lately? Where might you find them?

Heck, anything they can get their paws on is a toy!

Originally Posted by foxfire

Thank you all for your ideas. I've decided to try not to spend a whole lot on cat toys. But when she gets old enough to appreciate the joys of catnip, she'll have that toy that blows catnip bubbles. That one I will noooooot pass up!

I saw several years ago a kind of toy that looked like a ball with a ferret tail attached to it. I always thought a cat would really enjoy those things, especially if you put a bit of catnip on the tail and rolled the ball. Has anyone seen those lately? Where might you find them?

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I try not to spend a lot on store-bought toys, either. But it's hard when you see something you know they would love! My kitty (s) like to chew on my shoes, play with string, wrapping paper tubes...the list goes on. Max likes to jump into plastic grocry bags, and the he waits for you to pick it up, with him inside, and then slowly swing him back and forth. He could lay there for hours if my arms could take it!
The ferret-tail balls (or whatever they're called) are being sold at San Fransisco, which is a novelty store, and I've seen them at Petcetera, too. My friend used to have one, and her dog loved it, so I bet your cat will go nuts!

Originally Posted by gemlady

Heck, anything they can get their paws on is a toy!

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Cindy

In reference to the ferret-tail balls, I can't think of any PetCetera or San Francisco stores here, although there is a PetSmart. Would they possibly have it? Come to think of it, might Toys R Us carry it?

YY has many expensive cat toys (inc electronic ones) but she loves the ties you get at the rocery store or the ones used around electronic cords. She will chase them around for hours - loose them under the fridge and other locales and look to me to find them! She just loves those things! I have to watch her since I worry about chewing or swallowing them!

my cats are crazy for string. i make hemp twine bracelets and had to give him his very own cause he wont leave me alone when i am making them. he carries it all over the house, throws it up in the air and we play "ball" with it. he drops it at my foot, i throw it, he chases it and beings it back to me. i wonder if the hemp smells like catnip...