Pipe cleaners

Are pipe cleaners an ok toy for a kitten? Polly found one last night and seems to be having a ball with it. She carries it around in her mouth and bats it everywhere. Is this supervion only toy, an anytime toy, or never a toy?

Thanks,
Rachel

Rachel,
Chester does the same thing. He likes the purple ones best To me they -seem- like a supervision toy or a never toy, BUT we haven't taken them away. He's been playing with them pretty regularly for a month or two and hasn't hurt himself yet. A suggestion: a couple of weeks ago we were able to get some cat toys that are plastic springs. They look nothing like conventional toys, but the cats are going nuts for them. Perhaps Polly might like them too if Chester does.
Jess

Maybe you can twist the ends together so they're not so pokey, just to be safe. I'm sure he'd still like it if it was a circle. Cupid brings me stuff all the time to throw so he can play fetch and I have to decide if it's something he can play with or not. The twistie ties get thrown away. He loves bottle caps...the plastic kind.

Yah, twisty-ties, I had to take one away the other day. Felt bad they were having such fun with it , so we had a play session with the teaser.

Generally it's like a 2-year old child rule---if it's something they can reasonably swallow whole, or chew up into pieces and swallow, then they probably don't need to have it unsupervised. Pipe-cleaners (chenille) are usually pretty big, especially if you sorta twist 'em around and join the ends and I don't think they can really chew through them (I have to use dikes to cut them) although I would check them occasionally to make sure about that because I suppose it is possible if they really tried they could eventually get through the metal.

I would qualify it as a supevision toy, personally... I would watch to make sure the little one doesn't get poked or accidentally chew it a little too much and I would also check to make sure the metal wire that allows you to shape it doesn't rust after awhile... especially if you've got a drooler on your hands, hehehehe... otherwise, it sounds like it would be adorable to watch your baby play with it!

I've been thinking of trying pipe cleaners but was concerned about the sharp ends. Purr's suggestion takes care of that concern. Still a supervised toy, I think, though.

Garfield LOVES pipe cleaners! The kids have them bent into fun animal shapes, etc, and he just loves to fight with them. I do watch for the ends, that they don't poke, but mostly he plays with them alone.

My Tigger used to play with pipe cleaners but she managed to unravel the circle (I had twisted a tight circle with no pointy ends), and then she ended up poking her gums really bad with the metal and she got an infection. So... no more pipe cleaners in my house!

Her favorite toy now is a zip tie (you know, the long plastic ties where you stick the end through and hear 'ziiip', used to fasten things together). I pull it partway through so there's a circle with a tail... she loves it!! I found a pack of these in various sizes at the Dollar Store... endless supply of toys!

Originally Posted by kathy14

My Tigger used to play with pipe cleaners but she managed to unravel the circle (I had twisted a tight circle with no pointy ends), and then she ended up poking her gums really bad with the metal and she got an infection. So... no more pipe cleaners in my house!

Her favorite toy now is a zip tie (you know, the long plastic ties where you stick the end through and hear 'ziiip', used to fasten things together). I pull it partway through so there's a circle with a tail... she loves it!! I found a pack of these in various sizes at the Dollar Store... endless supply of toys!

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Poor Tigger! I hope he is ok now. That must've hurt a lot.

Little Timbit found the cupboard with a pack of pipe cleaners. I checked them out to make sure they weren't sharp and twisted the ends together. He loves them and no damge. He like 'em curled up. I curled it around a pencil and tucked in the ends and he had a Blast!!!