Willy's favorite toy mouse has seen better days...

[tarasgirl06]

He's been playing with this mouse for 8 years. It's always been his favorite.

It used to have a torso

Sadly I have to take it away now. I'm worried about parts coming loose and Willy choking on them.

OMC I would be, too! Yeah, that mouse would be well-loved but also history if it was here. You're right -- it's potentially unsafe.

 

[cmshap]

OMC I would be, too! Yeah, that mouse would be well-loved but also history if it was here. You're right -- it's potentially unsafe.

That was my thought exactly, and I probably let him play with it longer than I should have. It just made him so happy to toss around, bite/lick, and pounce on.

 

[tarasgirl06]

That was my thought exactly, and I probably let him play with it longer than I should have. It just made him so happy to toss around, bite/lick, and pounce on.

...and you hate to deprive him of something he has loved so long and so much, right? Empathize 100%, with him and with you. But yeah. It's time to replace Mr. Mousie. There are so many excellent mousie choices out there. Somewhere, there must be one with Willy's name on it.
catclaws.com is another favorite site that has furnished many excellent toys and hours of joy and silliness! Cat Claws - Cute, mouse shaped catnip toys - Cat Claws, Inc We have most of these.

 

[cmshap]

...and you hate to deprive him of something he has loved so long and so much, right? Empathize 100%, with him and with you. But yeah. It's time to replace Mr. Mousie.

Yep, exactly. He has tons of toy mice of different shapes/sizes, but never "bonded" with another in quite the same way. Probably because it was his first toy.

There's also an issue of gripping toys. He was declawed before I rescued him, and while he never showed any signs of pain or negative symptoms from it, I can tell he has a harder time gripping his "prey" while playing with it. He has to clamp his two front feet around it, and press together to keep it still. While I never liked that he was declawed, it was interesting to watch him figure out how to adapt his play when he was younger.

His favorite mouse always seemed like it was easier for him to grip. I have some other toys that he can grip better than others, but I'm always searching.

Also, thank you as always for your specific recommendations.

 

[susanm9006]

What about something like this cat toy from Chewy

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yep, exactly. He has tons of toy mice of different shapes/sizes, but never "bonded" with another in quite the same way. Probably because it was his first toy.

There's also an issue of gripping toys. He was declawed before I rescued him, and while he never showed any signs of pain or negative symptoms from it, I can tell he has a harder time gripping his "prey" while playing with it. He has to clamp his two front feet around it, and press together to keep it still. While I never liked that he was declawed, it was interesting to watch him figure out how to adapt his play when he was younger.

His favorite mouse always seemed like it was easier for him to grip. I have some other toys that he can grip better than others, but I'm always searching.

Also, thank you as always for your specific recommendations.

Very welcome. Check out catclaws.com's mousies. There may be a good one there. We have most of them -- large, small, furry, knitted, etc.
Our beloved angel Sammi came to us declawed, too. I was appalled. He never seemed to have any trouble, though. I adopted him at 14 and he left us at 21.

He loved his refillable catnip snake, also from catclaws.com.

 

[tarasgirl06]

What about something like this cat toy from Chewy
View attachment 450030

Those are adorable, susanm9006 !

 

[cmshap]

What about something like this cat toy from Chewy
View attachment 450030

Thank you, I feel like toys that are a little bit larger are easier for him to play with. But at the same time, he is a little guy (stunted growth from being sick at an early age), he seems to be very particular about the perfect prey size that he wants to play with.

I am in the process of trying a new variety so I will give those a look.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you, I feel like toys that are a little bit larger are easier for him to play with. But at the same time, he is a little guy (stunted growth from being sick at an early age), he seems to be very particular about the perfect prey size that he wants to play with.

I am in the process of trying a new variety so I will give those a look.

Those look VERY play-able!

 

[cmshap]

Our beloved angel Sammi came to us declawed, too. I was appalled. He never seemed to have any trouble, though. I adopted him at 14 and he left us at 21.

21... that's incredible!

I've actually tried a few snakes like that (not as large) and he basically ignored their presence entirely.

Little animals that are small enough to bat around, but large enough to grip without claws, seem to be his sweet spot.

 

[tarasgirl06]

21... that's incredible!

I've actually tried a few snakes like that (not as large) and he basically ignored their presence entirely.

Little animals that are small enough to bat around, but large enough to grip without claws, seem to be his sweet spot.

Those would be my picks, too, and they're longtime favorites with my cats (I was born into a cat-loving family. Our beloved cat was 3 when I was born. I still have a little toy of his, and a bowl that belonged to him. He was my first best friend and soulmate.) IDK why I chose the snake, but I wanted him to have a brand new toy when he joined us. He really enjoyed it, because he was a full-body kick-lick-bat-and-bite kinda guy. His age was reportedly 14 when he joined us, and we had 7 good years together. In the first pic, you can see his truncated toes (fingers, to me). He used to "scratch" on my IKEA footstool, even so. It still bears the fruits of his labors. He was a very physical kind of mancatto.
Sammi