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Keep kitty busy with the chase game that never gets boring. Carpeted top doubles as a scratching surface
These silky soft plush toys are infused with catnip. Just what kitty likes
Cat toys don't have to be electronic with flashing eyes and loud noises. Just keep it simple More Details...
- Cat Toys Keep a Cat's Natural Hunting Instincts Sharp
- Hunting Instincts... a Call from Antiquity
- What's a Good Cat Toy?
- How Does Alexander Play?
Cat toys keep a cat's natural hunting instincts sharp
Which in turn is directly related to her overall health. What we call play is serious practice to your kitty for keeping those hunting and prey chasing instincts sharp as well as helping to her to maintain good balance and co-ordination. An added plus to this play is that if she should have a little disagreement with that bully Tom down the block, she will be able to hold her own until she can get back to the safety of her home.
Hunting instincts... a call from antiquity.
Cat owners sometimes become quite concerned about the hunting activities of their domestic cat. Cats hunt from instinct. They have been doing this for eons. Hunting in the wild is a means for survival and the cat species has become very successful at stalking and catching prey. Even though a domestic cat may never have to look any farther than her food dish for a meal, her primordial instinct will tell her to keep her hunting talents sharp by practicing her hunting skills. The down side of this is that she may not know how what to do with her catch, or how to quickly and effectively kill her prey. So she ends up ‘playing’ with it in the eyes of her owner. People have to be careful to not apply human morality rules to animals. Your cat might only be practicing, but, you probably think she is tormenting a poor defenseless creature. A mother ‘barn’ cat, or feral cats, will bring home disabled prey for their kittens to teach them to hunt and kill on their own. But, if your domestic cat was never taught how to hunt, kill and dispose of prey, she probably just doesn’t know how to deal with a basic instinct.
There’s no clear way to deal with this instinct driven ‘problem’. If a domestic cat continues to hunt, especially into adulthood, even when well fed, there’s not much to be done. Many cats simply get bored with the effort of hunting and stalking as they get older. Obesity, which is a problem with many domestic cats these days, won’t allow her to be very successful at catching prey. Just don’t start over-feeding your cat to make her a less successful hunter. Obesity can cause a lot of problems of graver significance than disposing of a dead mouse. Bells around the neck, or other more sophisticated electronic devises, are somewhat effective by alerting prey that they are in danger. A close examination of her cat food, her diet (what you feed her) and feeding times should always be considered. Be sure she's getting all the nutrients needed and often enough to keep her healthy and feeling spunky, lest she seek satisfaction of basic nutrient needs in the wild.
It makes sense, though, to give your kitty a cat toy to play with in lieu of hunting in the backyard or ‘lower forty’. She may still bring home her catch to show off to you. I've always praised my cats for being so successful in their hunt. But, with cat toy alternatives there could very well be less of a chance that she'll show up at the back door with a newly caught bird, mouse or squirrel.
Cat toys need not be complex gadgets with batteries and/or flashing lights, etc. But, they should have the qualities of her favorite prey, such as...
- The cat toy should be smaller than she is
- It should make a little noise, but, not too loud
- It should be fast moving, but not too fast (her self-confidence will be affected if she can't catch the cat toy)
Keep it simple... and safe.
Cat toys not only should be kept simple, but consideration needs to be given to cat toy safety. Like children, their curiosity can get them into trouble. Here are some important things to keep in mind when providing cat toys.
- Dental floss or fishing line are definite no-no's because they can easily cut into their skin as they rough-house
- Plastic bags or wrapping are just as dangerous to a cat as they are to a child
- Ribbons or very small objects that can be swallowed need to be kept out of reach
- Cat's eyes amplify light, especially at night, to aid in hunting. So, beware of laser light. Permanent damage can occur if even a small laser (such as a laser pen light) enters a cat's eyes
Just keep it simple... a catnip filled cloth mouse, ping pong balls, and paper sacks all meet the playing needs of your cat. Since a cat's eyes are attracted to movement, interactive cat toys are fun too, ... the kind that are on the end of a stick, hang from a door knob, or at the end of a length of yarn that you can pull across the floor. These can all give your cat lots of practice and you hours of enjoyment.
Keep 2 or 3 sets of cat toys that you can rotate into play from time to time, just to keep her from getting bored. When she tires of one collection, you can replace it with another... cats love new things to play with.
Alexander, our intrepid, deep-carpet predator, noticed the dark object laying, where before, nothing had been. "Hmmm, I wonder what that is?" he said to himself. As he approached the object, his eyes widened and his muscles were flexed, ready for even the slightest movement from this invader of his domain. He was obviously intrigued. "You've got to be kidding!... what would my favorite prey, a mouse, be doing here... just waiting for me to catch him?" As he carefully approached his new prey...er... toy, he noticed a faint, but familiar scent. "Oh my... it's my favorite cologne, Eau de Catneep". He sat down beside the new cat toy and surveyed the room, just to be sure he was alone. Then he put a paw to it, batting it softly. "Yes, nice and light... this could be good for a little practice... you know, for when I visit my brother in Africa. I need to keep sharp", he said, narrowing his eyes at the thought of having to tackle a Gnu in full flight.
Alexander began to bat his new found cat toy across the carpet towards the bare floor in the entry foyer. There the chase became hectic as the catnip stuffed mouse seemed to pick up speed on the smooth white tiles. His newfound prey tested his reflexes as it would become slightly hooked on the end of his claws and fly away in a completely unpredictable path as he flipped his paw. This life-like motion he found very exciting and kept his interest high. It was a trick he had learned as a kitten to let loose the energy that youngsters seem to have an abundance of. He found this activity also raised his heart rate while burning a few calories at the same time (he always felt better after a good work-out). After 20 minutes he sat down, wearily, beside his new prey/toy. "Wow, I'm a bit winded", he said. "I better take a break, and then I'll practice some more". But, he wondered... "do Gnu really run that fast?".
The best cat toys tease the highly sensitive hunting senses of a cat. The eyes, ears and feel of prey More Details...
Cats love to get their nose into things,,, like their own private Kitty Garden
Cats love to play, and will with just about anything. Even tennis balls, just like Fido More Details...
This plush bird toy hangs from a door. When she escapes from kitty's grasp, watch her fly away on her elastic cord
Ticklers and Teasers can always get a cat's fancy, and her attention
Kitty will chase the ball all around the track as she tries to capture it