Simple, Inexpensive Cat Toys

Engaging with your cat doesn’t have to be an expensive task. Most of the time, cats even prefer less expensive toys over more expensive toys. There are a lot of things that you probably have in your home already that could put your cat on cloud 9.  Try out a few of these ideas:

A Milk Ring

The plastic ring that comes attached to the lid of your milk jug can provide hours of entertainment for your cat.  There is no extra cost for this toy! These are especially fun on uncarpeted flooring where they can easily slide around. Toss it or roll it to the kitty and let the fun begin.  These can be used independently by the cat or as toys for interactive play.

Disposable Plastic Straw

Every time you purchase a fountain drink from a local fast food restaurant or party store you receive these. They can also be purchased inexpensively at most grocery stores. If it came with your favorite drink, simply give it a good wash and it’s ready to become a cat toy!  Straws are best used as interactive toys. Wriggle the straw around in front of your cat as if it were a mouse’s tail.  Move it around underneath a bed sheet or poke it out from under a pillow or couch cushion. Cats love to capture straws!

Ribbon

If you are a crafter, you probably have a few spools of ribbon sitting around. If you aren’t too picky about the color or brand, it is pretty easy to find cheap spools of ribbon at craft stores and in garage sales. I like to cut a piece of ribbon that is long enough to drag a few feet behind me if I hold it in my hand while I am walking.  Just hold one end of the ribbon and walk slowly, letting the ribbon drag past your cat. It makes a great chase toy! You could also sit in one spot, have the ribbon stretched out across the floor in front of you, and pull the ribbon toward yourself in an uneven rhythm.

As a bonus, you can place a disposal plastic straw over one end of the ribbon and tie a knot in the ribbon so the straw doesn’t come off. Cats have an easier time grabbing and manipulating the straw than just the ribbon itself. Ribbons are an interactive toy only – don’t leave this out where your cat can get to it unsupervised. 

Ball of Paper

Wad up any piece of paper and let ‘er rip! Junk mail works great! Just make sure that the ball is small enough and balled tightly enough for your cat to bat around easily. Cinco and Manna also like balls of aluminum foil. If you are lucky, you may even get a good game of fetch going with one of these awesome toys. You can lace them with catnip too if you don’t mind a little nip on your floor. If you have a paper licker/eater, you may want to stay away from using paper that has ink on it. Otherwise, balls of paper are good for independent or interactive play.

Empty Boxes

This doesn’t really need an explanation with all of the photos out there. Cats love to play with boxes. It doesn’t really matter how large or how small the box is. You can even put them together and cut holes between them to make “tunnels.” Boxes tend to be an independent toy, but there are ways to use them for interaction.To make this toy interactive, try using a disposable plastic straw to peek up over the edge of the box while the cat is inside.

Paper Bags

Any paper bag will do; the ones that you carry groceries home in, the one from your favorite department store, the ones you use when you take a lunch to work, etc.  Cats love the crinkle of paper bags. These can work in the same way boxes do, but they can allow for a little more interaction because you can actually poke the cat through the bag. As I’ve mentioned before, it is fun to put a cellphone on vibrate inside a paper bag and call it from another phone. Cats love to try and figure out what is inside the bag.  Paper bags can be used for both independent or interactive play. Plastic bags are not recommended because of the potential for suffocation.

The Red Dot

Okay, you may not have this at home already. However, if you don’t need anything fancy, you can find simple laser pointers for under $10. Here’s one at Walmart for $6.56 : Ethical Pet Single Dot Laser. Let that little Red Dot race around the room and your cat will follow. These simple lasers are interactive only by nature of the product. There are more expensive versions available that will turn on and play with the cat for you.

Feathers

Feathers can be found inexpensively in craft stores and free in the homes of bird owners. I am not suggesting that you pluck someone’s bird, just that you ask them to save any long feathers that the bird plucks out on its own. Birds make feathery messes every day. I’m not suggesting the feathers of wild birds either because you don’t know what germs, diseases, or parasites might be on them. Feathers are used much in the same way that disposable plastic straws are used. Touching the feather to the cat’s nose or paws can be fun too.  Feathers are much more fun as an interactive toy than a independent toy.

The Importance of Being a Playful Kitty

Everyone knows that cats sleep for about 15 hours per day, but did you know that cats need at least 30 minutes of vigorous play everyday to stay physically and mentally healthy? There are some things that you should know about being a playful kitty.  Manna gives a great demonstration of play at the end of the post.

Being a playful kitty has its benefits.

• Exercise.
  In the wild cats are able to get all the exercise their body needs to stay healthy through their hunting. Once we take cats into our homes they no longer need to hunt and there is a need for play as a substitute form of exercise.  Playing can keep all of those muscles working and your kitty’s brain functioning optimally. Also, domestic cats are increasingly becoming obese (see my article on feline obesity). Exercise in the form of play can be used to keep your cat from becoming obese or to help your cat overcome obesity.
  

  Cinco and Manna (when she was a baby) playing together.

• Beating boredom.
  Cats get bored too. Just like in humans, long stretches of boredom can turn into lethargy or worse – depression. Playing with your kitty can help beat the blues!
• Bonding with you and your other pets.
  Playing with your kitty is a way to spend time with them and let them get to know you. During play, cats learn that you are friendly, fun, and that they can trust you.  They can also learn to bond with your other pets through play.
• Confidence building.
  Creating a warm environment in play can build up your cat’s confidence in its own abilities. Play allows your kitty to practice using their limbs and mouth to reach and hold things, pouncing, jumping, running, and interacting with others.  Being a confident cat takes a lot of practice!
• Relief from anxiety.
  There are many things in a home environment that can cause stress to a cat – loud noises, visitors, other animals, unusual smells, changes in routine, etc. In a cat anxiety can manifest itself in behaviors that humans tend to consider to be “bad” behaviors like marking territory with urine, aggressive behavior, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.  Play allows built up anxiety to be relieved much the same as exercise can release anxiety in humans.  A happy kitty is a good kitty.

A playful kitty needs some toys.

Cinco playing Catfishing by Friskies on my cell phone

Don’t know what to play with? Here are some really fun ideas:

• Cat nip toys.  These can be anything from mice to bananas.
• Feather wands.
• Laser toys.
• Games for cats on your smartphone or tablet.
• Milk rings
• Wadded up paper balls. Aluminum foil is a hit too.
• Disposable plastic straws.
• Puzzle feeders.
• Cat trees and scratchers.

Pet supply stores have aisles worth of toys you can choose from if none of the toys above suit your fancy. Keep in mind that cats often like the cheap (or free) toys that you already have at home as much or more than they like expensive toys from the store. Moving a toy mouse or a plastic straw around under a blanket can be the source of hours of entertainment. Cats tend to like playing “fetch” as well.

Tips and Tricks for Playing Along

• Be the prey.
  The idea when playing with your kitty is to be the “prey” that they are hunting. Use toys to mimic the behaviors of common cat prey. Think of how a mouse runs around or how a bird flutters in the air. Wiggle the toy as you move it back and forth in front of the cat. Make sudden, short stops.
  

  Manna’s favorite game – wrestling with her daddy.
  *Cat behavior specialist do not recommend using your hands as toys.*

• Use both solo and interactive play.
  Solo play is when the cat plays with a toy on its own and interactive play is when you or another living creature plays with the cat. Both types of play are necessary. Make sure that you engage with your cat in play for at least a half an hour (total time). Play times should be broken into smaller segments ( 2 – 15 minute segments, 3 – 10 minute segments, etc). More time will be necessary for younger kittens.
• Play at the pace of your cat.
  In order to feel confident playing the game, your cat needs time to think about and plan their moves. Let the cat capture the toy occasionally.
• Don’t forget the cool down.
  If your cat is really riled up, don’t suddenly stop playing. Slow things down like a cool down in exercise. Let the cat get one last “win” before you finish.
• Be the keeper of the toys.
  Make sure that any toys with long strings are kept out of the cat’s reach when you are not using them to play with your cat. It would be horrible for your cat to swallow or become entangled in any of that string while your back is turned. Always consider the safety risks of leaving a toy out with an unsupervised cat before leaving them out.  Leave out some toys for solo play, but consider putting away some of the toys you use for interaction to keep them special.
  

  Cinco chasing the red dot

• Clearly define “toys”.
  If there is something you don’t want your cat to play with, don’t use it when engaging in interactive play. When you use something during play, the cat learns that it is a toy. Most cat behavior specialists recommend not allowing cats to play with your hands because they could cause some damage to you when they bite or scratch.
  Note: Dave and I have had pretty good success with teaching Cinco and Manna to stop playing with our hands if we say “ouch.” However, we do get a good scratch every now and again.

Manna’s  Play Video

Manna wanted to put together a video demonstrating interactive play with a disposable plastic straw. How could I deny her? 😉

Playful Kitty Puzzle: Feline Obesity

Come play a game with Playful Kitty, then play a game with your kitty!

On Monday we explored feline obesity and what we can do to keep our cats healthy. Try to take the time to play a fun and game like catch the red dot and chase the feather toy with your kitty today. You could even try “What’s in the bag?” To play this game you will need a paper bag, a cellphone on vibrate (or other device that can move or vibrate when controlled remotely), and a second phone. Place the cellphone that is on vibrate inside the paper bag on the floor near where the cat is sitting.  Then you step away from the bag and use the second phone to call the phone that is inside the bag. As the phone vibrates it will rattle the bag and set the cat’s curiosity in motion. Watch as your cat stalks the “prey” inside the paper bag. Cats love games that exercise their hunting skills! When it comes to exercise, 20 minutes per day can keep obesity away!

To play choose one of these options:

1. Click on the image of the puzzle and print it from your browser.
2. Right click on the image. Select “Save As” and save the image to your computer. Print as an image or place it onto a word document to print it.
3. Download the PDF version of the puzzle and print from Adobe Acrobat. Click the following link to use the PDF version: Feline Obesity Word Search.pdf

Want the Answers?

Just send us an email at robinsplayfulkittles@hotmail.com with the subject line “Feline Obesity” and we’ll send you the answer key.  🙂