Cat toys: What are the best cat toys?

by Brenda Nelson

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I have been compelled to write this after reading several stories about cats who died because of a toy, and subsequently reading several recommendations for those same dangerous toys.

What makes a good cat toy? A good cat toy is one that the cat enjoys, and is stimulated by. A good cat toy can have owner involvement, or the cat should be able to interact with the toy on his or her own. It should also be safe.

SAFE CAT TOYS

Cat nip toys are generally safe and provide entertainment. It must be noted that young kittens often do not get any sensation off of cat nip so you may want to wait until your kitty is at least six months of age before introducing cat nip. Cat nip itself may be bought loose and rubbed on cat furniture, scratching posts, soft toys, or even put inside old socks. You should store loose cat nip in your freezer.

Honeysuckle toys are one of my personal favorites to recommend, although they may be harder to find. They have a smell that is attractive to cats but does not have the same narcotic like effect on them as cat nip. Honeysuckle toys may be revived by being put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

There are some cheap homemade toys cats love, one being the cardboard box. You can either open it up for them to play in, or cut holes in it for them to use as a tunnel. Bigger boxes are particularly enjoyable if you have more than one cat. Tin foil rolled into balls offers entertainment too, but make sure the balls are not so small a cat could swallow them.

Balls and fake mice are one of a cats favorite toys. They like toys they can swat around or carry in their mouth. Balls and toys come in many textures, and it is best to provide your pet with a variety of such.

There are many other commercially available cat toys to look for, just remember to avoid those listed as dangerous.

DANGEROUS CAT TOYS

One of the most dangerous cat toys are the toys on strings, that slip onto door knobs, or hang from cat furniture. It is incredibly easy for an unsupervised cat to become entangled in this kind of toy and strangle themselves. Or they could get the string wrapped around their limb and have the string cut off circulation for a time, so please, if you have this kind of toy get rid of it at once.

Laser toys are also popular with cats, and their owners, but if directed into the eye of the kitty, even accidentally, they can cause vision problems.

Marbles, these should be obvious as a choking hazard but are often used for cats.

HOW TO USE TOYS

Cats love a variety of toys, some soft ones that they can carry in their mouths, some harder ones, and some jingle ones too. Mostly cats love new toys, or toys they "think" are new. You can trick your feline friend into thinking his or her toys are new by hiding some in a cupboard and rotating them every few weeks. This will really stimulate interest and use of the toys.

If you have a cat tower you can consider it as a toy too, rub it with cat nip or relocate it for a week or so. Tip a tall tower on its side. Going with the theory that cats like "new" things, this change will draw interest for your cat to reinvest play time on the cat tower.

Cats are living beings as much as they can play by themselve they enjoy playing with you too. Be interactive with your cat to encourage play for bonding and health reasons. Next to your company, one of the best toys for a cat, is the companionship of another cat!