best cat toy that wasn't meant to be a cat toy?

[flowomo]

our two kittens go nuts over the cardboard tube from inside the paper towel roll. Now that's a cheap toy! How 'bout you?

[alarimer]

1. The plastic rings from milk jugs

Also, bottle caps.

[flowomo]

3. good for hockey for the older ones... but my kits want to eat them!

[flamingyouth]

45. Mine too - they also love twist ties

:D

[barb162]

75. 200 are under my fridge

[flowomo]

78. yea, that's where the mice play with them....

it's an all-purpose toy.

[barb162]

85. Mice don't last long around here; about 1 minute

I have 4 cats. Usually around this time of year a field mouse or two try to get in under the screen door. I finally put some insulation in the crack between the door and the door frame because I don't like picking up that one headless mouse body each autumn. I feel sorry for them because you know cats like to play with their prey.

[flowomo]

86. we also have 4 cats....

two kittens so they haven't been battled tested. One autistic older cat -- so he barely notices the mice. But Calvin catches one a day, alternating with chipmunks, and crunches them right on the front porch. Always leaves just the kidney.

[barb162]

89. They have to leave something to let you know what they

did for you. I found some mouse innards and fur on a round wool area rug by the front door. I originally thought one of the cats puked a hairball on that very nice rug. Then I looked closer. By this time all four cats saw me looking at that "ex-mouse" and they lined up in a row and watched me. And this thing had no head! And they kept looking up at my face, then down at the mouse, then at my face and at the mouse. And I was thinking, who is going to the vet re which one swallowed that!

My oldest, 17, who has always been indoor since the day he was born, is a great chipmunk and bird hunter when I let him out on the deck. They know how to catch instinctually; but they think all food comes out of cans and bags. The way I get a live bird or chipmunk out of their mouths is to grab them and pour water on the back of their neck until they let go. Trying to pry the prey out of their mouths doesn't work well. I keep a gallon of water on the deck always just in case.

What are the symptoms of the autistic cat? Do you mean autism as in humans?

[flowomo]

91. oh, that's just our way of saying he's really not tuned in much....

he just sort of ignores the reality around him. The kittens, for example, love to run around his legs and try to get him to play or snuggle. They don't register. He just keeps doing what he's doing. Max is old -- about 15, and tends his own little mental garden. But he's a talker -- long, loud stretches of noise with lots of variation in pitch and tone. Food ususally puts and end to that -- but it has to come straight from the 'fridge. He eats nuggets like all the others but has decided that a goodie from the people stash is something we owe him daily.

[barb162]

94. Sort of like my 17 year old. They can't keep up with kittens

Just like a grandpa and a grandma watching grandchildren

[Arkansas Granny]

110. Mice don't last long around my house either, but neither cat eats

them. They bring them in the house and place them in a strategic spot so I can discover them (hopefully not on my way, barefooted, to the coffee pot in the morning) and heap praise upon their little heads. They are really quite effective, since it has been years since I have seen any evidence of mice in the house, other than the dead ones, and have seen them both catch mice outdoors. I much prefer cats to poisoning mice or emptying traps. If I had to do that, I would probably have to find a way to peacefully co-exist.

[Pithlet]

92. Those are great.

I had to stop leaving those out once I had little kids around, unfortunately. But, that is a universal non-cat toy cat toy

[alarimer]

93. He also likes random bits of paper

and everytime I open a bag of shredded cheese, he gets the plastic part you rip off. I have never had to buy cat toys.

[schmuls]

103. refrigerators holes...

you know those holes in the refrigerator for reversing the handle? She futzed around with the cap on the bottom one until she pulled it off. We took it away so she would not swallow it. Now she just plays with the hole, until her claw gets caught in it and she cries. Little monster!

[In_The_Wind]

2. cellophane off of packages rolled up into a ball ...

cats and kittens alike go crazy over it for hours

[flowomo]

5. yes, they dig them out of the trash can... the crinkling drives me nuts

[In_The_Wind]

10. christmas garlands will also drive them bonkers ...

[CanuckAmok]

4. ribbon from gift wrapping.

hours of fun for all involved.

[BartInPC]

6. Laser pointer...

They'll chase that red dot until they are literally panting...

[flowomo]

8. yes! we have a red one and a green one...

the green one makes a ray you can see as well as a dot. You can get the cats to climb a wall (or somebody's leg) with them.

[BartInPC]

11. Or run one cat into another...

I like to have the young one flying around the room after the dot, then I send her flying into the older cat who's taking a nap. He's none too happy to be woken up by the other cat that annoys him already. :)

[flowomo]

12. works with the dogs too....

[Cannikin]

43. Laser pointers are the greatest pet toys ever.

It drives my dog insane. He continutes to sniff out the dot long after I've stopped playing

and the cat gets the craziest looks on her face.

[Rob H.]

44. Even when one of our cats is done chasing the dot

...she'll be sitting still, very calm, and then all of a sudden her eyes will widen and she'll jerk her head around as if she's just seen it out of the corner of her eye. You can almost see her thinking, "Well, I guess it's gone. I wonder where...huh?! Wha?! Was that it? Where'd it go?" :D

[Orsino]

73. Yep. Two out of three cats polled just a couple of minutes ago...

...agree: THE DOT MUST DIE.

[pokerfan]

100. Most worthless patent ever

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5443036.html

[Heidi]

7. My paintbrushes.

[Tallison]

27. Yes, and $14 bushy cosmetic brushes

[Heidi]

31. Yep,

but I spend a _heck_ of a lot more on art brushes than cosmetic brushes, and I think Ginger knows this. :rofl:

How ya doin', gf? :pals:

[billyskank]

65. That paintbrush is just SO going to be on the floor

in roughly ten seconds. Until it gets blatted somewhere out of reach, upon which the cat will get bored of it. You will find the brush ten years later. :)

[Heidi]

96. Oh, I always find them but

they have the handles are accumulating a lot of cat teeth marks. :hi:

[barb162]

74. heidi, heidi, heido, ho

:hi:

My cats think anything I have in my hand is a toy

[Heidi]

95. Hiya, barb!

Your cat sounds easier to please than Ginger. I'm jealous. Ginger first has to decide whether my possessions are play-worthy before showing an interest in them. :rofl:

[NMMNG]

9. It is always amazing the way cats are

Buy them all sorts of expensive toys and they enjoy paper bags, boxes, newspapers and other cheap or free junk. Go figure :shrug:.

[BamaGirl]

13. Mine like elastic hairbands and matchbox cars

They turn the house into a warzone after everyone goes to bed with the boy's cars.

[flowomo]

14. I just gave them a matchbox car yesterday....

now I have to fetch it from under the refrigerator every 10 minutes.

[BamaGirl]

16. Watch out lol

cause they will learn to chase small kids and dogs around the house with those suckers lol. Doesn't help that our floors are all hard surfaces lol!

[TimeChaser]

15. A wrapped piece of candy

My Alice loves to pick a piece up, carry it around, toss it, bat at it, and carry it around some more...

[SoCalDem]

17. water bottle lids, other cats

:

[flowomo]

18. that's a good point! They say dogs do best in pairs....

and that's true. We have two and a third (old one) died a few years ago. But we just got two new kittens and I don't know what they'd do without each other. Of course, the two older ones would like to see them crushed into pulp -- but they'll adapt. :)

[mykpart]

19. Dead bugs

[barb162]

90. Only live bugs work around here as toys. Dead ones don't move

and therefore are no fun/are not toys

[WilliamPitt]

20. My goddam right arm

[barb162]

76. both arms for me

and legs

[wickerwoman]

21. Uncrackable pistachio nuts.

My cats will knock them around on the wood floor or in the bathtub for hours. They only downside is when I go to take a shower and I find them caught in the drain. :-(

[Jamastiene]

22. Q Tips and homework assignments that I get frustrated

with and crumple up and throw indiscriminately across the room. They always act like it's Christmas when I do that. Like Oh Boy, let's play.

[Tallison]

28. Q-tips , pipe cleaner and twist ties

[Zomby Woof]

23. Wine cork

Our cat Kiko fetches them like a puppy, and can bat them around for hours. :-)

[DanCa]

24. A piece of yarn :D

[Starlight]

25. Emery boards.

One of my cats is obsessed with them. I have to keep them put away at all times or she will shred them. :shrug:

[flowomo]

37. well, at least you don't have to clip her nails all the time!

[obxhead]

26. Mine can't get enough of the 5 dollar laser pointer.

[China_cat]

29. SC has these things called palmetto bugs

actually they look like 2 inch long roaches and they fly.

Cotton likes to find one, put it in one of the dog food bowls and pat it until it runs around and around the bowl. She sits there and watches it until it stops and then she pats it some more. If it should escape, she'll go after it and start the game all over again.

From that we thought she'd like one of those round things with the ball in it that's an actual cat toy. It has gathered about 2 inches of dust and dog hair. None of my cats will play with it.

[Liz_Estrada]

30. hard candy wrapped in cellophane

but especially Pearsons Coffee Nips for some reason. If I had them, he'd get into anything to get to them, and then the game was on.

[Pharlo]

32. The shoes I wear when I mow the lawn.

I have catnip growing wild in the lawn....I'm surprised I have anything left of those shoes.

She's also inordinately fond of the dogs' ears....Which generally initiates the following sequence: the dog(s) chase(s) the cat, the cat runs under the couch, the dog sticks its nose under the couch, the cat scratches the dogs' nose, and the dog barks at the couch....

[flowomo]

48. haha... that's the most unusual entry...

we also have wild catmint growing all over the place. I bag it and dry it and let them party in the winter.

[warrior1]

33. Ping pong balls

or tin foil rolled up. Oh and a paper bag in the middle of the room.

[WCGreen]

34. They are so fickle....

And in this house, they have a wide variety of things to amuse themselves with....

Basically, anything that doesn't weigh more than 6 or 7 ounces and that they can somehow move...

[LostinVA]

35. Cocoa-Cola "fridge boxes"

[fleabert]

98. :-) my foster cats loved those! (pics)

I could hold an empty one by the slot handle, and they would leap in, turn around, and poke their heads out of the opening, it was damn cute. Then I would put it on the floor and they would play forever!





trash bag boxes work well too


I miss my foster kitties. :-(

[tavalon]

134. Ah yes,

any box, any size.

[Callalily]

36. Prisms

I hang them in the window. When the sun is shining through, these wonderful colored beams shine on my floor. My cat just loves to chase them.

[DinahMoeHum]

38. A large brown paper shopping bag.

:evilgrin:

[terrya]

39. A cardboard box

My cat loves cardboard boxes. She'll jump inside and hide in there for a while. Then she'll run around the house a bit and then jump back in the box again.

[just a girl]

40. A ball of aluninuim foil

Or my hands-free unit. :-)

[DanCa]

My bare feet

Kimaul was on my chest as usual when tsonga started attacking me yesterday during my sleep. Than I had both kitties treatting my legs as a scratchin post.

[graywarrior]

41. Every single one of my pens are under the sofa

I think Spike is trying to write a "help me" letter to someone.

[bullwinkle428]

42. Pink feather duster...

...mine was going nuts over it just the other day - I had to move it out of her reach to keep from (most likely) shredding it to pieces. I guess it was just the hunting instincts taking over - IT'S A BIG PINK BIRD!

[flowomo]

46. LOL -- I can just imagine that!

[MissHoneychurch]

47. newspaper

or a map.

Folded out on the floor you could be sure our cat would be underneath it sooner or later and "help" you reading or looking for directions

[NYdemocrat089]

49. String

Our cat goes crazy when she finds string.

[flowomo]

50. my computer monitor....

especially if I'm playing Snood or doing anything where objects are moving across the screen quickly. Of course, then I can't type anything because her head and paws are in the way.

[ashling]

51. Lizard that got into the house

I have pulled it out of the cats mouth twice, so she's definiley just playing with it

[flowomo]

52. lol! poor thing.

[ashling]

55. The cat's ok

- Oh, you meant the lizard! Its ok too.

we live way out in the country and occasionaly have uninvited critters in the house. Older house (built in 1938) and we have been remodeling on it off and on.

One night my daughter was awakened - she was scared at first until she realized it was just a tarantula that had crawled in.

We've had a bull snake on the kitchen cabinet and, after we had been away for about 3 years, one in the toilet. I was trying to un-plug when it wouldn't flush after my wife had just used it. A rather large snake ended up in the plunger.

[flowomo]

58. we live in an oldie too (1850)....

but in our part of PA, lizards and tarantulas are scarce. But the mice! Here's a short column I wrote about them last year:

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2005/01/27/editorial/rich_lewis/lewis01.txt

[ashling]

60. I too have tried a variety of mouse collecting devices

actually, only the first two you mention in your column. I have been able to find places that only the mice go. We have 9 1/2 foot ceilings with 7 foot closets with doored storage spaces above them, also I pull out drawers in the kitcken and put them under the bottom drawer, etc. Unfortunately, that requires a certain degree of climbing, stretching, and bending which my joints rebel against.

One night the cat came into my daughters room with a mouse in her mouth. Now, my daughter, not being entirely repelled by the cruel verities (sp?) of nature understood that this is the sort of things that cats do. However, she was not prepared for the cat to do it in front of her.

Bringing the cute little rodent (my daughter had done a presentation in 3d grade on "Radical Rodents", complete with a poster of various rodents of the world - to get her over her nervousness at presentation I got her a hand puppet mouse named henry who actually gave part of the report, but I digress)it suddenly became personal. She picked the cat up an holding her head down she shook her until she dropped the mouse and it ran off.

I have freed two lizards this way...actually, I think it was the same lizard. Not one of those little green garden lizards - the kind that we kids (though my daughters always refused to believe it, I was once a kid - actually, I still am at 54) called chamelions because they mimick the color they are on, not the Madacasgar Chamelion, but again, I digress.

[flowomo]

61. what a great story!

my kids had those pseudo-chameleons too (they're actually anoles; they're all over the sidewalks in Florida) -- and my oldest had an iguana. Cats stayed FAR away from that!

[ashling]

113. Thank you.

My daughter generally stays out of things like that, but when the cat brought it into her room, that made it personal for her. (or did I already say that - brain synapses deteriorating).

[Dangerously Amused]

53. Fringe.

I go to the fabric store and see if they have any crazy fringe on clearance. They almost always do. Some fluttery stuff, some ropey stuff... you can get a yard of it for a dollar or so. Then just drag it around and over stuff. Also, one of them especially likes a scrap of very sheer fabric draped over her. She spins around in circles trying to get "out."

I second the ping pong ball suggestion, too. Very fun on a hard floor, and too big to get under the refrigerator or stove.

[yellowdogintexas]

54. tear strips from the ziplock bags of grated cheese.

Rabbit's Foot Key chains

"my little pony" combs and brushes

milk bottle rings, twist ties

cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet paper.

One of my cats broke into the bathroom cabinet and stole four rolls of toilet paper then proceeded to "kill them". There was shredded toilet paper everywhere. And he took the good soft stuff, too not the scratchy cheap ScotTissue I bought by accident.

Mardi Gras Beads

Palmetto bugs

My shoelaces.

Each other.

[Arkansas Granny]

112. Ah! Toilet paper makes a formidable foe. Paper towels work

well if they are into big game.

[samplegirl]

56. My jewelry

Unfortunely!!! That will teach me to put it away
in my jewelry box.
:crazy:

[UncleSepp]

57. My toothbrush and shoe laces.

But only when in use.

When I was living with a family who had cats, one of the cats would get up with me in the morning and "help" me get ready, including batting at the toothbrush as I was brushing my teeth and biting my shoelaces when I was tying my shoes.

[AlienGirl]

66. Cat help is about as useful as parrot help. nt

[barb162]

77. Aint it the truth! My cat Babe helps me drink a glass of milk

by knocking the bottom of it up with his head when I am drinking. I always end up with some on my clothes

[Oceansaway]

59. my plants......grrrrrrrrrrrr

[flowomo]

64. oh yes.... very hard to teach the kittens that they're not dinner!

[barb162]

81. And you have to watch that because so many are poisonous

including house plants

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

62. Oddly enough? My Infant's Pacifier

Our cat stares at it and the second it hits the floor, or sits on a table unattended, then zoooommmmmm off he goes with it right in his mouth, running around the house with it. It's actually cute as hell.

[flowomo]

68. you must have to boil that pacifier a lot

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

70. Nahhhhh, Just Hot Water and Soap.

We've got like 15 pacifiers anyway, though.

[flowomo]

71. know that story -- with our first son, we were paranoid...

to leave the house without at least four of them. Wallets, keys, money.... no problem. But no pacifier ----- arrrrrrrrrrrghhhh. He's 22 now and just graduated from college... so no harm done.

[FlaGranny]

63. Paper grocery bags. n/t

[barb162]

84. Yes, cat A enters paper bag, Cat B does bodyslam on paperbag

[FlaGranny]

117. There's something about the sound

of the paper bag. If you just have one cat, she'll walk in and the sound of it makes her attack. Or you can lay the bag on its side and tap the bottom. Usually, even if she sees you do it, she will run into the bag to attack.

[no name no slogan]

67. Broken pullcord from the living room drapes

I even took it with us from my soon-to-be-sold house. I've tried other pieces of string or rope, but it's not the same to them. Strange.

[flowomo]

69. that's funny! But a beloved toy is to be respected....

even (maybe especially) for a cat.

[Arugula Latte]

72. A horse-lunging whip

When I was a kid with a horse, we discovered that our kitties went nuts for the whips (no we NEVER whipped the horse; you just sort of flick it to make them pick up the pace when you're exercising them on a long line in a circle). I've got one to this day, and my kitties love it. You get good control and they like to jump in the air to try to get the end.

[jojog]

79. Mardi Gras Beads

Show us kitties

[Patiod]

106. We got a whole case of Mardi Gras beads - it was cat heaven

We opened the case and opened a bunch of the packages, and she went berserk. Sat in the box, and spent hours outside the box pulling at various bead strands.


(I know jojog was joking, but the cat reallly did go nuts over them )

[Patiod]

107. Coins left on a table

She'll sit on the table and systematically knock each one to the floor.

[barb162]

80. Any object that can be kicked, carried, torn apart or destroyed

But they prefer a toilet paper roll cut in thirds versus a paper towel roll.

[barb162]

82. autumn leaves falling on the deck

[barb162]

83. snowflakes drive my oldest nuts

[HeeBGBz]

87. Plastic cigarette pack wrapper

Back when I used to smoke ciggies, my cat Thelma used to collect them. If I crinkled up a pack, she'd come running from another room. One time I found her stash under the bed. She must have had 20 plastic wrappers under there.

[Elidor]

88. Robin Williams' penis

[lakemonster11]

97. twist ties

My cat used to go crazy over twist ties. He also used to chase and swat at the eraser on my pencil while I was doing my elementary-school homework on the floor.

[colinmom71]

99. A plastic thread spool is keeping them occupied for now...

But they also like plastic bottle caps, laser pointers, and (strangely enough) cardboard boxes. Yeah, mine are cheap dates too! The cat toys we've bought from pet supply stores mostly go ignored...

[eridani]

101. Used tampons

No, they can't be flushed--plumbing is too old.

[flowomo]

115. a real cat-lover would buy them their own....

[eridani]

123. They aren't really interested in new ones.

I've tried. Five years past menopause, so that particular form of amusement is now out for them.

[flowomo]

124. did you ever imagine as a child...

that someday you'd be an expert in "tampon-related cat preferences"? It's a very specialized field.

[eridani]

125. No, I didn't

Nor did I have a clue what those red laser dots might be used for vis-a-vis puddytats.

[Burma Jones]

102. Dead Pigeons

[Rosie1223]

104. Carpet Runner

I had a carpet runner in my dining room for years. The cat paid no attention to it.

I recently moved the runner to my family room. Now, every morning, the cat must claw the runner into submission. Who knows what goes on in a kitty brain??

Rosie

[Arkansas Granny]

105. My cats love a little piece of tin foil wrapped around a couple

of paper towels wadded up to make a rough ball. Cheap, lightweight, simple and they will roll at lightning speed over any surface.

[bertha katzenengel]

108. 1. sock 2. milk cap ring 3. nut

all spark hilarious play!

[Beware the Beast Man]

109. Here's a list of Coleman's past "toys":

1. Silverware
2. A bottle of ketchup
3. A chunk of red bell pepper.
4. A clay figurine.
5. A playstation 2 controller.
6. Baby carrot that fell on the kitchen floor.
7. Piece of pancake on my plate (he got up on the table once and checked to see if the pancake chunk was still alive).
8. Leaves.
9. Shoestrings.
10. Basically anything that doesn't fight back.

[Mr. McD]

111. Our cats likes to bring in dried up Passion flowers and other

bits of plant material and play with them on the carpet. :shrug:

[kick-ass-bob]

114. A simple paper ball.

My cat would provide us hours of entertainment as we flicked a small paper ball in his direction and he would knock it around and eventually back to us for more.

In the days when we didn't have a TV, it was our source of entertainment.

[Taverner]

116. Airport Security Tags

Sophie loved em

[Richard Steele]

118. I'm just AMAZED that no one has mentioned TENNIS BALLS!

Our cats love them!

They are light enough to roll easily with a bat of a paw,
and the fuzzy surface allows kitty claws to grab and toss them.

[flowomo]

119. spend much time under the couch?

anything round I give our cats winds up there.

[Richard Steele]

120. That's part of the beauty of tennis balls!

They are SLIGHTLY too big to fit under our sofa,
so they get played with for more than 2 minutes!

The area beneath our sofa is a "cat-toy GRAVEYARD";
the last time I looked under there I was overcome
by a wave of despair so profound that I vowed to
never lift it again.

[MountainLaurel]

121. The dog

My parents' former cat used to jump off the stairs onto the back of the black lab, sort of like a lion trying to take down a wildebeest.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

122. My hair

when I let it grow...

[donheld]

126. The plastic cover from a bottle of water

My cat loves to bat them around the house like she's playing soccer. She has a hell of a time with them.

[madinmaryland]

127. My wedding ring.

We finally found it after 8 months behind some furniture we were moving. How he got it back there, we'll never know.

[LynneSin]

128. Ramsey's new kittens destroyed an empty cardboard box

They went nuts over it!

[WillParkinson]

129. Anything on the floor is a cat toy...

Anything not on the floor, will be.

Dot and Cider (and Bailey if he can get them LOVE the tops of bottles of water. He'll come in and snatch them off the desk if I have a bottle sitting here.

And, yes, the rings from juice containers.

And pens.

And my socks.

Heck, if anything doesn't amuse him I need to get more of that.

[distantearlywarning]

130. The birds I bait by putting seed on the windowsill.

:-)

[MissMillie]

131. balls of aluminum foil

they love that

[tavalon]

132. Mice

The city cat we just relocated to the country turns out to be the best mouser ever.

Edit: OTOH, it sucks to find his gifts in the hallway, kitchen, livingroom, you get the picture. It seems they just aren't fun anymore once they stop moving. Yech.

[friesianrider]

133. Packing peanuts!

Just have to watch the furkids don't eat them :)