Jan
10
2013
What is your cats favorite toys and do you know of any cool homemade cat toys or treats?
I have 4 cats and they all love toys… and treats. I was wondering what some cool new toys and treats would be for them.
We made some kickable sized catnip toys for our cats.It’s easy, you just need an old soft towel, cut the shape, we made fish shapes, stuff it with the rest of the towel with lots of dried catnip sprinkled in it.
Then sew the edges up really secure, no stitches poking out or gaps left lol
Our cats love them, they can grab them and have a really good kick and bite session.
January 11th, 2013 at 4:24 am
my cats love a piece of string there play with it allday long there prefer the string to any of there other toys
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 5:04 am
I have two cats. One absolutely loves anything with feathers and the other likes anything that makes a jingling noise or sparkles in the light. I bought a lot of different kinds of toys to see what they played with most often and that is what I found out.
Some good advice is to leave a toy out for a day or two and then put it away before they get bored with it. Then swap it out for another toy. Keep swapping toys out like that and they will not get bored with them.
As for treats, there should be one treat you only pull out when they have done some behavior you really like. This can be used to train them but it has to be something they will do anything to get, not just everyday kind of treats. I would suggest pieces of boiled chicken (small pieces) or bits of steamed crab meat. I confess I have given my cats pieces of string cheese on occasion, but this is not good for them. Make sure not to give them so much that they won’t be hungry for their regular meals.
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 5:22 am
Did you know that you can grow your own catnip? It is a mint plant and easy to grow. I take leaves from the plant and save them in the freezer in a ziploc bag. Then you can take any toy (fuzzy ball, string etc.) and put it in the bag for a few days to gather the smell. The cats will go wild for the toy when you refresh it this way. So you can recycle the fuzzy mouse they have lost interest in. Also take the leaves and sew them in a small bag 2" x 2" to make a catnip pillow. They will play with it for hours.
Good luck.
~
References :
My brain….
January 11th, 2013 at 6:00 am
My favorite quote is borrowed from Shakespeare and altered for a cat: "All the world’s a toy". They will play with anything or nothing. My favorite homemade toys: Foil rolled into a ball, and a bottle cap. Specially on a hard floor. My kitties will bat around and play for hours.
As far as treats, I like to give my kitties treats with tarter control. That way I’m brushing their teeth while treating them.
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 6:41 am
well our cats love things that look and act like birds…
and we tend to make our own toys b/c the ones they like are like 5-8 bucks at the store and usually fall apart fast…here’s what you need:
a pair of old socks
catnip
cotton or rice (any filler)
feathers
elastic string or a shoelace
needle and thread
1 chopstick
crazy glue
small piece of duct tape (colored or not)
OKAY: put one of the socks inside the other to create one thick sock. Fill it with catnip and filler, at the opening, put the feather in so they are sticking out, fold up the sock over them and sew it shut. A few dabs of crazy glue at the base of the feathers where it meets the sock will help keep the feathers from pulling out easily.
Then attach the elastic string or shoelace to the feather end and sew it/dab it with crazy glue.
then knot the other end of the string to the end of the chopstick and wind it up a few times, hit it with the glue and then secure a piece of duct tape around that an WAA-LA! a really fun cheap cat toy made with stuff in the house and you can make tons for othe people also.
I make a lot at the holidays and give them in xmas-hannukah gifts for my other cat loving friends and family
As for treats, again we like to make our own b/c we control what goes in them and they love them and it SAVES LOTS OF MONEY! This is the website we use
http://www.simplypets.com/pet-recipes/Cat/Treat
BEST OF LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 7:24 am
We made some kickable sized catnip toys for our cats.It’s easy, you just need an old soft towel, cut the shape, we made fish shapes, stuff it with the rest of the towel with lots of dried catnip sprinkled in it.
Then sew the edges up really secure, no stitches poking out or gaps left lol
Our cats love them, they can grab them and have a really good kick and bite session.
References :
retired vet nurse
January 11th, 2013 at 7:56 am
I stopped buying my cats toys because they’d just ignore the store bought toys. Instead, they’d make their own toys with things they’d find in the house…. the ring around the milk carton is their favorite. Balls of foil is another one they like. The pile of newspapers that are on the floor as we’re reading it. They find a lot of different things around the house that keep them entertained but, like I said, if I go out and spend money on them, they have absolutely no interest.
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 8:14 am
Here’s some tips to make toys courtesy of martha stewart…
http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/cat-toys?autonomy_kw=cat%20toys&rsc=header_1
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 8:21 am
I have two cats and their favorite toys are fake toy mice. They also like toy animals on a post and a rope so they can bat at it. I also have a video for cats called "Cat Sitter" which shows a variety of birds, hamsters, butterflies and other things. They just love it and try to get the creatures and bat the T.V. set. My one cat just goes nuts when I shine a flashlight around the walls and floor as he tries to catch it.
For treats, they like some prepackaged cat treats occasionally. They also love catnip and this is good for their digestion. When I open a can of salmon or tuna for myself, I pour the water into a bowl and they love to lick it up.
Enjoy your cats, I know I enjoy mine!
Michelle
http://www.loveablecats.net
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 9:07 am
toke some tin foil and make it into a ball and let them chase it,cut some yarn and tie it to a doornod or something,take a big bead necklect from marti gras and cut it in half,then slide all the beeads of except one. it will be hard but it is do-able and make her chase it.and the beads can be use as a playing ball. well im out of ideas
References :
January 11th, 2013 at 9:17 am
Homemade Treats: While I don’t know of any treat recipes right off hand, I do know of something that is inexpensive, and once you buy it you’ll never run out. Buy a catnip plant. If you go to Wal-mart or somewhere else in the garden section, you can usually buy catnip in the herb department. We have had catnip for 3 years, and though it dies in the winter, it springs right back up in the springtime, and by summer it’s in full bloom. For winter months, I cut the catnip before it dies and dry it, and in the months when the plant is alive, I just let my cat have a fresh leaf or two at a time. Great for kitties dry or fresh!
Here’s a site with tons of cat treat recipes: http://www.the-cats-meow.com/cattreats.shtml . There are many other websites as well, just Google "cat treat recipes."
Now for toys. Here are a few that I’ve made my cat and he loves them!
– Entertaining the catnip idea, dry some, crush it up, and put it in a sock. Tie a knot on the end, and presto! You have a catnip sock. My cat actually picks his up and carries it around!
– String is a classic. Cats go nuts chasing it.
– "Fishing Pole." All you have to do is tie the string to a stick, and tie something, like a pom pom, to the end of the string.
– Pom Pom: This is easy and fun to make. You can go to my cat’s tutorial at http://fightingforferals.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-make-your-own-pom-pom.html . Be sure to check out the rest of his blog when you’re there.
– Take a small, rectangle piece of shiny wrapping paper or some other crinkly stuff, and fold it up like an accordion. Tie a string around the middle and spread the "wings" out, then you have a butterfly! This is my cat’s favorite.
– A film canister with a few beads or something else to make it rattle is terrific.
– You know those rings that are around the lid of a gallon milk jug? If you get one of those and tie a bunch of bits of string to it, it looks sort of like an octopus thingy that cats love!
Hope this helps. Have fun! >^..^<
References :
Personal experience
Various websites
Cat Fancy Magazine
January 11th, 2013 at 9:33 am
My cats love LED lasers. When I aim it at the ground they will chase it for hours. It’s great for exercise and will keep the cats entertained. Also, most pet stores have electronic toys that move on their own, which is a great toy if you don’t always have time to play with your cats. Cats love to chase them and they are sturdy, so they won’t break if your cat is rough.
References :
Years experience of having cats.