Apr
22
2010

Why do people buy expensive toys for cats when what they want is a cut-up toilet paper roll or elastic band?


Because they love their cats and try to express that by buying them things they think the cats will enjoy. I’m certainly guilty of that, though my cats love homemade toys as well.

But I wouldn’t recommend giving them elastic bands, as those can be swallowed and can cause an intestinal blockage. Also avoid string, thread, or yarn as toys, because they can get caught in the barbs on the cat’s tongue, and then the cat is forced to keep swallowing the string because it can’t spit it out. A wide, soft shoestring is a better choice, though even with that it’s best to supervise play.

My cats love crumpled-up pieces of paper, and the plastic rings from milk jugs, and of course they love empty cardboard boxes and paper bags (with the handles cut off).

12 Responses to “Why do people buy expensive toys for cats when what they want is a cut-up toilet paper roll or elastic band?”

  1. pumkin queen Says:

    i know what you mean! my kids and i leave large crumpled papers on the floor, to watch our cats bat them around to each other. last week i bought a yellow feather duster. and now there are yellow feathers in every room of my house!! lol…i love cats!
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  2. Patricia Says:

    That’s an easy one. The owner’s want they’re pets to have all the bet products, and that also includes toys or clothes. A cat may like to lay with a cotton ball or a box or something but th owner want the cat to have a decent toy for example a stuffed bunny. Its really the owner though. I’d rather my cat played with something that made him happy, not me happy
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  3. catnip Says:

    I don’t know why! I bought my cat these special catnip bubbles (just like the bubbles for children, but they have catnip) and he played with the bottle cap while I blew bubbles. He has a stash of bread ties somewhere (I am a;ways seeing him with one, batting it, chasing it). But I just see a toy that *I* think looks cool or fun, so I buy it for him.
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  4. Judy D Says:

    I know what you’re saying. My cat has had many different toys over his life time (9 yrs now) and he has never liked more than a couple of them. He loved rubber bands but I won’t let him have them because of the choking hazzard. And, he flips out over an ice cube dropped on the kitchen floor, too funny! Right now his favorite toy is a feathers and bells thing that hangs at the end of a string on a wand. Loves that thing.
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  5. JJK Says:

    The expensive toy is more for the enjoyment of the owner than for the actual pet. Sure, we "hope" our pets like to play with the toy but in all honesty we are the ones enjoying the toy more.
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  6. barjesse37 Says:

    To make their owners feel that they are doing a better job, I think.
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  7. Atousa Says:

    well, I don’t know about other cats, but my cat gets tired of playing with something after a while. So I try to find new things for her to play with. And when you run out of ideas around the house, you just pick something up at the store. Then she gets tired of that…
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  8. little_coow Says:

    its like if u could, wouldnt u buy all designer clothes when the other stuff is just as good ???
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  9. dangerouslee_hazel Says:

    I don’t know. I’ve tried buying my cat toys and stuff, he liked the catnip ones until the catnip runs out. Otherwise his favorite toys are the plastic rings from the jugs of milk, and my ponytail holders.
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  10. kg22 Says:

    i know…my cat one day I spent 10 bucks on toys, came home and all he wanted to play with was my nail file. so weird!
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  11. Mustang_gurl Says:

    I’m right with you! They just want to spoil their cat or cats rotten!
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  12. Bess2002 Says:

    Because they love their cats and try to express that by buying them things they think the cats will enjoy. I’m certainly guilty of that, though my cats love homemade toys as well.

    But I wouldn’t recommend giving them elastic bands, as those can be swallowed and can cause an intestinal blockage. Also avoid string, thread, or yarn as toys, because they can get caught in the barbs on the cat’s tongue, and then the cat is forced to keep swallowing the string because it can’t spit it out. A wide, soft shoestring is a better choice, though even with that it’s best to supervise play.

    My cats love crumpled-up pieces of paper, and the plastic rings from milk jugs, and of course they love empty cardboard boxes and paper bags (with the handles cut off).
    References :

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