Bored kitties

[Cynth]

My kitties (full grown) are restless. We go outside a bit each day and I walk quickly around the lot several times with things for them to chase and they follow me and enjoy that, but it's too cold to stay out long. Indoors they sleep a lot and look for something to do. I pull and whirl various toys while walking around the house, but they are tired of that and they just watch me while I do it. I got all their balls out and rolled them down the stairs and they just sat there and watched me roll them down and pick them all up again. Grrrr! Any ideas to get them moving and add some spice to their lives that don't involve live animals? We have two bird feeders they can watch, but they have lost interest in those as well.

[Congratulations]

Catnip?

[jsluder]

We learned long ago that buying toys for our cats was a waste of money. Their favorite playthings are paperwads, paper grocery bags, and cardboard boxes. (Although, at 13 and 19 years old, they don't play much anymore.)

[BillChin]

Many cats like chasing the light from a laser pointer. Most convenience stores, or office supply stores sell them for under $10 (more for fancy dancy models).

I also bought a friend, a cat toy that is a faux dragonfly on a wire. I bought it on Ebay. It is billed as the "world's best cat toy." The cat in question enjoyed playing with it, more than any of his other toys. Search for "cat toy dragonfly" on the Internet or Ebay and you'll find some. These are around $12 for one (a lot for a cat toy).

[SteveShaw]

Tie a length of string tightly around a wine cork. Dangle from a convenient object slightly above the carpet (chairs are good). The more of these you have dangling around the place the more your pussies will like it. And what a pleasure it is to have to do the work to obtain all these wine corks.

Steve

[brewerpaul]

Many cats like chasing the light from a laser pointer. Most convenience stores, or office supply stores sell them for under $10 (more for fancy dancy models).

One of our three cats is absolutely nuts for this: the other two couldn't care less.

[rebl_rn]

My cat also loves the laser pointer. All I have to do is pick it up and she is ready to go.

Another toy my cat likes are the little hangers that socks sometimes come on when you buy them. I don't know why she likes them, but she has a blast playing with them.

[Cynth]

Thanks for the tips you guys. I'd completely forgotten that we have a laser pointer that hasn't been out for a long time, so it's worth a shot---no one got too excited before, but you never know with cats. The cat toy with the wire is one we don't have, so I'll think I'll make our collection complete and get one---I know they would like it. I'm tying things everywhere---I used fishing line to make things seem to be floating and even tied some candy bar wrappers to me that rattle around and drag on the floor when I walk. They really like that and I don't have to wave things around. It seems promising except that Lilly likes to chew through the fishing line and it looked like she was going to end up eating it, so it will have to be string. Flora is having a wonderful time right now with the wrapper dangling from the hall lamp. Oh, and I'll make sure to try out the sock hangers next time we get some socks .

[kkrell]

Cynth, don't leave string lying around for them to eat, either. Quite dangerous to kitties' intestines. And remember to take care that a laser pointer doesn't hit them in the eyes.

Mine likes different types of balls (ping pong, light golf balls, small & regular size tennis balls, crinkly, wooly, etc., as they sound, roll & behave differently). Funny to watch him hoon his back holding onto and kicking a tennis ball, sort of rolling it around between all the paws like a trained seal.

He also loves to wrestle, and to be chased. Think of the games cats like to play with each other. Unfortunately, we had to take the role of the other cat. But he's gentle, now. We also play red-hot hands.

Kevin Krell

[Flyingcursor]

Similar to Steve's suggestion, add a rubber band to the top of the string. That way when the cat let's go it flys around.

[Silvano]

Any ideas to get them moving and add some spice to their lives that don't involve live animals? We have two bird feeders they can watch, but they have lost interest in those as well.

You could also try "dipping" the toys in valerian. I' d advise you to do that outside because it smells like rotten cheese.
Our cats go mad with it.

Silvano

[susnfx]

Put an ice cube on the kitchen floor and let them have at it. Of course there's some cleanup involved, but it's amusing for kitties and owners alike.

Susan

[Jack]

Put an ice cube on the kitchen floor and let them have at it. Of course there's some cleanup involved, but it's amusing for kitties and owners alike.

Susan

You can make the ice cube with cream and catnip instead of water. You could even put tuna or chicken in the the ice cube, but since you're not cruel and evil you won't, of course.

[Cynth]

Okay! I told my kitties people were coming up with all sort of great ideas for them. I tried the ice cubes and zero response---but I'm thinking of trying to make tiny ones with a piece of dry cat food in the middle, maybe that would get their attention (cream is, they regret to say, not on their diet). I will certainly look into valerian---I'm sure we can stand the smell. The rubber band + string idea sounds great---they like things that spring so I'll work on that tonight. My invention today was to tie a long piece of yarn to my pants like a tail---they thought that was great. I just hope I don't forget and go out in public still wearing my "tail"! Kevin, I will be sure to watch the string and laser pointer, thanks for the tips there. Balls for cats are really quite interesting---the commercial names for them are too. I have a huge collection but I seem to like them much more than my kitties do. I am thinking of starting a cat ball museum.

[Cynth]

Oh dear. Tonight I got myself all rigged up with crackly candy bar wrappers tied to thread attached to me by means of rubber bands. I went downstairs and started trotting around the rooms with the wrappers dragging and bouncing around on the floor behind me. Flora and Lilly seemed a bit taken aback but were starting to chase me and I was gently calling them to let them know it was really me. Then my husband, wearing his pajamas and in the middle of dishing out ice cream, decided to show them what I wanted them to do. So without putting the ice cream container down he started chasing me. He was just pounding away on the floor and laughing. The poor kitties got scared---and no wonder although Jim was really just trying to help---and ran and hid. Flora's fur was all puffed up. If there was a Peeping Tom at the window, he sure got the idea we do very strange things at night when the curtains are pulled . The kitties recovered just fine and got a good bit of exercise.