All About Cat Toys

There are two types of cat toys, interactive and solo.  The interactive toys are typically based on a fishing pole design or they may have a wand with a long piece of fabric on the end. These toys require the owner’s participation to provide movement. Solo toys are the typical fuzzy mice, squeaky balls, puzzle feeders, milk jug rings and other small play objects that the cat usually bats around on her own.  For safety reasons, the fishing pole toys should never be left alone with you feline  because the cat could chew on the strings or get tangled up in them. In addition to the safety factor, you also want to keep them put away in-between play sessions in order to maximize their appeal. If the cat knows her time with them is limited, they will be much more enticing. When an interactive toy is special to the cat, it gives you the added opportunity to use that play session for not only fun, but for behavior modification as well. Through an interactive play session you can help diffuse tension in a multicat home, redirect a cat away from an unwanted behavior, ease boredom, provide much needed environmental stimulation and so much more.  If you want to have toys last longer mentally and physically, rotate the toys out instead of having a million of them lying all over the house.  Placement is also important in keeping toys exciting. Instead of tossing a few toys out into the center of the room, strategically place them where they will spark your cat’s play drive. Place a fuzzy mouse on the edge of a cat perch with its tail dangling over the side. Put a crinkly ball inside an open paper bag or in an empty tissue box. Put a straw on the kitchen floor where it’ll be easy to bat around whenever the cat comes in to get a drink from his water bowl. Fill some puzzle feeders and place them around your cat’s play area.  A combination of these thing will keep your cats happy all day!