A Ball, Some Yarn, A Piece of String.....
What is your Favorite Plaything....
Living in a tiny apartment with 4 cats and 5 kittens during the rainy season is quite a challenge....they get bored, they get fussy, they blame you for the nasty weather and treat you accordingly. In order to maintain your sanity in this situation, it is imperative that you come up with interesting ways to entertain them .....not always an easy task. When the usual toys no longer pacify them, you must rely on skill and ingenuity in order to survive.....( or for them to survive). Having been in this situation more often than I care to recall, I have amassed an unusual assortment of "toys" to keep my cooped up kitties content. So, if you have a cat suffering from severe boredom and you find yourself tinkering on the edge of insanity....feel free to test some of these out. And, if there is anyone out there who has found any other methods of calming the cooped up cat.....I would be delighted to hear them.....(the rainy season is quickly approaching again!)
Bubbles.....
Bubbles are great....they even have catnip scented ones.....but I don't think they can tell the difference.
I enlist the aid of a table fan when using bubbles....blow them in front of the fan and the fan blows them all over the house. Works great on the kittens....the older ones are less amused.
The Dangly's
Last winter, my house was full of giant dangly's....elastic string hung from the ceiling with some feathers or a toy tied at the bottom. The stretchy string makes for some serious "snapping" action which can be rather comical (risk of "snap back" injuries can be substantial in younger cats).
Table Tents
Large blanket tossed over coffee table.....table tent.
Balloons
Blow 'em up....then let 'em go. Once the cats get over the initial shock....it's funny to watch them try to figure out what the hell they are.
B.O.T.'s
(Battery Operated Toys)
Anything that moves or makes noise. Those little mini remote control cars are great....but my personal favorite is a huge battery operated wooly mammoth (weird, I know) that walks, brings it's trunk up, and moos. Yappy dogs are good for a laugh as well.
Space Shooters
You know, the toys guns that shoot the foam discs.....cats love them but they are a bit high maintenance as you have to gather up all the discs and reload....they are also easily eaten by teething kittens.
Laser Light
This should already be a staple in any cat's home.
Tunnels
You can get those ridiculously over-priced tunnels at the pet store.....I got mine at a toy store for 1/3 the cost....and then you can crawl in with them.
The Vaccuum
Used as a last resort.....I just park it in the middle of the room and watch the cats avoid it like the plague.
Nature
Crickets are the best.....they hop, they don't bite, they are not too easy to catch, and they can last for days.
The Bathtub
Toss a couple of balls in the tub.....hours of entertainment (danger to shower curtain = high)
Living in a tiny apartment with 4 cats and 5 kittens during the rainy season is quite a challenge....they get bored, they get fussy, they blame you for the nasty weather and treat you accordingly. In order to maintain your sanity in this situation, it is imperative that you come up with interesting ways to entertain them .....not always an easy task. When the usual toys no longer pacify them, you must rely on skill and ingenuity in order to survive.....( or for them to survive). Having been in this situation more often than I care to recall, I have amassed an unusual assortment of "toys" to keep my cooped up kitties content. So, if you have a cat suffering from severe boredom and you find yourself tinkering on the edge of insanity....feel free to test some of these out. And, if there is anyone out there who has found any other methods of calming the cooped up cat.....I would be delighted to hear them.....(the rainy season is quickly approaching again!)
Bubbles.....
Bubbles are great....they even have catnip scented ones.....but I don't think they can tell the difference.
I enlist the aid of a table fan when using bubbles....blow them in front of the fan and the fan blows them all over the house. Works great on the kittens....the older ones are less amused.
The Dangly's
Last winter, my house was full of giant dangly's....elastic string hung from the ceiling with some feathers or a toy tied at the bottom. The stretchy string makes for some serious "snapping" action which can be rather comical (risk of "snap back" injuries can be substantial in younger cats).
Table Tents
Large blanket tossed over coffee table.....table tent.
Balloons
Blow 'em up....then let 'em go. Once the cats get over the initial shock....it's funny to watch them try to figure out what the hell they are.
B.O.T.'s
(Battery Operated Toys)
Anything that moves or makes noise. Those little mini remote control cars are great....but my personal favorite is a huge battery operated wooly mammoth (weird, I know) that walks, brings it's trunk up, and moos. Yappy dogs are good for a laugh as well.
Space Shooters
You know, the toys guns that shoot the foam discs.....cats love them but they are a bit high maintenance as you have to gather up all the discs and reload....they are also easily eaten by teething kittens.
Laser Light
This should already be a staple in any cat's home.
Tunnels
You can get those ridiculously over-priced tunnels at the pet store.....I got mine at a toy store for 1/3 the cost....and then you can crawl in with them.
The Vaccuum
Used as a last resort.....I just park it in the middle of the room and watch the cats avoid it like the plague.
Nature
Crickets are the best.....they hop, they don't bite, they are not too easy to catch, and they can last for days.
The Bathtub
Toss a couple of balls in the tub.....hours of entertainment (danger to shower curtain = high)
posted by lucyfur at 1:01 AM
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