Household Objects as Cat Toys: Finding What's Safe

While I am generally not into bragging about our cats, (believe that and I will sell you the Brooklyn Bridge!), our two Oriental Shorthair cats, Hush Puppy and Hubble, are both extremely intelligent.  And while we consider their intellectual prowess a blessing, my husband and I suspect their braininess is the cause of how incredibly difficult it is to please them with  toys that are both safe and attractive. Not much keeps them entertained for more than a few minutes.

And since most of their favorite toys have long since gone missing, more than likely buried under the refrigerator or somewhere behind the stove, just the thought of embarking on an archeological dig to retrieve them gets me extremely exhausted and frustrated.

So I was hopeful that my kitty toy problem might be solved while I was browsing through one of my favorite cat magazine the other day. I came across an item which invited  readers to share about objects  found around the house that ultimately were adopted by their kitties and became cherished toys.

Since we are not owned by a canine, the suggestion to “play with the dog’s tail” was out of the question. I am positive that Buddy, our neighbor’s little Jack Russell Terrier mix would definitely not cooperate with that kind of experiment.

Furthermore, since I have short hair, the suggestion, “playing fetch with a small hair band” would require me to go out and purchase a few. And while some folks do allow their cats to play with those small elastic hair bands, these items, as far as I am concerned, seem rather dangerous to me. Since a cat can easily ingest one, it may end up playing havoc with their digestive tract, requiring veterinary intervention.

I feel the same way about those plastic tabs found on milk bottles. While many folks have no problem sharing them with their cats, and think they are terrific toys, what deeply concerns me is the plastic milk top tabs are easy to swallow, so it is critical for the cat to be supervised by their human companion, while kitty plays the feline version of Lacrosse.  I don’t know about your kitties, but since Hush Puppy is drawn to anything made of plastic like a magnet, (especially plastic shopping bags)  he must be watched like a hawk.

But fortunately one rather unusual item on the list turned out to be rather successful. Hush Puppy and Hubble thoroughly enjoyed playing with ice cubes I placed on the kitchen floor.  In fact, they had so much fun, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them ultimately tried out for our local hockey team.

What are your cat’s favorite home grown toys? Do share about them in a comment.