The most important thing to remember with cats and their toys is to offer them a variety.
Of course the cat is bound to have a favourite toy, they all do, however you can keep them very happy by replacing those toys that are worn and old with new ones.
Many of the new toys are associated with catnip in some way. Over time the catnip will get old and essentially be less attractive to your cat, as far as actually playing with it goes.
Another toy they will simply love is scratching posts. There is a web site "superstore" for those individuals that reside in the UK that offers several different toys for keeping your cat happy. Simply do a search for superstores and pets in the UK and the results will include the web site.
These toys should also stay clean, although they are known to clean their toys themselves. They can quickly get frazzled and have strings hanging off them that shouldn't be there. These should actually be removed, or as stated above, if the cat toy is too worn or old just replace it with a new one. They love to play with toys that have bells on them or certain sounds. It makes them extremely curious and therefore playful.
Keeping your cat happy with various toys is also the key to a healthy pet. You will find they play often and stay fairly active using these toys which is a very good form of exercise for them.
You will find kittens are always getting into something like bags and other items such as boxes. Now there are toys that are made that are somewhat like large columns with holes in them. These types of toys are better for your cat, as bags and boxes can be become a danger to them. Safety is another way of keeping them happy with their toys.
For the most part many of the toys, scratching posts and columns as well as the vast variety of others, are reasonably priced. Many of these can be replaced on a regular basis without getting too expensive. However, your cat will love you because of the new catnip smell they will obviously be aware of.
Keeping them happy with toys will also keep them out of trouble. For instance, some cats get bored and start to claw furniture if they don't have scratching posts, or they will climb up on curtains; this is where the toy columns would be a good idea.
The toys should also be the type that a cat can paw at and sometimes even bite. Believe it or not, some like to carry their toys around with them. So if the toy is entirely too big, don't be surprised if they don't play with it very often. The key to keeping them happy is to ensure there are plenty of toys available.
Remember you can never have too many toys!!
They say that the world divides into cat people and dog people. While that may be so for some, I believe it's more a matter of loving animals in general and wanting them in your life. Whether it's a cat or a dog, or some other critter for that matter, what counts is having animal companions. That said, I freely admit that I am a cat person who's been enchanted with feline friends for many decades. As far as I am concerned, there isn't a more perfect creature on the face of this earth. I currently have three cats and I never tire watching them play and do their thing. Each has a different personality and style. Each has their own cat toys, and each has little quirks, likes and dislikes.
What's interesting about cats is that unlike humans, they never seem to get tired of playing. One of my cats is three and the other two, siblings, are seven or eight. You'd think the three-year-old kitty is still a teenager and playful whereas the other two are adults, but they all seem to enjoy playing equally. And no matter how many times I put their cat toys in the basket where they belong, the cats think differently and drag them all over the house.
Sometimes it seems that cats love to play with just about anything. Socks, wads of paper, cardboard boxes, string and, of course, anything they can bat and roll around. I also buy them presents and so there's a whole bunch of cat toys all over the house. My two older cats are small and you'd swear they were still kittens. They absolutely love to run after balls, and so they have an assortment of colored balls, some with feathers on them, and some with bells and other noisy things inside them.
Stitch, my three-year-old cat, is a large Russian Blue (or at least he looks like one) who's aloof and aristocratic. You'd swear he were the elder statesman of the house, and not the baby. His one weakness is catnip mice and other fluffy little cat toys that he can chase around. They almost inevitably end up under a sofa or behind the fridge, and then he tries for hours to reach them.
All three absolutely love to chase after a laser pointer. When they first came out, laser pointers cost a fortune, but today you can get them for a few dollars in cat toy stores. If there's one toy cats never seem to tire of, it must be a laser pointer. A close second are what I call "cat teasers." That's the fishing rod kind of toys that have feathers and fur balls attached. My cats just love to go after them. When Stitch was a kitten, he used to do back flips trying to get at the feathers.
Another category of cat toys is cat scratchers and gyms. If your kitty is a scratcher, there's no better investment than an assortment of things where he can sharpen his claws on instead of shredding the sofa!
Cats are wonderfully entertaining creatures to begin with, but watching them play with toys is even more fun. I make sure they always have something new and challenging to play with. Cat toys don't cost a lot, so reward and challenge your feline companion(s) with something new to play!
Both Derek Rogers & Chris Robertson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Derek Rogers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Food and Drink and Computers and The Internet. Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For cat toys, he recommends Seapets, one of the UK's leading suppliers of. Derek Rogers's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.