Find toys that bring out feline's inner kitten
I often encourage feline fanciers to stimulate play with their feline by making old toys new by either reapplying catnip or putting them away for a while. You should not have to work too hard to get your feline to play with interactive toys.
If your feline is disinterested in anything you buy, or just does not respond to conventional store bought toys, what can you find for them to play with that will be safe?
Use your imagination and enter your feline's state of mind. If you think about it and watch your feline's behavior, you will come up with some ideas.
Don't our felines always want something to play with they shouldn't? Our response to their behavior is key. An object is always more interesting if we are saying no. Now the object is a must have. Look for creative ways to make the item safe or only allow access when you can supervise.
I have a feline that always helps me when I put away groceries. There are two things she asks for when this happens. She watches me untwist ties from the bags from the fruit and vegetable department. She tries to grab them and run away with them.
She is even smart enough to know where they are kept. She tries to open the kitchen drawers and cabinets. She enjoys the twist-ties so much, I allow her to play with them when I have time to watch her to make sure she does not run off and hide the twists for later play. Ultimately, she would chew all the paper off, exposing the wire, if I let her have it for an extended period of time.
If I come home with paper handled shopping bags, her world is complete. The handles are cut off and she proudly claims her prize by carrying them off and putting them in her toy box. Flat-handled paper is safer because it does not unravel like twisted handles.
Forget crinkled or fuzz store-brought toys for my paper obsessed feline. She prefers wadded notepaper balls. She will fetch nothing else. She loves the texture and the sound. This is a harmless toy to leave out as long as you check the condition of the paper daily.
She hauls these paper wads around and proudly puts them in her toy box so she does not have to share it with my other felines. The rest of my felines think she is crazy because they love the expensive store brought toys. If your feline does not like conventional toys, keep experimenting. You will find something they like that is safe and brings out their inner kitten.
If you want to provide a real special toy and don't mind the price range, Yeowww brand catnip toys will send even the laziest feline into a playing frenzy. Even my paper-crazed feline plays like a kitten with these toys.
The price range on these is $6-$8. When your feline gets through playing with Yeowww catnip, make sure you have a super Kitty Kong to divert their aggression so they leave the rest of the felines alone. Yes, they are that crazy with Yeowww. Just sit back and enjoy the show.
Featured felines:
Suzy is a friendly female dilute torti. When she arrived at the shelter she looked as if her owner had given up taking care of her. She was very skinny, her coat was missing patches of fur and it looked as if she had worn a too tight collar since there was a ring of fur missing around her neck.
With a lot of attention she has gained back her fur and some weight. She will be the first cat to greet you as you enter her room and begin rubbing against your legs, especially if you have food or treats.
She likes the attention, but when she has had enough she will let you know.
• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit (501c3), all volunteer, no-kill animal shelter. For information, call (847) 290-5806 or visit thebuddyfoundation.org.