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Choose Only Safe Cat Toys
"Safe and interactive cat toys will
help keep your cat healthy and entertained."
Cat Toys and Exercise Help Keep Your Cat Healthy
Safe and interactive toys for your cat, and especially your kitten, provide the necessary exercise and entertainment she needs. The right toys can also save your home from potential wreckage!
Just like children (and some adults!), cats will have their favorites, become bored with others, and not even touch some of their toys. Rotating the things you have out for your cat to play with keeps him from getting bored.
The more exercise and play time your cat has, the healthier and happier he'll be.
Watch Out for Dangerous Items!
There are literally thousands of manufactured toys available for your cat's amusement. Unfortunately, many of them are unsafe for your cat!
Toys with parts that can come off, for example, parts that are glued-on, are potentially dangerous to your cat. A very popular toy on the market today for cats is a fake, furry mouse. Cats love these things, but as they are sold, they are dangerous! They have little plastic eyes and noses that your cat can pull out and choke on. You should remove these plastic items before you give them to your cat (my cats love these "blind" mice!).
Before giving your cat any new toy, remove all unsafe parts that could potentially choke your cat. It may not be as cute to you anymore, but these little aesthetic touches don't make a difference to your cat and their removal could save your cat's life.
String Can Be a Dangerous Toy for Your Cat!
Another popular, but potentially dangerous, cat toy is string (or yarn or thread). Yes, that's right, the ever-popular string can be dangerous to your cat! Cats have tongues covered with sharp, rearward-facing barbs that can make it extremely difficult to spit out the string. If the string gets stuck in your cat's mouth, she will just keep swallowing the string. This can cause internal blockage and severe injuries to your cat's intestinal tract. Your cat can also become entangled with the string "toy."
Be sure to only allow your cat to play with safe cat toys or supervise your cat's play with potentially dangerous toys.
Inexpensive Alternatives
Many "toys" aren't officially sold as "cat toys," but some can make the best and most fun toys. For example, ping pong balls are a favorite for some cats. They are light-weight, so a little tap can get them going a long way and many cats often get into mini one-player soccer matches with the balls. Ping pong balls are also big enough so that there's no danger of your cat swallowing the ball.
Try this: drop a ping pong ball into an empty tissue box and watch your cat go crazy trying to get it out!
And the classic entertainment piece: the empty paper bag! Most cats go wild dashing in and out of the bag and skating across the kitchen floor.
Use your imagination to come up with other homemade and safe toys for your cat. And let your cat show you what she likes to play with. But remember, only let your cat play with safe cat toys.
My Cats' Favorite Toy
Many safe and interactive
cat toys
are also available for purchase for your cat. Both of my cats' favorite toy is called the
Cat Dancer.
 This is about a three-foot long stiff wire with tightly rolled paper on either end of the wire. You can move the wire erratically in all sorts of directions and your cat will go crazy trying to catch it!
This toy has been a hit with every cat I have ever played with. My 11-year-old cat is pretty particular these days, but the Cat Dancer always gets her attention!
Related Topics:
Cat Supplies
List of essential cat supplies and best places to buy them on the internet
Catnip Toys
Catnip toys are great treats for cats
Search My Healthy Cat or the Internet for more information.
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