As a cat owner, you have probably spent a lot of money on a new toy for your cat only to discover that your feline friend is not interested. Cats are notoriously difficult to please, which, coupled with their intelligence, means that it can be difficult to find cat toys that will be enjoyed for longer than five minutes. If you are looking for toys to stimulate your cat, here are some that you may like to consider.
Wand and Fishing Toys
They may seem quite simple and unappealing to a human eye, but cats do not seem to tire of swiping things with their paws and hunting small pieces of fur. Of course, a cat's natural instinct is to stalk and hunt. Therefore, if your cat is spending all day indoors he, or she, has no outlet for these tendencies.
Wand or fishing toys consist of a simple stick with a small piece of fur or some feathers attached to the end of a piece of string. The best kind of wand toy is one that is lightweight, as your cat will find this more enjoyable. This type of toy is certainly worth investing in, as not only will your cat derive huge amounts of pleasure from it, but it also allows you to spend some quality playtime with your pet.
Balls
Another relatively inexpensive option is balls, which is probably just as well as they can easily become lost. However, like the wand toy, a ball allows a cat to exercise its hunting and pouncing instincts. Typically, most cats prefer a ball that jingles or makes another type of noise. Playing with a ball is a simple game that can be played alone, which means that your cat can be kept stimulated while you are out. Alternatively, of course, when you are at home, you can join in, too.
Cloth Toys
Although I am an advocate of simple toys, a cloth toy that does nothing, will not entertain a cat for very long. Generally, a cat prefers a toy that moves. However, if you would like to purchase small cloth toys, ones containing catnip are highly recommended. When looking for catnip toys, you may like to consider ones that are refillable, as the scent will not last long. However, typically these types of toy can be bought very cheaply, so you may find it less time consuming to buy new toys rather than find fresh catnip.
Other Small Toys
More small toys that I would recommend are ones that are set on coiled spring, as this is wonderful for batting and swiping. You are likely to find some scratching posts that have these kinds of toys attached; this is especially attractive to the cat and will encourage him, or her, to use the scratching post as well as the springy toys.
Laser Pointers
Laser pointers are some of the latest cat toys to immerge, but whether they will appeal to your cat depends upon the individual temperament of your pet. Those who do enjoy laser pointer toys really love them. On the other hand, there are cats that could not be less interested. The good news is that a laser pointer can be bought relatively cheaply, so it need not cost a fortune to discover whether or not it seems like fun to your cat.
Owners should never point lasers directly at the cat. Make sure that the laser is directed onto the floor. If your cat is interested he, or she, will chase the laser around in an attempt to catch it.
Of course, these are just some of the toys that you may like to consider for your cat. There are many more options available, so it is easy to ensure that your pet is never bored.
