The Cat Toy

Anybody who owns or loves cats knows how playful they can be. Almost every housecat enjoys a playful romp around the yard or home, batting at loose strings or perhaps attacking dust bunnies that roll out from under the couch. Unfortunately, sometimes this inquisitive, playful demeanor can land even the most well behaved cats in trouble. Unless you are very lucky, we've all come home to a torn up room where our cat or cats have suffered a minor case of the "crazies" and blew the room apart. This can be especially true for younger cats or any cat that is kept cooped up and bored for too long. Luckily, due to humanities love of our feline friends, the cat toy in all it's forms was invented to help keep or furry friends occupied, and our furniture safe!

What is a Cat Toy?

The term "cat toy" simply refers to any object specifically designed as a plaything for the domestic house cat. When most people think of cat toys, the mind is drawn to images of fake mice on strings, or perhaps with little wheels scooting around on the floor. While this is a very popular form of cat toy, it's by no means the only one. Their are a wide variety of cat toys available on the market today, and any worth while pet store will have a good supply of them.

Types of Cat Toys

The modern cat toy comes in a vast array of shapes, sizes, designs, and functions from simple fake mice to elaborate cat trees. Since all cats are at there core predators, most cat toys tend to focus in on these predatory instincts in order to induce playfulness. It's important to exercise both your cats body and mind, and cat toys do a great job of both. Cats need to work out their predatory urges to remain healthy and happy. Here are a few examples of the more common cat toys:

• Mouse toys are cat toys designed to mimic mice, a classic prey item of many feline species. These toys are often small, stuffed mice that the pet owner will toss near their cat to induce play. There are also many versions with small wheels and tiny motors, allowing them to scoot across the floor on their own power, closely resembling a fleeing rodent. Some kinds of mouse toys even include small compartments for the storage of catnip.
• Teaser toys pretty much resemble simple fishing rods, but of course are not meant to catch cats! These toys consist of a flexible pole with a sturdy string that features an attractor at the other end of the string. This attractor is usually a bunch of feathers or a furry tail, but could be any number of things. Many cat owners love these toys as they are a great way to make your cat engage in kitty cat gymnastics!
• Balls and other objects that simply roll about are also very popular. Most balls specifically designed as cat toys are usually hollow and incorporate a bell or other noise making object. A classic example of the "cat ball" is a ball of wound up yarn.
• Many kinds of cat furniture could be considered cat toys. Things such as cat trees, scratching posts, and cat beds often incorporate toys in their construction. In the case of the cat tree, the entire piece of furniture is the cat toy, as they are designed for cats to climb and romp up and about them.

Cat Toy Tips

As with any item dealing with your feline companion, it's important to understand all about your cat's toys. This is not only to help you have more fun with your cat, but also for the safety of both you and your cat. Selecting a poorly made cat toy, or misusing one, can lead to severe kitty cat danger! Avoiding this catastrophe should be your primary concern when both selecting and playing with any cat toy. Remember, toys are not toys unless they are fun, and getting hurt is never fun. Here are a few tips on selecting and using the cat toy:

• When buying small balls and mouse toys, make sure they are not too small for your cat. This is especially true of toys that were bought when your cat was a kitten, but still kept as it grows. Small toys can be accidentally swallowed by your cat, or even get stuck in it's wind pipe! Avoid this danger by removing any toys that have become too small, and only buying toys that are the right size for your cat.
• Check the stitching on any cloth or other fabric cat toys your cat may have. Cats can play pretty rough, and over time even the most well made cloth cat toys will fall apart. The loose string and stuffing from these broken toys can be a danger to your cat, so be sure and check them over frequently.
• If you decide to make your own teaser cat toy, refrain from using fishing line or other strong, but thin strings. When tight, these strings can become quite sharp, and also lend themselves to tangles and other mishaps that thicker strings simply don't do. Remember, saving money is never worth the safety of your cat.