October 18, 2004
Cat Toys
The other day, Annie got a package in the mail which looked a little something like this:
The package itself is another story entirely, suffice it to say, it contained a pair of shoes bought here which so go with everything.
Anyhow, as she tried on the shoes and we oohed and ahhed over them, our cat PJ ambled over to the loitering package and had this reaction:
To which I thought, cool, maybe I can fashion some toys out of something she's already interested in...
Making toys for your cat, when you get right down to it, is a great way to save some money and allows you and your cat a chance to bond. Aside from saving money, which in the long run you can spend on more important things like food or trips to the vet, you can exercise your mind, get crafty, and THINK of innovative toys for your fuzzy friend.
It's not quite the same or as easy as stepping into the store and picking something off the shelf, but it's a heck of a lot more fun.
Now, the following: Please, please, please, please, please keep an eye on your pet and supervise during playtime!
For the packaging madness toys that I made, I first experimented with the weight, size and sound (yes sound) of the objects. The box itself thrown onto the floor was a good place for PJ to hunker down behind as she "hunted" and the packaging peanuts and bubble wrap made tiny rustling sounds which naturally perked her ears forward.
Because I wanted to keep my hands intact and free from scratches, I simply tied a ribbon around the peanut, allowing it to be dragged or dangled. The bubble wrap was also tied around a plastic stick of sorts then thrown under a rug. (more on the rug later).
The resulting game then, was to catch that rustling culprit! Which looked a little something like this:
Hey, where'd that thing go?
Oh, almost got it!
Nope, not quite...
A-ha!
Cheap, fun and entertaining, all courtesy of a simple set of packaging materials!
Materials:
Box
Bubble Wrap
Packaging Peanuts
some ribbon or string
a stick of some kind
patience and a predator-prey mindset helps too