Need ideas for cat toys for bored cats

I have 2 cats who stay indoors. They fight a lot which I suspect could be because they are bored. They have balls and other little things to play with, which they lose regularly under the furniture. They used to have a scratching post with something to climb into and on but they never used it and I gave it away. Do any of you have ideas for other toys or ways to keep them amused?

 

my cats love those wand toys - which requires some interaction on your part [smile], catnip sacks are also good (my cats love those and one of mine will spend a long time playing/licking one). I have a toy that hangs off a doorknob and is held on with velcro - my Zeus is always pulling it off and dragging it around the house.

Today I bought fuzzy ball toys that have feathers on the end - a new favorite

 

Some free cat toy ideas that all of my cats absolutely love are: wadded-up paper balls and wadded-up aluminum foil balls. Make sure they are big as a golf ball so that your cats don't choke on them and of course always supervise your kitties when they play with small possible choking toys. With these paper/aluminum balls I just throw them and my kitties go crazy swatting them around. The other free toy idea is to get a big cardboard box and cut out some windows/doors into it. You can also tape some dangly toys in there (such as toy mice/balls).

 

My cat has hours of fun with the simplest things: Paper bags or cardboard boxes, a small piece of left over cable from the computer, fuzzy cat toys of a certain size (big enough for them to kick on with their back feet as they're biting it), the list goes on and on...

I've also read that someone here (can't remember who) puts a ball in the bathtub for the cat to bat around. I wish I had a bathtub! lol :mrgreen:

And another thing: Kyrre loves those small, cheap fur mice they sell in the pet store. If your cats like those you can try to attach them to elastic rubber bands stapled to something (the wall, the cat condo (?) or something like that.) Every time he plays with it, he tries to take it with him. And every time he looks just as suprised when the mouse bounces back :lol:

 

Lots of people here swear by the lazer pointer. Never tried it myself. Rene is currently addicted to Christmas ornaments, :shock: and Milo and others to cardboard boxes. :mrgreen:

 

Hi there.

I have to agree that the simplest toys are the best. The latest addition is a great hit. I was wrapping Christmas pressies, with lots of help from my treasures as always. I came to the end of a roll of wrap, and took the inner tube (you know, like a toilet roll insert, but about 1 metre long). I cut some long 2cm wide slots in it, put a ball inside and taped the ends closed. No more hassle from the cats - I wrapped pressies in peace. They are still playing with it now, and have been for over a week!

As for shop-bought toys, I have a flying 'bird'. It's three or four feathers tied together on a fishing pole. When you pull it through the air it whirls around, like a flying bird I guess. It's their favourite. When they manage to catch it, they try and run off with it and growl at me when I try and take it back! It needs supervision of course, but I could play with it for hours as they love it so much!

Hope that helps.

K.

 

Another idea is taking a paper dixie cup, like the little ones that come out of dispensers you find in the bathroom, and throw 2 or 3 dry crunchy cat treats in it, like Aquari-Yums, and then fold the tops of the cup down tight to keep the treats inside. It rattles around, smells good, and its crumpled garbage. 3 great things in One!! That should keep them busy.

That was me Bente Easiest way for Vianne to burn TONS of energy!
Here she is going at it:

 

LOL's Faeriedust1127. Vianne is super cute! What a great idea! :y_the_best: :mrgreen:

 

Adorable!! I'm going to try that with mine tonight.

 

i make all kinds of toys for the critters.

i found both love the pop bottle tops. they carry them around and swat them everywhere. course they always end up under the couch and loveseat... so i find hoards. :mrgreen:

then as an extention of that idea, i put holes in about 5 caps, used some coarse string and put them together on the string, knotting it ever so often so the caps were separated.

it rattles, it slides, it's 5 tops in one! hehe they like that.

also, depending how aggressive your cats are, a small 1 liter or less pop bottle with anything hard inside, beans, rice etc to make sound.

old camera film cases, put some bells or rise etc in there and let em rip!