I am frequently bemused by my cat, Norie’s rather prejudicial opinions of the toys I bought for her. Because she is a pretty smart, slightly chubby cat I aimed for mentally and physically challenging toys. Unfortunately I have failed multilpe times to engage her interest after a brief period of peaking her curiosity. The successes of twelve years can be counted on two hands.
Squeaky toys were introduced when she was a year or so old. She wouldn’t have anything to do with them! I figured since she was a huntress of bugs, lizards, and whatever she could find on my screened in porch, she would not want something that could betray her presence to some victim. One squeak from a toy and her cover would be blown!
Thinking since she is a huntress I bought a remote control mouse that I could control to give her exercise. I was hoping she would chase the mouse. Norie watched me install the batteries, place the mouse on the floor and press the button to make the mouse move around.
Norie sat and watched for a minute. I turned it off by clicking the button. She looked quickly to my hand with the remote control. I clicked the mouse on again and she looked at the mouse then the control. After two or three repetitions of this, she got up and walked off, thinking, “It’s not real!” I returned it and got my money back.
When she was young, she loved to fight with the scratching post!
There was one toy she enjoyed as a one or two year old for at least a month. The yellow round skirt with a motorized pole with a feathers or something just showing on the edge of the skirt. The toy could be started by pressing the center mound. Let’s just say I was the only one who did that part, but she loved chasing that pole. It could be set for different speeds and changing directions. After a month she laid down beside it and just watched it! Then ignored it soon after. So I donated it to a thrift store. Norie was not getting the exercise she needed that way.
There were ping pong balls which on some occasions she really enjoyed batting around and chasing, especially in a tub. At least she enjoyed them until she hid them or they ended up under the couches!
Now that Norie is almost 13 years old, with a less than sleek figure, it is even more important that she get exercise. I know that sounds stupid because you can not get a cat to willingly do something she doesn’t want to do .
I bought a three track level pyramid shaped toy with one ball for each level to be batted around. Norie didn’t even touch it! I hit the balls around a few times to show her how it worked. “B-or-r-r-ring!” She walked away in dismay that I would play with such a silly toy!
Recently there was at last something I had never seen before. A hard round thing that could be rolled on edge or lie flat. The picture on the package showed a cute, cozy cat lying on its side within the horizontally positioned toy. Seemingly he was content to be in a “round” box. Norie wouldn’t look at it twice!
Of course there were myriad of toys with catnip, kicking pillows (which she sometimes enjoys trying to eviscerate), toys with yarn, things strung on a stick to entice her to chase or play with.
One very successful toy was a two story “apartment” of cloth and rods to support it. She has hidden in it, jumped up to the top level, stored toys she does like, and on occasion has flipped it over on its side and on its edge! This is the best toy I ever bought for her!
The cat tree is also very successful. She can look out the window from a higher vantage point or flip around inside the cave.
Another toy I never thought she would play with but she did briefly is a toy mat.
Several successes were not even expensive.
Of course Norie, like all cats, loves the red light! Which she occassionally plays with at night but only briefly. When she gets tired she lies down and watches “the light show.”
There is just something about a box, a drawer, or even a reusable cloth grocery bag, that causes her “inner kitten” to be freed. She can hide, stay warm, pounce on unsuspecting victims, and even nap in one.
The two most recent toys which I will return shortly are the “flopping fish” and a plastic snake that slithers, both nicely rechargeable but only brought a few minutes of curiosity from my cat.
There is a problem with cloth grocery bags. When the “cat gets out of the bag” literally they can get caught on the handles. Please cut the handles off of the cloth bag for your cat before she plays with it. Once after taking a nap in one, Norie came out through a handle which caught around her neck. The bag followed her as she bolted trying to escape it. I caught her and released her. She was really terrified.
Feathered toys from long fingered gloves to fake birds, or other such creatures may amuse her. However, those feathers eventually come loose and she ends up looking like the proverbial “cat who swallowed/ate the canary,” with feathers everywhere. Plumed objects are only fun to play with for a while, and only if you are involved with the playing.
So I guess she has enough toys. She seems quite content with the simple things in life. If only we people could find more contentment in the simple things.
joyful2beeblogs 
My cats don’t play with things that cost money. Give them a box and it’s a fight over who sits in it. Buy them a mechanical toy and everyone’s nose goes up. I have a large plastic frog. When it’s set and you (or anything) walks by it ribbits. That was good for once. They could smell it wasn’t real. (It was a hoot because each one jumped 2′ the first time!) I have had the most success with homemade catnip bags that get pretty disgusting with saliva (not mine!). I also bought a catnip kick toy where they hug one part but it’s long and skinny and they can kick the back end with their back feet. That was a hit at first and still occasionally. They like cat trees and anything associated with looking out windows or soft beds to nap in. The only toy I got my money out of was the feather on a string (da bird). I got it when Morgan was young. It went through Morgan, Gracie and now Sasha although Gracie still plays with it. The feather has been chewed (and no, they didn’t like the replacement feather. I had to put the old one back one.) down to a nib. Mollile at 15 no longer plays with much although she has a stuffed bunny she bats around when the young’uns get on her nerves. Morgan prefers real mice (we are almost in basement mice season here). Gracie is getting more sedate but does high speed runs around the house. Sasha will pounce on anything that moves. So far. She’s just a baby at 1.
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I think I have learned that lesson finally! It’s about time! I just wanted to find something that would give her more exercise. But she’s not going to run or jump, unless she wants to. She does have some arthritis in her back, so maybe I am expecting too much. I sure don’t want to run and jump! LOL
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Mollie agrees with you. Can’t remember last time I saw her play. Hazel would use her paw to catch a feather as long as she didn’t have to move her body. That was her form of exercise.
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Kate Crimmins, you are so funny! I died laughing when you wrote about the catnip pillows having alive all over them (NOT MINE.) I laughed even more. You are one funny lady! Sounds like you have a house full of cat fun!! I loved your response!! Thank you so much for the laughter!! Hugs!
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I laughed when you said that about the feather and she didn’t have to move her body! Iare they chubby cats? Norie is 16 pounds and “big boned.” LOL
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Hazel was 16 lbs. and almost always on a diet!
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Norie already is. She has me under control instead of the diet! LOL
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Kate Crimmins, you are so funny! I died laughing when you wrote about the catnip pillows having alive all over them (NOT MINE.) I laughed even more. You are one funny lady! Sounds like you have a house full of cat fun!! I loved your response!! Thank you so much for the laughter!! Hugs!
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my own black kitty, olive, does the same ). she is like a bowling ball on tiny legs
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Oh my goodness. That made laugh. She must be c a character!
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She is very funny and sweet
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Cats are so amazing!
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So much of this post I could identify with. You have a great sense of humor and your post are fun to read. Cats do their own thing no matter what we think they will like or not like. If I ever have another cat I will not buy toys. The cats I had preferred boxes, cat trees, paper bags, windows to sit by and watch birds and squirrels and play with the other cats when we had more than one.
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We used to have birds and squirrels in front of my screened in porch because I threw birdseed there. Bird feeders aren’t allowed on the Condo grounds. After being here 8 years, a mechanic showed me that mice from woods down the hill (or possibly squirrels) were gnawing on my car’s electric harness and it had frayed wires exposed! Thankfully my car insurance covered its replacement $4000, including car rental for 2 or three weeks!! I found out this is not uncommon when there are burd feeders near cars! So much fewer birds and squirrels come now. So now Norie tries to catch little lizards if I don’t intervene. Thank you for telling me how much you enjoyed my post!!
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Squirrels chewed wires and disabled our van several years ago. They can be quite destructive. Lizards and snakes is about all that I see at my place now. I stopped feeding the birds because there was a raccoon problem in the neighborhood. The oak tree that squirrels ate acorns from in the past was diseased and had to be removed so they all left my area.
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You are the first person I know who had the same problem. Crazy thing to happen when you’re being kind to critters!
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