Ideal Cat Toys

One of my cats is very over weight and I've been trying to get her to be more active. I can't play with her personally as much as I'd like and I've been trying to find cat toys that are both entertaining and safe for the kitty. She's one of those weird cats who does not particularly like cat nip so I've had little luck with plush mice. She refuses to play with the balls I get her and wont have anything to do with the feathers on a spring.

Oddly enough, I have had some luck getting her to play with this little plastic snake. She seems to love it. So, I was hoping you all wouldn't mind telling me a bout some toys you've had luck with in getting your cat interested. I want her to be healthy and have a more stimulating environment. I also was hoping you'd share if you found any cat toys that were particularly unsafe. Not all the designers of these products have the animals' best interest in mind and I'm sure both kitty and I would prefer to just avoid those.

 

Have you tried one of these? They entertain Alice when she's alone, but she refuses to play with it around us!

 

That one is a good one.

There's one that hangs from door knobs that is kind of like it, too, and I've seen some success with those.

Honestly, though, the best toys I've found are things you don't really need to buy. For example, milk jug rings. Those are awesome! Cats love 'em.

 

I was surprised to find that they make an exercise wheel for overweight cats.
I was also surprised that it costs $500. They actually sell this on Amazon.


Anyway, do you have a laser pointer? Most cats go crazy chasing the red dot and that would probably give your cat a workout.

 

I have tried the ball on the spring as well as various types of string suspended from doorknobs. She does enjoy the string to an extent but more often than not will simply ignore it as she does the spring toy. Getting this cat engaged with her environment is very difficult for some reason.

This is either tragic or hilarious! I'm not honestly sure which. I would love to get one of these just to see what Maggie would do when I put her in it. She absolutely refuses to even acknowledge laser pointers exist. It's kind of funny actually. My other cats go ape for the little red dot to the extent that, when it's time to stop playing, they'll spend the better part of an hour afterwards searching for where it went. Maggie wont even look at it. On the rare occasion her eyes meet it, she immediately turns her head and plays a game of "nope, not there."

 

My cats love toys from the dollarstore, they seem to enjoy anything that follows the pattern of a ball, on a piece of string, on a stick.

If you cat is scared of feathers / balls etc. You should buy a laser pointer. My cats go insane for it! Bandit tries to eat it, and Pussington tries to catch it like her life depended on it!

 

I adore laser pointers and so do most of my cats. It's hilarious watching them search for it after I've put it up. Only one of them seems to have made the connection that the laser and I have something to do with each other. The pointer has a chain with a hook on the end and when she hears it rattle as I pick it up, she comes running. She's always eager to play with that, but I am also looking for something autonomous for them to occupy themselves with, something in the way of environmental stimulation.