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 Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:55 pm
The Need to Play The Mighty Hunter You know the stance. You walk into a room and you see Fluffy crouched low with his eyes wide and focused. He swishes his long majestic tail, his ears turn with the slightest sound and then with the blink of an eye, hes attacked your feet. Cats were made to be mighty hunters. Genetically and instinctivly, they are born with the makings to hunt down their prey. Of course, our domestic house cats have long since derived from the their wild ancestor (the african sand cat), but over the course of thousands of years, our taming of their species could not wipe out their instincts. Everything our cats do, from their movements to how they play, is survival and a vital part to being a cat. Hunt, Feast, Groom, Sleep Types of Play Why is play nessesary?
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Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:41 pm
The Bonding Process Theres nothing like spending the last 20 min of your day dangling string in front of your kitty. smile You can watch her romp and zoom attempting to catch the live "prey". Having several interactive toys allows you to bond with your feline and also help stop the scratching cat from attacking your hands, feet, and works as a diversionary. The Infamous Feather Wand/Teaser Every cat should have one or several of these types of toys. They come in many diffrent styles, colors, attachements etc that it is often times difficult to choose one for your kitty. Sometimes it takes a few guesses to find which one works for you. So far I have yet to meet a cat that would turn down feathers. smile Feathered StickThe basic stick with feathers attached to it. These can be bought as singles or come with replaceable toppers. I like the ones with the ability to interchange the toppers so they are easy to replace and give the kitty some variety.  The DanglyThese are the types of wands that have something other than feathers attached. They could be cloth bugs, fuzzies, mice, fish etc. (Freyja used to have a caterpillar one but I cant find it to take a pic of it) Da Bird/Cat CatcherI would recommend this for any cat owner, who has any age cat. Da Bird is a feather wand that flips and twirls through the air and entices the cat through "live prey" action. The Cat Catcher is made by the same company, but has a tiny mouse attached to the end that always lands right side up. The "string" is a wire, so it wont easily break.  Da Bird  The Cat Catcher Safety First Please keep in mind that a lot of these types of toys have small parts that could become loose and fall apart. If you notice that any piece has become damaged, and is beyond repair, replace it lest your cat swallows it. (or eats it). It is quite possible to reuse a stick (with non replaceable topper) and create your own wand, just remember to practice cat safety. smile Lets Play Fetch! Cats can be just as good as dogs in this respect. The idea is simple, but getting the kitty to bring it back is often difficult to teach. Anything can work for this from wadded up paper to some of her favorite small toys. Tiny tennis balls, crinkle balls, and jingly balls are also a great addition to the Toy Box. If teaching your cat to fetch, make sure to praise and motivate upon the return of the toy. smile The Mystery of the Elusive Red Dot Laser Pointers: I have not yet met a cat that has denied the pull of the red dot. Funniest thing ever. All of these toys.... Are great ways to bond with the kitty, act as diversionary, and let your feline waste pent up energy. It gets them moving, it gets them running, and for all of you out there who have kittens, its definently a must in your cats toy collection.
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Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:42 pm
Independence Cats are solitary creatures by nature. And lets be serious: as much as we would all love to quit our day jobs and stay home and play with our gorgeous beasts, that isn't always possible. Solo toys help aliviate pent up energy and gives the cat something to do while the human is away, other than eat, sleep, and get into trouble. Types of Solo Toys There are so many options to give your cat the need for independent play. Well review some of the popular ones here. Crazy Circles & Ball in TrackThese kinds of toys drive cats NUTS. The basic idea is to place a ball that wont come out in a circular or path design and have the cat go at it. These are great for kittens, smarty pants cats that like a good puzzle, and cats that need more playtime.  Cat n** Mice and Assorted Small: Appease the HunterCat n** mice are great additions to any cats life. I refer to catnip mice as all those little things that the cat can toss, stuff under the couch, and the human can step on. These are generally: the mice, mylar balls, little cloth filled things with bells, etc. The cat can stalk, hunt, toss and generally drag these through out the house.  Puzzle ToysDo you have one of those cats that tend to be off the walls when no ones home? The little smartypants that will wreck the bathroom tissue roll? Knock down lamps? Cause chaos and distruction? Invest in a puzzle toy (or several). These kinds of toys build off the intelligence of felines to keep them entertained. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and of varying difficulty. They come in the form of feeders or hider type toys. (see feeders in the Cat Essentials Sub Forum). These can get your kitty moving if he needs to lose some added weight, and can perplex a cat to no end. *Disclaimer: I have not yet found a puzzle type toy that has outsmarted my Freyja*  The Need for a Toy Box So youve notticed that Fluffy has stopped playing with the toys. Take a good look at them. Are they dusty? Have they moved at all during the last 24 hours? Has your cat become a rebel? This is when a toy box comes in handy. Cats will get bored with the same "dead" prey on a day to day basis. (Come on, it hasnt moved. How many times is recomended to kill it?) By having a toy box, it makes it easier to store/stash the littler things. Alternate them daily to weekly to give your kitty the variety he needs. Make sure the toy box has a snap on lid, as baskets sitting in the corner arent much better than leaving them in the open.
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Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:47 pm
The Need to Scratch Cats scratch for a multitude of reasons. To mark their territory, to shed/file their claws, to relive stress, and to stretch their bodies. When a cat scratches an object they release a smell that is their own onto the object stating that "THIS IS MINE, NONE OF THE OTHERS CAN COME HERE!" Its a smell only noticed by other cats. Cats nails/claws grow in layers and eventually they need to shed the outer layer called a "sheath". Have a good scratcher promotes healthy nail growth, and makes it easier for the cat to do its thing. Cats will also scratch to relieve stress. Its a soothing action that releases a smell that is them and its the equivalency of purring. Ever notice if you get home late and the cat goes right to the couch and has a go at it? Cats also need a place to stretch. Having a post allows them to dig their nails in deep and stretch all those muscles in their bodies. Cats have 230 muscles in their body, compared to the 206 in humans. They have exactly 32 different muscles in EACH ear, allowing their helicopter like mobility. With that many muscles, wouldn't you want to stretch too? What Kind of Cat do you have? The Vertical ScratcherThese are the cats that like to stretch out and claw up the furniture. They like to destroy the drapes, the walls, etc. (thus providing them with a healthy alternitive) The Horizontal ScratcherThis cat will ruin your carpet from one end to the other. They paw at the ground obsessivly. *Most cats are a combination of both. Get a variety to see what your cat would use and continue to use* Types of Scratchers Textures Cats are picky when it comes to the objects they use on a daily basis. So finding the right scratcher for your kitty could save you money on replacing the carpets, the furniture and other assorted things in your house. If your cat enjoys scratching the couch, try to match that when you shop (the fabric and the textrue). When buying a scratcher, think about what kind it is, the type it is (horizontal vs vertical), and the texture. Cardboard/Emery ScratchersThese come in a variety of shapes and sizes, connected to toys, or stand alones. Most cats will tear into these without a second thought. Most are horizontal style, though there are some that you can hang on the door knob. They do need to be replaced after a certian amount of time, and the shreds do need to be vaacumed upon occassion. Generally cheap and very affordable. Cardboard Scratchers on AmazonCarpetedThis ones a bit tricky. Do not match the carpets in your house. Itll send the wrong message to your feline. These ones will generally cover trees, or posts, and can be found in a multitude of places. Carpeted Posts on AmazonSisal/RopeThis is one of the best types of scratchers out there. Its gritty matirial, the cat can sink his claws into it, and wont leave a mess behind. They are generally post style but Im sure theres some out there that are horizontal. For horizontal sisal scratchers, there are scratch mats available, however some cats may not find them as satisfying as something like a rug or the carpet, because there's really nothing holding them down so the cat can't dig the claws in and pull them out in the same sort of wayRope ScratchersSisal ScratchersStyles of Scratchers ToyPostTreeFunction over Fancy There is alot out there on the market for scratchers, trees, posts and what not. When purchasing a cat post or scratcher, please keep in mind that it needs to serve its purpose to the cat. To be a scratcher and function as such. A cat wont use it if its too over the top and not easy to understand. An alternative option to posts and trees, for somebody with limited floor space, is to have a flat scratcher against a door or wall. You can buy scratchers to go over the doorknob, or you can make a customized scratcher suitable to your cat such as the "picture scratcher" - find a picture frame of the size you want (remember, for maximum stretching opportunity and availability it's nice to have something at least three feet high), or get some narrow trim boards cut to the size you want; choose your scratching material, carpet or sisal/rope or whatever; make sure you have a backing board to attach the material to and that you can attach it securely; make sure your scratcher is firmly attached to the wall and voila.
Older houses tend to have metal support beams in the basement, sometimes still open and in the middle of the area - if you happen to have one of these, take advantage of it, whether you have scratching posts/trees for your cat or not (after all, you're not likely to get anything comparable in height and sturdiness [assuming the scratching material is securely attached] from the pet store). Wrap it in carpet or sisal/rope and let your cat enjoy.
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:12 am
Brush Dwellers and Tree Dwellers *I stole the saying from Jackson Galaxy* Try to determine what type of cat you have. Does he like to be down low? Hiding under the bed, or under a table? Or do you have a cat that likes to be up high and perch from the highest view point? A lot of cats are in the middle, do its a good idea to provide them both. smile If you find that your cat doesn't like a particular type of toy, do a little digging to see if maybe your kitty will try something else. Cubes Cubes are generally made of canvas, can fold down easily, and are some great little hidey places for cats. They have multiple holes, can often times be connected to other cubes.   Tubes Very similar to cubes, these are circular in shape and come in a variety of lengths, textures etc. Some are crinkle, some are smaller and have danglys in them, but create awesome territory addtions to any felines enviroment.   
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