Kittens and Cat toys

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Agua Girl - 20 Nov 2003 14:36 GMT

I learned something about cat toys today, something you
all probably already knew. Kittens should not play
with any toy that has a string attached! Sasha (my
2 year old) has one of those cat fishing toys. The little
fur thing on one end, acrylic handle on the other and
a long string (thin rope actually) so I can drag it around
for her to chase. Smudge was carrying the mouse thing
around in his mouth, trailing the handle behind him. I thought
it was cute...except somehow he got the rope wrapped around
his body and then he ran through an opening big enough
for him but not the handle. He yelled so I found him
right away but the rope wasn't easy to get off. He not only
got it wrapped around him but the mouse had slipped
through one end and basically he tied himself up. No harm,
got it off him and he was off and terrorizing again but if it
had been his neck, or if I hadn't been home and he had
really struggled?? Learned my lesson. The string toys
are put away only to be played with when I am on one
end..it's just not something I ever thought of. I knew there
was a reason I prefer cats over kittens, they are smarter! <g>
I have to admit, watching Smudge sit in front of my computer screen
trying to catch the cursor or attack the dolphins on my desktop
wallpaper is almost worth it! :-)

AG

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philo - 20 Nov 2003 20:23 GMT

> I learned something about cat toys today, something you
> all probably already knew. Kittens should not play
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> AG

yes ...and they can eat strings too

however i have a jacket hung up in my closet...
it has a non-removable tie string that hangs down to the floor
and usually about 4 or 5 inches stick out the bottom of the closed door...
there is no chance my cat could eat it or get wrapped up in it...and he
seems to love it!

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JM - 21 Nov 2003 14:22 GMT

>yes ...and they can eat strings too

Heh... I used to have long hair, and one day I saw one of my cats
walking around with a distressed look on her face. Turned out she had
swallowed one of my hairs, which came out her other end, and she was
trailing bits of poop...

JM

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MaryL - 21 Nov 2003 13:44 GMT

> I learned something about cat toys today, something you
> all probably already knew. Kittens should not play
> with any toy that has a string attached!
>
> AG

Yes, I agree. I don't think any cord or string should be available to a
kitten (or cat!!) unless a human is attached to the other end. The fishing
toys you described are great playthings for a cat, but they should be put
someplace completely out of the cat's reach unless you are monitoring it. I
once had a long piece of cord that I used with another cat, and I "thought"
I was following my own advice. I would put it in a the bottom of a magazine
stand and place a magazine on top to hide it. One day, I saw Raucher (my
cat of many years ago) reach through one of the slats of the magazine rack
and proceed to dig it out! Now I store these toys in the garage or in a
*tightly* closed drawer (one the cat can't open) in between uses.

MaryL

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Agua Girl - 21 Nov 2003 15:04 GMT

> > I learned something about cat toys today, something you
> > all probably already knew. Kittens should not play
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> and proceed to dig it out! Now I store these toys in the garage or in a
> *tightly* closed drawer (one the cat can't open) in between uses.

I'm just not used to kittens. I always adopt full grown cats. They
are easier to deal with and usually harder to adopt out. I picked this
one up because someone was "passing it out" outside a store and
the whole idea of where he might wind up freaked me out. I had
hoped that Sasha would like having a young playmate..but that's not
the case. She is learning to tolerate him but she doesn't want to play
with him. Sasha doesn't get into things like drawers or closets....
never even jumped up on the table until I brought this little one
home and she certainly never bothers with toys unless I am at one
end. Not sure if she is smart...or just really really lazy. :-)

AG

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MaryL - 21 Nov 2003 19:25 GMT

> I'm just not used to kittens. I always adopt full grown cats. They
> are easier to deal with and usually harder to adopt out. I picked this
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> AG

Actually, Raucher was approximately 10 years old at the time of this
incident -- definitely not a kitten and also not at all difficult to deal
with, but he loved to play. He lived to be almost 20 years old, and he was
playful through all those years. He would open (and sometimes close!) every
drawer in the house that was light enough for him to manipulate, so I always
had to keep cords and string carefully stored out of his reach. After that,
I found similar interests in some of my other cats, so I have just taken
extra precautions because I know that many cats love to play with things on
a cords and will search for them. So, it's not just kittens -- I think it's
worth keeping thread, string, rubber bands, etc. out of the reach of any
cat.

MaryL

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Charles Minus - 23 Nov 2003 01:46 GMT

Yes I agree, no strings. I'm glad your pal is okay.

I think it is probably best if they never get strings to play with, even
"supervised," because it gets them in the habit of playing with strings,
which is not a good idea. I pulled a string about four inches long out of
my cat's bottom, the vet said I was lucky because they can get caught
inside.

Minus

"Agua Girl" <uknown@nospam.net> wrote in news:Qj4vb.1794$i24.1768866
@news3.news.adelphia.net:

> I learned something about cat toys today, something you
> all probably already knew. Kittens should not play

(stuff cut out)

> AG

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