Scratching posts and home made toy ideas.

Do you have a problem with too much choice? Well when it comes to choosing toys for cats, I know I do. Play time for your new cat whether it's an older mature cat or a young bustling kitten is just as essential for it's well being as the human child counterpart.

It's really important that as an owner, you dedicate a bit of time each day to play with your cat, especially if it is the only one in the household.

Through this play, the cat can exercise it's muscles as well as condition them. Their brains are kept alert, and their eyes bright. Not to mention, the bond you foster between you and your cat can only grow.

Start off with a scratching post. Most people I know who own cats will complain about the damage to the furniture or other parts of the house but this can mostly be mitigated by including the scratching post as a default and always present toy. Actually, the cat doesn't mean to actually destroy your furniture, or hold a vendetta against you, it simply wants to sharpen it's claws. They are very important for their defence but also for climbing if they want to escape from trouble.

You can think about purchasing larger climbing frames which include multiple scratching posts if you want to give your cat something extra fun. Some of them can be taller than humans, as tall as some small trees.

Remember, when you decide to engage in play with your cat, the focus has to be on giving them the stimulation they would get out in the wild. For cats, this usually boils down to mimicking hunting. If a cat swoops a leaf, that is because they are treating it as an imaginary bird. The ping pong ball just under the sofa behind the chair leg is a mouse, one which must be caught and played with. A scrap of paper or even a button can be enough to serve as accessories for your cat's heightened imagination.

As always, be careful with the kind of objects you leave around the house. Things like threads can be extremely dangerous because they can tangle up inside their bowels.

Make sure the toys you buy for your children are safe for both your children and your cats. Sometimes they are fine for your children but toxic to the cat. For the most part, everything you need to play with your cat can be found in your home already.

Try scrunched up balls of paper for a game of fetch. Or catching a paper bird or butterfly tied to some string. Even a ping pong ball will be great fun!