Bad Onwer......

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Our tent is a bit lopsided these days but it's still standing!  Amazing given the number of times Mosi has flattened it 

[Corporal Smokey]

And lets not forget to mention the ikea cat tent!  That has given hours of fun to my two.

I believe that's a Purrs' cat essential  although I've got the Poundland version 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

And lets not forget to mention the ikea cat tent!  That has given hours of fun to my two.

[Millys Mum]

Good nip you can smell, so many toys label themselves catnip but dont have any aroma. Zooplus sell a little bottle of catnip esscence, thats the strongest iv ever smelt

Heres some action shots

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[Mark]

Mine have loads of catnip toys but the catnip in the sacks is really strong so I think that is why they are attracted to it - I can't usually smell much with other things but they have a really pungent smell.

[tiga]

Mine get bored really quick too and I have a whole pile of catnip toys and others that they are totally disinterested in.

One of the best things mine like is the da bird but I change the attachments all the time. I volunteer at a horse rescue centre / farm and every weekend I go round collecting things to put on the end of the da bird. People think I'm a bit nuts but I get lots of things that smell, taste and look interesting. Then I just attach them to da bird. They have chased chicken feathers, peacock feathers, horse tail hair (from a trim), plants, crows feathers, seagull feathers, freshly sheared wool. They love it, and it's free so I can just throw it when they are bored or have killed it.

Mine also love a kids tent from Argos. It collapses, has 2 entrances and I have cut a few holes in for extra access. They play for hours in it and don't need me doing a lot.

[Mark]

They are Catac ones but CP sell them. I know VetUK sell them and a few other places - they are usually about £1.99 - another thing I love about them is you can leave them around with no fear of strings, feathers etc getting eaten 

[Maddiesmum]

Can you buy the CP catnip sacks online?

[Kirst]

Beavis likes toys for about a day before he gets bored , whereas fredcat has been playing with the same manky bootlace for the past three months and its still his fave toy.

[Ann Clarke (Tabby cat)]

I order the CP goods for us to sell at our fundraisers and every time I order the catnip sacks I have to buy Dylan a new one as there's always one he manages to run off with after he works his way into the bag they come in  they are fab but you're right Mark they do go very green 

[Mark]

They also have a crinkly plastic bag inside the sack which they like and probably makes the smell last longer. You just have to decide how disgusting they can get before you replace them 

They seem virtually indestructible 

[Millys Mum]

They last longer than the skitty kitty mice and cheaper which is important as the catnip thief is back 

[Mark]

catac sacks that are good

They are the best 

I bought a few in the CP shop a couple of months ago and they are still going strong - probably the only thing the cats all play with unprompted - if you give them a scrunch, more smell comes out and it is really strong - smells like garden mint?

I was only saying yesterday that I wish I had bought more - now I can 

Also, they are organic and well sewn so no mess - although they do go green and drooly 

[Millys Mum]

Good quality nip is essential, the purrs shop stock good stuff (i havent bought yet but the last jiffy bag smelt of it and they loved it  )

Vet uk sell catac sacks that are good and also skitty kitty mice.

Ping pong balls, rolled up foil/paper, corks, bottle caps. Multi tier scratching posts mine love, they can amuse themselves for ages on the tree.

Theres lots of battery powered toys: panic mouse, under cover mouse, thing in a bag. Its hit and miss til you find what gets them but rotation is essential.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I third the rotation of toys.  Mine get bored with the same toys, esp Mosi.  I have lots of simiilar toys so that I can bring out a different one each day.  They love da bird and da mouse, but they get bored with it very quickly, so I have lots of similar toys.  That means that each evening I can bring out a different toy - something that does pretty much the same but moves in a slightly different way.  Mosi loves the laser but will get bored with that after a couple of nights so it gets put away when he starts to get bored and then brought out a few weeks later when it's usually greeted with enthusiasm.  I also move things like cardboard boxes around.  An old box in a new place suddenly becomes interesting.  The same applies to toys like da bird - if I drag it into the bedroom and onto the bed, they will come running and jump on and off the bed chasing it - it must look different being dragged along the bed!

[Catjane]

Aww - I'm sure you're not a bad owner!

Truth is, some cats are more toy-oriented than others.  Some prefer just to watch stuff.

Deffo try rotating the toys, and sometimes the simplest ones are the best!  I take it you can't supervise them a lot of the time, so how about a cardboard box with holes cut in with one or two entrance 'flaps'?  That kept my lot amused for quite a long time.  If you want to invest a little, and your cats are the curious type, try getting one of those miniature chests of drawers from Ikea - the ones with nine little drawers in.  Then put treats or toys in each of the drawers - hours of unsupervised fun!  (Even though mine can go out during the day, I always come home to the drawers all open and the floor littered with the toys that were in them!). Do they have a cat tree?  If they're indoor cats, then they might appreciate somewhere to climb.  Also, invest in a little rag rug which you can put stuff under, and/or spray with catnip which encourages playfighting and general looning around!  (mine play with theirs daily ... not to mention the 'real' rugs!)  Mind you don't trip up over it though ... especially if there's a cat underneath!

Hope that helps.

[candyshandy]

You need to rotate them - once they've lost interest I put them away and then get them out again a few weeks later.  Surprise surprise they then love them!

Have you tried the ping pong ball in the bath game - mine love that 

[MBll]

 
Im a BAD owner.....Im thinking maybe i shouldnt have animals as I just cant seem to get anything to keep them  amused. Being indoor cats their bored as hell they bored with the stuff i got them ages ago some of the toys they just ignore as they dont think much of them & wasted money on.    Nothing keeps them amused for long .....this the reason Im desperate for a move so can have a garden they can run about in. 

Anyone know of any exciting toys thatll keep them amused for  more then a a couple of days?