Picking Safe Cat Toys

If you have a cat as a pet, you might have observed that they usually have different play styles than their canine counterparts. Toys are very important for cats than they are for dogs. Cat toys help fight boredom and it also gives them an outlet for their instinctive prey chasing behaviors. Playing with your pet can also be a bonding experience for the two of you.

However, when you are planning to buy a toy for your pet, you should make sure that the toys you are buying are safe for them. The type of toy that you buy depends on the size of your pet, their activity level, and preferences. You should also consider the environment that your pets play in or spends their time in as well. Here are some tips that you should consider in buying a cat toys.

Remember that most cats are attractive to things that are dangerous to them. So the first thing you have to do is to cat proof your home. You should remove string, ribbon, yarn, rubber bands, plastic bands, plastic milk jug rings, paper clips, pins, needles, dental floss, and anything else that can be ingested. These things are dangerous to your pet.

In buying a toy, you should avoid those that have ribbons, feathers, strings, eyes, or other small parts that can be chewed and ingested. Alternatively, you just avoid those that have these things. You could buy stuffed animals that are labeled as safe for children less than three years of age and that do contain any dangerous fillings like nutshells and polystyrene beads.  It would be better if the toy can be machine-washed. The toy should be soft as rigid toys are not as attractive to cats.

There are different categories of cat toys. They can be active, comfortable or filled with catnip. Active types can be round plastic shower curtain rings, plastic balls, or you can put a ping-pong ball or plastic golf ball in a dry bathtub to keep your mind occupied. Paper bags are also good for pouncing, hiding and interactive play.

A toy for comfort can include soft stuffed animals, which serve several functions. The stuff animal should be small animal to be carried around. Alternatively, it should be the same size as the cat for it to wrestle it around with. You can also consider buying a toy with legs and a tail, as this is more appealing to cats. Cardboard boxes are also comfort toys for your cat.

You can also consider buying catnip filled soft toys. These are fun to kick, carry and rub. It is also perfectly safe as it is not addictive and cats can roll in, rub in or eat. Catnip can also be crushed and sprinkled on the carpet. Or, you can put it on a towel placed on the floor so it will be easy to clean as catnip oils can stay in the carpet. However, we might not see the oil, but your cat will be able to smell them.

You can also get the most of your toys by rotating your cat toys weekly or by making only a few available at a time. Keep different types easily accessible. Alternatively, you can leave a toy that your cat loves available at all times. Make sure that the toys are of different uses like a toy to carry, a toy to wrestle with, one to roll, and one to baby.