Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Helena on March 08, 2008, 10:28:26 AM
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I'm having real probs finding really small toys for Bubz.
I've got the small squeezy balls, mice and the bobbly shaped balls from Zooplus but I cant find anything else small enough to be of interest to her. Anything the size of a pingpong ball or larger doesnt interest her at all, with the exception of da bird and a shorter variant!
Any ideas or suggestions very welcome.
Helen
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Mine likes the furry balls and the laser toy from the Purrs shop, balls made out of tin foil which you can make any size you like, cotton reel centres, wine corks, pipe cleaners, cotton wool buds and a 35mm film canister with a few bits of dried food in so it rattles. But her favorite toy is carrier bag handles, the tightly twisted paper ones that are like stiff paper string, she goes crazy for them, carrys them all over the flat, plays fetch with them, she often sleeps with one and always brings me one in the morning when my alarm goes off so we play fetch for 10 mins before I get out of bed :rofl:
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Have you tried ping pong balls - all pet shops have them and they are light weight and not expensive and my Bonnie loves running around after them.
Mary
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I'm trying the foil balls at the moment and they seem to be in favour - and its less expensive! :) Having said that, Bubz is currently sitting on my desk looking outside. I'll try some of the other things you suggest and see what she says to them.
:thanks:
Helen
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Small toys are difficult. There are some fantastic toys around by an American company called Fat Cat which my cats absolutely love - and they're a bit different too. However, not many places in the UK sell them. Try putting this into google and doing a UK search: "eeeks!" or "catnip couture". You might be able to find the odd place that does them.
Or have you tried something like a feather boa teaser? My little girl goes mental over this - she LOVES the feathers and never tires of it. We give up long before before she does!!
Hope that helps.
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Thanks - found a UK outlet at http://www.the-pet-boutique-dorchester.co.uk/cattoysandtreats.htm (http://www.the-pet-boutique-dorchester.co.uk/cattoysandtreats.htm) for Fat Cat products. Trouble is - I cant gauge how big they are and the toys all have catnip and catnip doesnt do anything for Bubz. Not sure if it doesnt do anything or she doesnt like it; its a fine line with her.
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hope you find something she likes. Mine - well, we all have our favourite toys - and they are all different.
Cheapest and yet often best is as Helen suggested. Foil balls. You can make them as big or as small as you like. I have several who are ball fans (and others who don't care for them at all). I don't know what they are called 'officially' but we (i.e. me and the kitties) call them 'bouncy balls'. About 2/3 the size of a ping-pong ball. You sometimes get them (here anyway) in packages with the kids game of jacks. They are wonderful. Small enough that 'we' like to carry them around in our mouths. And fantastic to play with. If playing with a human - well, they bounce terrifically! But even if playing alone - they ricochet wonderfully off things with only the slightest of paw pushes, and then the chase is on! One of us also likes to bring them into the bathroom when I am bathing, drop them into the bath water, and then 'go fishing' for them.
For those of us not into balls ... mice. Not the catnip mice one sees constantly. No. These are small things (about the size of a bouncy ball around the 'waist' and maybe 2 inches long) but they look so real. And all my kitties love them. There are a lot of larger versions out there -with and without feathered tails (sigh!) but while we hate those ones, we adore the little mice. Even my lovely, little, totally shy and retiring Niome comes running and stands up to get one of these mice when I bring home a new 'stock'.
Sadly I don't know who makes them. I can get them in packages or out of a 'jar' at the pet food store. But if you are interested, I'll take a closer look when next there.
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<snip>
Cheapest and yet often best is as Helen suggested. Foil balls. You can make them as big or as small as you like. I have several who are ball fans (and others who don't care for them at all). I don't know what they are called 'officially' but we (i.e. me and the kitties) call them 'bouncy balls'. About 2/3 the size of a ping-pong ball. You sometimes get them (here anyway) in packages with the kids game of jacks. They are wonderful. Small enough that 'we' like to carry them around in our mouths. And fantastic to play with. If playing with a human - well, they bounce terrifically! But even if playing alone - they ricochet wonderfully off things with only the slightest of paw pushes, and then the chase is on! One of us also likes to bring them into the bathroom when I am bathing, drop them into the bath water, and then 'go fishing' for them.
<snip>
Those sound like ones I got from Zooplus who call them Cat Softballs and Bubz loves chasing them - as well as carrying them, looking so pleased with herself! :) They're going to be mauled by her I suspect, or used as impromptu door stops!
<snip>
For those of us not into balls ... mice. Not the catnip mice one sees constantly. No. These are small things (about the size of a bouncy ball around the 'waist' and maybe 2 inches long) but they look so real. And all my kitties love them. There are a lot of larger versions out there -with and without feathered tails (sigh!) but while we hate those ones, we adore the little mice. Even my lovely, little, totally shy and retiring Niome comes running and stands up to get one of these mice when I bring home a new 'stock'.
Sadly I don't know who makes them. I can get them in packages or out of a 'jar' at the pet food store. But if you are interested, I'll take a closer look when next there.
Please Dark Moon.
Many thanks
Helen
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Glad you found the bouncy balls. But try toy stores. Or (here, anyway) hardware and drug stores. Anywhere they sell little cheapo kids toys (as for party treats and such..) Don't know what you paid but these things are dead common and cheap. Which is a good thing, as we are always losing them!
Mice - will do that (i.e. get the info). Failing which am infinitely prepared to send you some. They too are dead cheap. But I have never found anything that all my kitties love more.
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Have you ried Da Mousey from the purrs shop, its Archies fav toy. ;D
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Oliver likes shiny colourful candy wrappers, for example ones from Cadbury's Roses, I attach them on one of those remaining plastic "fishing poles" that he already ripped the object from long time ago with a string. He likes it loose too but he just knocks it under the furniture or somewhere inaccessible in a few seconds, and I am afraid he may eat it, so I prefer tying it and having it controlled from me. It is shiny, and makes interesting noises, very effective. ;)
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HI Hun
Does she like feathers? We are getting in a new toy from the Da bird range from USA very soon called the Kitty Kopter. It is the same feathers (but smaller) as the Da bird feathers but 3 attached to a small soft ball. As you throw it it zooms through the air for the cats to catch. ;D The feathers are about 3/4 inches and the small ball is about 1/2 cm round pic below.
The Da mousey is small and have to say the most popular Da Bird wand attachment. It's about 2-3cm long body with a tail. God knows why they are a huge hit being but they are :evillaugh:
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Oh she loves feathers alright :) I have got da mouse for Bubz but it isnt any where near as popular as da bird Tan. I'm going to get a second as backup, having caught it uder my wheels once already!
Unfortunately the Kitty Kopter doesnt sound too possible because I couldnt throw a beach ball to save my life - it would land by my wheels every time! LOL
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Ah good point :doh:
How about the panic mouse or the undercover mouse toy? She can play by herself with those. The undercover mouse is a bug hit with my lads :) and has feather attachment :)
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Foil, paper, corks, bottle tops, grapes, peas and cherry tomatoes are all small favourites of my lot. Also the rip off tops from cartons of bozita food amuse taz for hours :evillaugh:
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ribbons are also fun for interactive play (but definitely only under supervision as you don't want her swallowing them). You just twirl them between your fingers for hours of fun ...
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How about the panic mouse or the undercover mouse toy? She can play by herself with those. The undercover mouse is a bug hit with my lads :) and has feather attachment :)
She's scared of them!!!!!!! Bubz is a neurotic cat, hates being on her own in the dark, hates any toy larger than her petite self, with the exception of feathers, and is none too sure of catflaps!
H
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I have some small rubber balls that are about an inch in diameter, but I'm afraid I can't tell you where to get them from as I bought them at a cat show. Maybe small pet shops would have them. They came in a pack of 4 and are solid, reasonably heavy (for their size) rubber balls.