Dear Tiffani,

I usually send a gift to my brother’s cat for the holidays but the last time I visited, it looked like the toys were untouched but the couch was badly scratched. He says the cats only play with the toys briefly before losing interest. Should I stop sending the gifts?

Signed, Give or Give-up Aunt

Dear Giver,

You don’t need to stop sending cat toys, but you may want to include a copy of this article. Cats generally have different play styles than their canine counterparts, but toys are as much a necessity for cats as they are for dogs. Toys help fight boredom and give cats an outlet for their instinctive prey-chasing and scratching behaviors, plus tire them out during the day so they aren’t keeping people up at night. When your brother is the one making the toy move so his cat can chase it, playtime also can become a bonding experience for them. 

Cats are funny, you can buy them the cutest toy and instead they’ll want to play with the bag it came in. Unfortunately, the things that are usually the most attractive to cats are often the very things that are the most dangerous. Houses should be cat-proofed by making sure felines have no access to: string, ribbon, yarn, rubber bands, plastic milk jug rings, paper clips, pins, needles, dental floss, and anything else that could be ingested. All of these items are dangerous, no matter how fun they appear to be and how cute the cat looks playing with them. Following are a range of recommended toys.

Active Toys: Try round plastic shower curtain rings, which are fun both as a single ring to bat around, hide, or carry, or the rings can be linked together and hung in an enticing spot. Ping-Pong balls and plastic practice golf balls with holes are fun, especially in a dry bathtub, as the captive ball is much more fun than one that escapes under the sofa. Remove them before bedtime though, as two o'clock in the morning seems to be a prime time for this game. Paper bags with handles removed are good for pouncing, hiding, and interactive play. Plastic bags are not a good idea, as many cats like to chew and ingest the plastic. Sisal-wrapped toys are attractive to the cats who ignore soft toys. Empty cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towels are made even more fun if they are unwound a little to get them started.
Comfort Toys: Soft stuffed animals are good for several purposes. Some cats like a stuffed animal small enough to carry around. For cats who want to wrestle with the toy, the stuffed animal should be about the same size as the cat. Toys with legs and a tail seem to be even more fun for cats. Cardboard boxes are comforting spots, especially those a little too small for the cat to really fit into.
Catnip: Catnip-filled soft toys are fun for cats to rub, carry and kick. Catnip is not addictive and is perfectly safe for cats to roll in or even eat.
Get The Most Out of Toys: Cat’s toys should be rotated every few weeks, making only a few available at a time. Keep a variety accessible but if the cat has a favorite, like a soft "baby" that she loves to cuddle with, it should be available all the time. Provide toys that offer a variety of uses - at least one toy to carry, one to wrestle with, one to roll, and one to ‘baby.’ Hide and Seek is a fun game for cats. ‘Found’ toys are often more attractive than a toy that is obviously introduced. 

Interactive play is very important for cats because they need active "people time". Cats engage in all types of play but it’s much more engaging for them when their people are part of the fun and games.
Because scratching is a normal behavior, and one that cats are highly motivated to display, it’s unrealistic to try to prevent them from scratching. Instead, the goal in resolving this problem is to redirect the scratching onto acceptable objects. So, providing them with appropriate toys as discussed above will help. Designated scratching posts are also recommended. Keeping their nails trimmed is another step. The inappropriate places they are scratching can be made unappealing by using humane aversives such as citrus scents and double-sided sticky tape. 

Happy Holidays to you and yours,

Tiffani

Tiffani Zimmerman is the Behavior Specialist at the Stafford Animal Shelter. Email questions to her at behavioradvice@imt.net, call 406/222-1312, or read archived columns at www.staffordanimalshelter.org.