I recently ran across a PawCulture article about household items that can double as cat toys. There were some great suggestions, but I think it’s also important to point out that not everything in your home makes a good cat toy. I don’t want you kitties out there making any mistakes you may regret. So I have put together list of eight household items that make lousy cat toys.
Kitties! Do not play with the following:
1. Computer mice
I mean, what are those things supposed to do anyway? They don’t respond to a good whap. They just sit there like a lump.
2. Shipping tape
A big problem with shipping tape is that it is often found in the vicinity of boxes, which make awesome cat toys. But seriously, don’t even get near that tape! You will be sorry.
3. Modems, especially the kind that stand up vertically
Talk about useless! A nice, warm surface you can’t lie on. What a bummer.
4. Sleeping laptop
A flat, hard surface that’s no longer warm. Big whoop.
5. 25-lb. dumbbell
It’s like playing with a big, stupid, immobile rock.
6. Empty champagne split
There are no regrets when this goes into the recycle bin.
7. Floor mop
You can’t climb it and it doesn’t smell good. Can you think of any kitty games for this? Me neither.
8. Human litter boxes
You can’t even sleep on them, because you know the moment you do, some human will come along and need to use it.
Are there any other household items that you think are big cat toy fails? Let me know in the comments below!
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Outrageous!
None of these are fun toys, however, when the dog was a puppy he delighted in sealing hoomans mouse and hiding it.
Bodacious
Honestly Summer, a good one to avoid and is quite dangerous…yarn. people think that’s a great cat toy. Unsupervised can result in a very sick kitty if swallowed
You are right Summer, those are not toys. My kitties prefer an open laptop especially when I am using it.
Summer, you always give the best catvice!
Summer, I make a point to put loose twist-ties in a remote location ’cause Coco and Heidi have been known to toss those around….worry they might chew/ingest one. having a few catnip toys around distracts them from messing with much else.
Serena says everything is a cat toy, especially the human who makes funny noises like “no” and “getoff” and “leevit” as you’re exploring the possibility of a new toy. Serena heard and responded predictably to words before a normal kitten would have been hearing human voices; in case anyone’s wondering, I thought of some other names for her (Penny Candy, in honor of her great-grandmother Candice and her vanilla-caramel-licorice coloring? Saltwater Taffy, for the coloring?) and she insisted that Serena is her name. But “stayawayfromthat”? Random human noises that don’t refer to anything in the real world!
Serena is going on two months old, and has much to learn.
Tape is bad. Very bad.
I think the kitchen sink is a great nestling place. But the human thinks it is hers to use. So she tries to fill it with water.
Summer,
Mine toys come from mine Lady.
Toffee
I think it might be fun to knock that modem right off the table. I mean, look where it’s standing! It’s begging to be whapped.
Course, that game’s only good for one turn.
Hummmm…TV remotes are “sort of†toys. You CAN knock them off tables and, if you play it right, you might get lucky and hit a button that interrupts their viewing and forces them to pay attention to you.
But that is hit or miss, except for the whapping potential. So maybe TV remotes aren’t good cat toys after all.
Mouses! I thought I had a good idea there ..
Nuts!
Selina
Parker sometimes sits on the back of the toilet — usually when she wants help getting to the top shelf. Her sister flushed it once on her way to the back of the tank.
Wow, those really ARE BAD toys!
My favorite is shipping tape!! I’m always trying to chew on it. And I also love a sleeping lap top. If I sit on it then Mommy can’t use it and she can pay more attention to me.
I didn’t see this coming at all, and you made me giggle!
Good list, Summer! It’s true. None of those is a fun toy at all.
Daddy’s earbuds, actually they are fun to play with but he and MOMMY get furious when we destroy them. Mommy does at least lay part of the blame at Dad’s door when he leaves them dangling from the computer.
We had high hopes for playing with the DeeBot and Yang will spend hours watching it, but really it’s not much fun and you never know when it is going to start chasing you.
We have tons of not fun things laying around humans seem pretty good at collecting the stuff.
Good advice, Summer.
Watering cans are not good toys either…I hate the wet that comes from the one end, and the water doesn’t even taste like that in my bowl.
Great list! We have a different kind of mop here, so it’s actually fun to chase. We totally agree with the rest of your list, though! We think novelty lights/Christmas lights are useless, as are fireplace bricks. CPU towers sometimes are and sometimes aren’t useless. Our daddy uses one as a side table for his big chair, but gets mad at us when we try to use the other one (that’s usually on) or ones that he’s working on.
Great list, Summer. Most everything around here including TW is useless except things that fall on the floor. They’re mine no matter when they are except packaging tape.
Those are lousy toys…well, cept for that mouse thing. We like to whap it off the desk…it makes the mom crazy. 🙂
good list Summer!! My Mom doesn’t like seeing kitties play with ANY bags that have handles or plastic bags.
You’re so right, Summer! In my opinion, nothing beats a crumpled up candy wrapper! –Mudpie
These are awesome! Right after I adopted Bear, he did play in the toilet water (YUCK!!!!) – but keeping the lid down cured him of that (now, ten years later – even when I do leave it open, he leaves it alone). I use a lot of shipping tape – mainly to cover spots in the carpet Bear tore up (#1 – to discourage him from making it worse and #2 – to cover it so when I vacuum, it doesn’t pull up more carpet.) – or even spots I’m trying to keep him from destroying. Fortunately, he doesn’t like the feel of the non-sticky side on his paws so he leaves those spots alone. Stunning pictures of you Summer – as always.
My kitties don’t like those things either.
Great list, Summer ! Closed doors and the sucking monster are really lousy cat toys too. Purrs
Those were odd suggestions, clearly whoever wrote that didn’t have a cat.
We think the vacuum cleaner makes a terrible toy! Really–it’s always whining and roaring and it tries to suck you up by the tail if you’re not careful!
Great list, Summer!
You are so wise, Summer!
Summer, that’s a well thought out list. I can’t figure why the humans named them computer mice anyway. I try to chew on packaging tape I see on packages, but Mom always takes it away from me. I warm pizza box is a good toy – you can bat if off the counter, sit on it to warm the tummy, and take a nibble from the goodies inside! Tee hee hee.
Summer, that was inspired. And I totes agree. Those are all bummers. ALL bummers.
Summer I am clapping wildly and mom is loling what a great list. Bravo
Hugs madi your bfff
Geeze, we have some of those things lying around here and yep, not good toys. Something else that doesn’t make a good toy – a toaster. Honestly, something that sounds that warm and that gets food things warm ought to be something worth playing with, wouldn’t you think? Nope. Another dumb rock thing with a shiny surface and no point whatsoever.
Hahahaha! This was a funny post, Summer! The pics, the post, the hidden messages – all funny! Thanks for the giggles!
PeeS: Our mommy got excited to see that you’ll be in Portland in November! She’ll do what she can to come see you and your human!
Summer. . . I was LOLOLOLing reading this!!! My cats would all agree with you — except that our modem lies flat, so they are able to use it as a butt warmer — LOL!!
Another one I thought of is the flat screen monitor or even a flat screen television — useless to cats as a body warmer as it is too skinny to lie on!!
Keep the great posts coming!! love you — and Binga too. . . ♥♥♥
That’s a very accurate list although lying on top of a shutdown lap top ensures the human can’t use it and ignore you. This is part of Diego-san’s repertoire.
You’re right Summer, we wouldn’t give any of those a second glance! One household thing we do love to play with though, are milk bottle rings! 🙂
the critters in the cottage xo
So true, Summer. None of those are good cat toys. A good bottle top is always good.
My Sydney loves to sit on the hamper in the bathroom, and watch! Great substitute for the human litter box!
None of these are our definition of great toys either.
MOL…
I think doors that are not quite clicked are fun. I go all through the house running and head bumping doors. A Shut door is not fun and if I run and bunt it too hard I see stars. So SHUT doors are not fun toys.
I’m glad there are other things to play with than those.
We totally agree with you 100%. None of those are toys and they are boring/dull. Great List Summer! Now to find those pawsome toys! Purrs
Summer you are totally right – all of those get a thumbs down (which Angel Sammy would be able to since he had thumbs but I’m just THINKING thumbs down!).
Hugs, Teddy
That was a great list and none of those are fun!
We agree Summer.
We do not like any of those toys either!
Purrs Georgia,Julie and JJ
Those are definitely not toys……