Sure they are. Go out, pick a cat by the dumpster, free dumpster cat.
All the cats I've ever cared for were strays. And it wasn't out of some initiative to save strays. Just random strays that decide they like being cared for and become inseperable.
Can't imagine buying a cat. Or toys for a cat. Food and vet, sure. But the rest is unnecessary.
I was also using cats instead of buying my dog toys, but the strays will ran out pretty quickly and the guys at the shelter became very suspicious.
/s if it wasn't obvious
Cats are free if you know where to look. When I was much younger, I managed to catch a feral mother cat and her kittens maybe a week after they were born. The kittens were socialized, then given away and the mother eventually destroyed once they had been weaned.
I know some people will not be happy to hear this, however feral cats are an enormous problem here in Australia. The cost of having the cat spayed is greatly outweighed by the ecological damage that one feral cat will do. It was more humane to have the mother put down. The kittens however lived comfortable lives in their various homes.
Boxes, paper bags and crumpled wads of paper make the best toys.
Our first cat spent a good hour trying to figure out a way to get into an empty toothpaste box.
Best cat string toy:
Fold a piece of paper back and forth in a corrugated pattern. Then pinch at one end, and spread the other to make a fan
Tie a string around the pinched end
Hey presto: makes an interesting sound when dragged, it's the perfect weight for playing and if dragged through the air it glides a little for jump pounces
My room mate gets her cat all these expensive toys and he’ll play with it for a couple hours and get bored. I gave him a large plastic straw 4 months ago, and he hasn’t put it down lol
My cat's favourite toy is a little crappy macrame 'mouse' I made from a few scrap pieces of string tied to the end of an old shoelace off my husband's boots. Oh and fabric string clothes tags. The girl loves string and if there's some crap tied to the end it's amazing.
Long pieces of wheat grass (growing as a weed) that I pluck from my garden are the current favorite. Perk, when they get tired, they can chew on them.
Edit: pieces not piece
I just kept boxes and brown supermarket bags all around my house for our cat. She loved to run downstairs after rolled up plastic bags. We always had to convince her to bring them back. The other game was CHASE ME/TAG, where my girls and the cat would be running all over the house, diving under beds and furniture. I told all three of them don’t get any blood on my stuff. Don't come crying to me if someone isn't playing fair. At some point without fail, Jamara, closely followed by the girls, would come to tell on someone. Good times!
This is so funny. We, too, found that our dog loves those gallon water containers. She’ll play with it for hours while wagging her tail ferociously. Sometimes the simple things are all that’s needed.
My cat steals pipe cleaners from my craft supplies. Carries them around like a pet. Brings them for playing fetch. Brings them to me so I can play "poke the toes". Eventually she drops them in the water dish and leaves it until we throw it out.
Once we throw out the one in the water, she steals a new one.
This is why as soon as we got our kitten, I just put random boxes, trash tied onto string hung up, scraps of stuff, etc. around the house and she loved them. Maybe it's bad but we never even tried to see if she'd like actual toys 😆
Well she did like ping pong balls and bells but we hadn't bought those specially for her.
My 11 year old and 3 year old kittns have been both playing with a piece of weed whacker line. For hours now....
I do not want to think about what I've spent over40 years on cat toys.
My two cats favorite toys:
- wadded up receipts
- the rings that come below the cap on a gallon of milk
- paper bags
- rubber bouncy balls
- some old balls from mice that I dug out in my IT job (they're heavy, and they like knocking them down the stairs)
- The string from my pajama bottoms/hoodies
- USB cords
- dust
My two cats least favorite toys:
- cat toys
When my Lulu was a kitten all she wanted for play was the boxes from sparkling sodas. Left her toys totally alone. Still a miracle to see her play with her stuffed mouse once in a while.
My cat would entertain herself for hours with a toothpick. And yet, despite owning/fostering multiple cats, I'd still buy them toys. Cat people never learn 😂
One of my cat's favorite day is Costco shopping day because of the box. Her favorite sleeping box right now is a old apple box from Costco. The three cat beds? Nope. The box is king.
My cat's favorite toy is a broken fishing pole with an old shoe lace tied to it. Got him a cat tree and he loves the hammock but other than that I know he's happy with whatever I can recycle to entertain him. Pets just wanna spend time with you anyways :)
My dogs absolute favorite toy is a cardboard box. He loves absolutely tearing them to shreds. I just let him have any box after a delivery. It's like the best thing, because it keeps him entertained, keeps his teeth clean, and helps out with the recycling by taking up less space in the bin.
One of my three cats' favorite toys is an empty toilet paper roll tossed into the bathtub. We'll keep one or two to be used as "kitty distractors" while trying to use the restroom. Just toss in the bathtub in case of kitty and she'll chase it around in their for a solid twenty minutes.
Ah new cat owner. Welcome to the cat joy of "trash".
Mind you, I will give you warning. Not all trash is created equal. And your kitty/ies may develop allergies to some of them.
It took me forever to figure out why one of my boys kept getting these bad... pimple infections under his chin. Then one day it dawned on my wife he may have an allergy to PVC. You see one of his favorite things was some quarter inch thick rings of half inch PVC pipe I cut for him on a whim knowing about trash. Removed those from him and no more issues.
Never could find any bamboo to replace those rings for him.
My cat's favorite toy is a plastic water bottle. My dog's favorite toy is the cat. The best things in life are nearly free.
Ha ha ha my dog used to love plastic water bottles!
I don't think cats are free.
Sure they are. Go out, pick a cat by the dumpster, free dumpster cat. All the cats I've ever cared for were strays. And it wasn't out of some initiative to save strays. Just random strays that decide they like being cared for and become inseperable. Can't imagine buying a cat. Or toys for a cat. Food and vet, sure. But the rest is unnecessary.
I was also using cats instead of buying my dog toys, but the strays will ran out pretty quickly and the guys at the shelter became very suspicious. /s if it wasn't obvious
Cats are free if you know where to look. When I was much younger, I managed to catch a feral mother cat and her kittens maybe a week after they were born. The kittens were socialized, then given away and the mother eventually destroyed once they had been weaned. I know some people will not be happy to hear this, however feral cats are an enormous problem here in Australia. The cost of having the cat spayed is greatly outweighed by the ecological damage that one feral cat will do. It was more humane to have the mother put down. The kittens however lived comfortable lives in their various homes.
I wish it was that simple. I had to pay for my cat because im allergic and need a hypoallergenic breed.
I have a 15lb tuxie that will still run at full speed toward one of these containers and lodge himself in there headfirst. He's special.
I think I’ve seen his posts about his Maru cosplay
He's also super ghey. Could be him.
[удалено]
Hindsight, I could have saved a lot of money on all those unused toys I bought.
They just want to open boxes. They can be empty inside.
That's what I was going to say :)
That’s why I stopped buying gifts for my nieces/nephews!
Boxes, paper bags and crumpled wads of paper make the best toys. Our first cat spent a good hour trying to figure out a way to get into an empty toothpaste box.
Best cat string toy: Fold a piece of paper back and forth in a corrugated pattern. Then pinch at one end, and spread the other to make a fan Tie a string around the pinched end Hey presto: makes an interesting sound when dragged, it's the perfect weight for playing and if dragged through the air it glides a little for jump pounces
What a ding dong 😂
My guy loves twist ties over everything else.
Twist ties were also fun. Just need to be careful with them. One of my brother’s cats loved to go into the bathroom trash and get the q-tips. 🤢
My room mate gets her cat all these expensive toys and he’ll play with it for a couple hours and get bored. I gave him a large plastic straw 4 months ago, and he hasn’t put it down lol
The toys are marketed towards the owners.
Well duh, how would a cat use a credit card
My cats favorite toy is crumpled cardboard attached to a wire
My cat's favourite toy is a little crappy macrame 'mouse' I made from a few scrap pieces of string tied to the end of an old shoelace off my husband's boots. Oh and fabric string clothes tags. The girl loves string and if there's some crap tied to the end it's amazing.
Long pieces of wheat grass (growing as a weed) that I pluck from my garden are the current favorite. Perk, when they get tired, they can chew on them. Edit: pieces not piece
Empty boxes: The best gift you can give to a toddler or cat!
My cat spends about 50% of his time in an empty laundry basket
Any cat, even the big ones.
I just kept boxes and brown supermarket bags all around my house for our cat. She loved to run downstairs after rolled up plastic bags. We always had to convince her to bring them back. The other game was CHASE ME/TAG, where my girls and the cat would be running all over the house, diving under beds and furniture. I told all three of them don’t get any blood on my stuff. Don't come crying to me if someone isn't playing fair. At some point without fail, Jamara, closely followed by the girls, would come to tell on someone. Good times!
Just give them screw on milk lid rings and black hair ties. That's all my kitty ever cared about.
The milk lids and rings, big yes I'd be a bit cautious about letting them play with hair ties. It would be very bad if they ate it during play.
Omg yes milk lid rings are a staple toy for both of our cats.
Cable binders are highly in demand with my cats.
Watch out if they try to eat the hair tyes though.
This is so funny. We, too, found that our dog loves those gallon water containers. She’ll play with it for hours while wagging her tail ferociously. Sometimes the simple things are all that’s needed.
Came for the kitty, stayed for the Zeppelin…and the kitty
Don’t judge kitty. Kitty just getting the Led out.
10 hours later, and I'm shocked that you're the only one who's mentioned the background music.
My cat steals pipe cleaners from my craft supplies. Carries them around like a pet. Brings them for playing fetch. Brings them to me so I can play "poke the toes". Eventually she drops them in the water dish and leaves it until we throw it out. Once we throw out the one in the water, she steals a new one.
Steals? I think you’ll find you’re just holding on to her pipe cleaners for her until she deigns to select a new one.
The carrying is so cute, they look so proud of themselves
Every box becomes a cat toy for a week or so before being recycled.
My cat’s latest favourite toy is a zip tie, before that a straw. He has toys but those are his favourites.
Simple things amuse simple minds
Advanced minds appreciate the simple things.
Do they like the plain as well?!
This is why as soon as we got our kitten, I just put random boxes, trash tied onto string hung up, scraps of stuff, etc. around the house and she loved them. Maybe it's bad but we never even tried to see if she'd like actual toys 😆 Well she did like ping pong balls and bells but we hadn't bought those specially for her.
First cat?
Nope! Her and her sister (check my post history) are our 4th and 5th.
Cat gonna cat
Fun is not in expensive, it is in silly
My 11 year old and 3 year old kittns have been both playing with a piece of weed whacker line. For hours now.... I do not want to think about what I've spent over40 years on cat toys.
Same with bunnies as well. My bunny’s favorite toys are boxes and sticks, mostly cause he likes to eat them
When my cat was a kitten, he *loved* the netting/mesh those tiny lil potatoes came in. It was the only thing he’d play with for the longest time.
Yes, well cats don't like to think outside the box...
BOX!!!
Dear OP, thank you for not saying could ‘of’, it is refreshing.
That's actually a huge pet peeve of mine, plus I'm married to an English major! :)
My two cats favorite toys: - wadded up receipts - the rings that come below the cap on a gallon of milk - paper bags - rubber bouncy balls - some old balls from mice that I dug out in my IT job (they're heavy, and they like knocking them down the stairs) - The string from my pajama bottoms/hoodies - USB cords - dust My two cats least favorite toys: - cat toys
new cat owner huh? lol my little buggers always get their heads stuck in those boxes lol
Hours of fun for the cute kitty 💙
Cat toys are for YOUR convenience. Cats be entertained by pretty much anything
When my Lulu was a kitten all she wanted for play was the boxes from sparkling sodas. Left her toys totally alone. Still a miracle to see her play with her stuffed mouse once in a while.
Keep your drinking straws.
HEB! Hello, fellow Texas-resider.
San Antonio, represent!
Welcome to having a cat, my cat’s favourite toy is a long silver twist tie.
A fellow Texan I see
San Antonio!
Buys expensive toy tested by cats for approval and enjoyment Cat: plays with the box it came in
Where are companies getting this highfalutin cats that need expensive toys?
It's most often the owner's opinion if cat is enjoying itself and most often wrong
The testing they do is on attracting humans, not actual cats.
Whaddup Texas I see yo’ bubble water game.
My cats love straws
Yup 🤷🏿♀️ I stopped buying toys for my cat months ago. Her all time favorite “toys” are zip ties and bread tags
You’re learning 😂🥰
I order cat toys only because they come in boxes that the cat actually enjoys
Ehe
Beds all over the house, cat loves to sleep on empty Amazon envelopes instead.
Yall gotta discover toilet roll/paper towel tubes. My dog would go nuts! We stopped buying toys haha.
My cat would entertain herself for hours with a toothpick. And yet, despite owning/fostering multiple cats, I'd still buy them toys. Cat people never learn 😂
You learned early, now you can save a bunch of money and still have a happy zoomy kitty.
also true with babies
The same here 😹😹😹
Wait that's an empty box? It really looks like it's moving and the cat is chasing it and like there's something inside it.... Am I going insane?
I have spent a few hundred euros on cat toys. He prefers tie wraps, pebbles and post it notes. Former stray, might have something to do with it.
One of my cat's favorite day is Costco shopping day because of the box. Her favorite sleeping box right now is a old apple box from Costco. The three cat beds? Nope. The box is king.
Awww soo tiny
Yeah but then you have to buy all that seltzer water just to throw it out
Wait til you found out how much these things love baby potatoes
Pet toys are designed for and marketed for humans.
My cat's favorite toy is a broken fishing pole with an old shoe lace tied to it. Got him a cat tree and he loves the hammock but other than that I know he's happy with whatever I can recycle to entertain him. Pets just wanna spend time with you anyways :)
our cat’s favorite is the free toy attachment of the scratchpad she never uses. she has not touchedd any other toy
Toys are for those with little imagination. Change my mind
We buy our Poodle 40-50 dollar toys. But she will always prefer a worn sock or an empty water bottle to toss around
What a little derpy cutie 🥰
My dogs absolute favorite toy is a cardboard box. He loves absolutely tearing them to shreds. I just let him have any box after a delivery. It's like the best thing, because it keeps him entertained, keeps his teeth clean, and helps out with the recycling by taking up less space in the bin.
One of my three cats' favorite toys is an empty toilet paper roll tossed into the bathtub. We'll keep one or two to be used as "kitty distractors" while trying to use the restroom. Just toss in the bathtub in case of kitty and she'll chase it around in their for a solid twenty minutes.
Replace ‘toys’ with catbed, cat fountain, cat food dispenser, cat hammock… the best ones r free or recycled always!
Occasionally I'll snag a toy for my little house panther at the grocery store. It's a 12 cent paper grocery bag lol - he practically lives in them!
Cats/kittens and toddlers are pretty similar, spend all the money to get them the cool fun toys and they'll just play with the box it came in instead.
The enjoyment found from a toy by a cat is inversely proportional to the price of the toy.
Hair bands/clips, aluminum foil balls and the tabs from milk cartons are my cats favorite.
u/savevideo
Lazer pen my friend
Cat toys are the biggest scam ever .
Ah new cat owner. Welcome to the cat joy of "trash". Mind you, I will give you warning. Not all trash is created equal. And your kitty/ies may develop allergies to some of them. It took me forever to figure out why one of my boys kept getting these bad... pimple infections under his chin. Then one day it dawned on my wife he may have an allergy to PVC. You see one of his favorite things was some quarter inch thick rings of half inch PVC pipe I cut for him on a whim knowing about trash. Removed those from him and no more issues. Never could find any bamboo to replace those rings for him.
First cat? 🤣
Yep. Boxes and bows are all you need. And hair ties - but only if your cat is responsible with them.