A Random Cat Anecdote - Cat Toys

Anyone who has been a cat owner for a while will tell you: don't spend big money on cat toys. Exceptions exist of course; if you have particularly active indoor-only cats, you have to vary things up quite a bit.

But what you'll find is, in general, cats will get more entertainment out of the most mundane of things you give them.

My wife and I rescued a pair of sisters from a local humane society several years ago. We went through all the toys, the balls on tracks, laser pointers, catnip-infused kickers... and so on...

One day we were sorting through some mail, and my wife crumpled up a piece of junk mail that particularly annoyed her and threw it over her shoulder. One of the girls, who had been under the table at the time, bolted for the paper ball and batted it around the house for hours. Now we give her a new paper ball every couple of weeks, often ones that smell like food or some random new scent, and she is endlessly entertained batting it around and carrying it up and down the stairs in her mouth.

For her sister, the circumstances are far odder. I had purchased a nice leatherbound book from a company in England. It came heavily wrapped for protection in what I tend to refer to as "honeycomb paper." As I unwrapped the book, leaving the paper on the ground, she snuck over and wormed her way into it.

I almost stepped on her as I turned away! But now we have learned she loves to bury herself in paper, and pop out to attack random toys or her siblings.

Honeycomb paper is quite cheap for a big roll, and it's still her favorite way to play.

After years of life and hundreds of dollars spent on cat toys, empty boxes, packing paper, and paper balls are still the key to their happiness.