# Cats!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 2, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505 "2003-08-02T05:09:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/41 "2003-08-05T06:06:20Z")
Thank you all for your responses. They’ve been quite educational. **danceswithcats** , let me qualify my answer. I’ve had lots of cats before, but they were _outdoor_ kitties complete with all their claws and stuff. When I had to go somewhere, they could keep themselves plenty amused outside. This is the first indoor kitty that’s declawed and therefore can’t go outside unsupervised. I have to keep her inside for her own protection. Plus she doesn’t have a companion kitty to keep her company, and the vet said I probably shouldn’t get her a companion kitty since cats are by nature pretty solitary creatures. I just got this kitty, and I’m still getting to know her, and she’s still trying to get me trained. And I’m not sure if I can handle having two indoor kitties on my hands. I’ve got enough to deal with with just one adorable naughty! 😃 **Ferrous** , I wish I’d asked y’all knowledgeable Dopers about this before I went out and bought toys. I’ll look into the laser thingy. **Wang-Ka** , LOL!!! That’s what my mom said. 😃 **avabeth** , unfortunately, I’ve already opened the kitty toys, and I can’t figure out how to get them back in the packages so I can take them back. I’m stuck with them. Oh well, I hope she’ll play with them after awhile. Good god, **Steelerphan** , _four_ kitties! It is awful nice of them to let you live in the same house as they do. [giggle] My **Shnuggy Kitty** and I have so far been good about not stepping on each other’s toes. We share window space and such like, but she still hasn’t convinced me to let her drink out of the toilet. [shudder] Why do cats want to drink out of the toilet when their owners provide fresh, clean drinking water for them? 😕 **catsix** , now you tell me. Well, I tried to give **Shnuggy Kitty** some catnip, and the next thing I know, she’s vomiting up her food on my just-cleaned carpet! Needless to say, she won’t be getting any more catnip anytime soon. **Skeezix** , I’ll try to build her a cardboard playhouse. Thanks for the tip. Oh, and the bags are plastic. I’ve supervised her playing with them, and I’ve actually seen her get tangled up, realize that it’s not fun to be tangled up, extricate herself, and then leave the bags alone. When she plays with plastic bags now, she lays on top of them. I guess she likes the crinkling sound they make. She’s a right smart kitty, and I spoil her rotten, giving her her favorite kind of food so she doesn’t feel tempted to eat plastic bags. **2trew** , **Shnuggy Kitty’s** been having a field day with the bugs that enter the house out of nowhere. I just get a kick out of watching her get all predatory and attentive and try to hunt the moths and other creepy crawlies in here. She’s so cute when her eyes get that big hunter’s look in them. 😃 **Uzi** , I don’t know if I’ll build her a cat skyscraper, but I’ll see if I can’t make her a modest duplex or something. **Lynn** , the vet said I probably shouldn’t get her another kitty companion. You see I’m her third owner, and I think she’s not been used to living with another kitty. She’s a grown kitty and set in her ways. And, we’re still just getting to know each other. I don’t want to bring even more upheaval in her life than she’s already had to face. Maybe after the dust has settled and we know each other a little better, I might get her a little kitten or something to look after. **Fern Forest** , I’m afraid to give her catnip because I think it makes her vomit up her food. **sperfur** , break a leg with your catwalks. I don’t think I’ll put any up here because that’ll give my kitty access to my hanging plants, and then all hell will break loose up in here. **leechbabe** , how awful! It sounds like you had a psychokitty or something. **Bugnorton** , good heavens! Three cats and two dogs allow you to share their home? That’s pretty amazing that y’all get along. **fotosbyfrank** , I think you’re on to something here. I remember that my outdoor kitties used to play with all sorts of toys when we brought them inside. **Bugnorton** , you’re right. My kitty did just make me pit myself for being so stupid and not knowing that she wouldn’t play with store-bought toys, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if my cat was in touch with your kitty. **IDBB** , I wuvs my n aught kitty, even though sometimes I’m ready to spank her, she’s so bad. **BonoVox** , my kitty loves playing with paper bags so I make sure to have her one out to play with. **danceswithcats** that story is awfully cute. **monstro**. thanks for saying that. I do hope that my kitty will get used to the toys and start playing with them. **Guinastasia** , thanks for the tips. **jwhee** , thanks. I’ll see what I can do about these new toys. 😉 **catsix** , ooh, I’ve got clothespins. I’ll have to see if my kitty will like playing with them. She’s watching me type this response now, and she looks pretty amazed by laptops, but I don’t want her to play with my laptop. There’s no telling what she’d type and post to the SDMB! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/42 "2003-08-05T12:35:34Z")
"Yeah, they never like the things that are sold as cat toys. " My little fur balls love to play with squished up cigarette packs. They play kitty soccer with them all over the house. Little goof balls! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/43 "2003-08-05T12:43:51Z")
"Yeah, they never like the things that are sold as cat toys. " My little fur balls love to play with squished up cigarette packs. They play kitty soccer with them all over the house. Little goof balls! ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/44 "2003-08-05T13:12:35Z")
Oscar and Emmy discovered a new toy last night. A mouse. Not a toy one. A real one. It was in my room, too - how, I don’t know. My parent have NEVER had a mouse in the house before and I don’t know where this one came from - possibly from all of the rain. So I woke up around 11:30 to hear them batting something around, turned on the light and saw Emmy torturing a mouse. I got her away from it long enough so that it ran behind my dresser (Okay, that’s not good), got out of my room and set my bed up in the office instead. My dad was out on a bond, so when he got home, we closed up my room and put towels under the door so that the mouse couldn’t get out. In the middle of the night, apparently, my monsters moved the towel from the door, the mouse got out, and they chased it all the way downstairs where they gave it a not-so-heroic death. My dad found the poor little guy this morning. And Emmy, my typically quiet, sweet, timid little girl-cat, was apparently the murderer. Well, I’ve been thinking I wanted a couple of pet rats and some people with cats and rats have told me that theirs get along fine - I don’t think I’ll risk it. I still wish that poor little mouse hadn’t had to die for the folly of my cats. Ava ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/45 "2003-08-05T13:15:13Z")
**celestina** –I wuvs my naughty kitties too.🙂 They can be so _baaaaaaaad_ but still have this adorable look on their face like "I’m so sorry mommy I won’t never do it again honest’ when 5 min later they are back at it. _LOL_ IDBB ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/46 "2003-08-05T13:34:50Z")
**celestina** , a couple of suggestions for you. You might consider getting another cat so they can keep each other company. You could also try getting one of those helium filled mylar balloons, and tie just enough weight to it so it will float about indoors at equilibrium. We’ve done that sometimes and our cats go crazy trying to chase it and hold it. For an added touch you can use a toy mouse as the counterweight…a “fledermaus” if you will! The mylar balloons keep their buoyancy for weeks. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/47 "2003-08-05T14:03:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by celestina \* > \*\*I don’t understand. I just got you, you naughty, naughty kitty! I know you’ve been though a lot of trauma and drama lately. Well, so have I. I just spent a whole lot of $$ that I don’t have buying you toys. Really. I was shameful up in the Petco gettin’ more excited than a little kid at Christmas, finding you kitty toys. And now you won’t play with them. Instead, you’re having a field day with the bags the toys came in! > > :mad: > > What am I going to do with a naughty kitty who looks at me funny when I get her to try to play with her new toys? 😕 > > Kitty owners, or rather folks who’re owned by their kitties, what am I supposed to do? I got the toys so my bad kitty won’t be bored while her mama has to go to work and stuff. But, she won’t play with them and has the nerve to look at me as if I was crazy for being excited about it being Christmas in July. > > And those toys are damn cute too. > > [pout] \*\* Cats are like that. Cats love anything with catnip in them. So, buy your cat those mice with catnip in them. Also, with my cat, he only liked purple balls. Cats are picky. If you really want to make your cat happy, leave a paper bag on the floor or leave a cardboard box on the floor. You could get him a catnip sack also. Cats go crazy over these things. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/48 "2003-08-05T14:10:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Steelerphan \* > \*\*The human may not choose anything for the Cat. The Cat chooses its own toys. > > The scratching post is not good enough, it must be the blue chair or the bathroom wall. > > You may not place anything on the shelf by the window; that is the Observation Perch. It must be left clear so that the yard can be monitored. \*\* If my cat sees a bird or something outside, he starts getting really excited and gets mad at there being walls in the way. He even meows if he can’t get to a window. He’s so cute to watch chase birds and stuff from within the house. BTW, he hates other cats being in the yard, even though he is an indoor cat. Cats are so cute. Scratching posts are two small for grown up cats. I don’t know why they don’t make bigger ones. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/49 "2003-08-05T14:13:25Z")
They like the little seal thing you tear off the top of milk carton (gallon size) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/50 "2003-08-05T14:25:33Z")
I believe the greatest dollar-to-fun ratio is delivered by The Cat Dancer. It’s some bits of cardboard at the end of a piece of flexible wire. I have yet to meet the cat that wasn’t entranced. Unfortunately, it is a kitty-with-owner toy, not a kitty-alone toy. Da Bird is pretty sweet too… but more expensive and gets destroyed more easily. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/51 "2003-08-05T14:53:34Z")
We have these awesome toy mice in the store around here. They have a little plastic tag sticking out that you pull, and then you give it to the kitties. Every time they hit it or it hits something it makes the most realistic mouselike sound! My cats love them! ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/52 "2003-08-05T22:46:46Z")
[hijack] > [@](#): > > BTW, he hates other cats being in the yard, even though he is an indoor cat. That is what caused the situation I’ve been dealing with for the last month or so, **Kputt**. Rumpleteazer saw a cat in HER yard (even though she never leaves the house)and got very upset, taking her agression out on her housemate Buttercup, who thereafter attacked her on sight and got very huffy around her. It’s only been after weeks of keeping them apart and _slooooowly_ reintroducing them that they have gotten to the point where they can view/smell/touch each other through a screen door and not go all apeshit. We’re hoping in another week or so of this treatment, they’ll be able to be around each other with no barriers between them.🙂 [/hijack] IDBB ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/53 "2003-08-06T03:09:55Z")
My naughty kitty just started playing with her toy mouse. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D She is having a field day with that thing. And I didn’t have to give her any catnip or anything. ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/54 "2003-08-06T03:21:53Z")
**avabeth** , how terrible for the mouse. ☹ But at least now it’s out of its misery. Cats are truly amazing. They can look so innocent and cute and all and then be so vicious with their prey. **IDBB** , yeah. My naughty kitty understands when I say no or when I give her my displeased look, and she’ll back off with a contrite look on her face. And when my back’s turned she’ll go right back to doing whatever naughty thing I’ve told her not to do. She’s so bad! 😃 **Spectre of Pithecanthropus** , I can’t handle another cat right now, and I honestly think my bad kitty can’t either. At this point it’d be easier on us both to do the mylar balloon thing. **kputt** , don’t worry. I’ve left paper bags on the floor for my kitty to play with. 🙂 **Hello Again** , what is “the cat dancer” and “da bird?” **Elysian** , I think I got one of those mice. In fact that might be the one that **Shnuggy Kitty** just went crazy over. **IDBB** , break a leg with getting your kitties straightened out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![teleute12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@teleute12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teleute12)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/55 "2003-08-06T07:42:11Z")
Celestina, my kitty loves the “Cat Dancer” too. You can get them at petco, they’re mostly wire with a bit of cardboard at the end. It’s the only thing that Lucy-kitty likes. Well, other than those plastic halloween spiders, she loves those. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/56 "2003-08-06T13:44:36Z")
**celestina** , here are links for [Da Bird](http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=550) and [Cat Dancer](http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=1964). Cat Dancer is very easy to find in pet stores - Da Bird is a little harder, but there are getting to be quite a few knockoffs available. Da Bird is a little expensive, but cats _really_ love it. I haven’t seen one yet that doesn’t go nuts over it, actually - it seems to have a higher success rate even than the laser pointer. (Our cats actually don’t care for the laser pointer much). It’s sort of like a giant fishing fly (my dad calls playing with it “cat fishing”). It has two stiff feathers and some floppy ones, mounted on a swivel joint at the end of a string. The stiff feathers are mounted so that it spins when you swing it through the air. It really does sound remarkably like a flying bird when it moves. We’ve had two friends with cats keep ours when we were on vacation, and we brought Da Bird for playing with them while we were gone. Both friends have subsequently had to go buy their own, since their cats were inconsolable when Da Bird went home with the strange kitties. Cat Dancer is less overwhelmingly cool, but it is a lot of fun, and it’s quite cheap. It moves very unpredictably, and is particularly popular with cats that like to hunt bugs. Finally, an expensive one, but it can be a lifesaver - [Panic Mouse](http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=9006). The nice thing about this toy is that it will keep your cat occupied for quite a while without your having to be right there. I usually set it on a chair, so they have to jump for it a little - otherwise they tend to lie under it and bat at it, so it’s not great for exercise purposes. I quite like the site that all these links go to - they’ve been quite quick and responsive whenever I’ve ordered from them, and they have very cute cats in their catalogs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/57 "2003-08-06T14:22:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by celestina \* > \*\ ***avabeth** , how terrible for the mouse. ☹ But at least now it’s out of its misery. Cats are truly amazing. They can look so innocent and cute and all and then be so vicious with their prey. > > \*\* Well, we apparently have more mice. My mom found mouse droppings in the bathroom and the cats were up half the night chasing something. We have NO idea where these things came from, and I’m not really freaked out by the thought of them - I like mice - but my mom is panicking. Hell, I’ll grab the little guys by the tail and take them outside. Of course, Emmy is probably thrilled. I can’t believe my little sweet girl is a cold-blooded killer. Ava ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/58 "2003-08-06T22:26:49Z")
**teleute12** , I got my naughty kitty a couple of toys that are on wands that have suction cups on them. I’ve attached them to the patio door, and she ignores them. Or, I’m beginning to suspect that she plays with her toys when I’m not at home. If this is the case, then I wonder why she’s acting like she doesn’t care for these toys because they bore her silly or something? Hmmm. My mom says it’s because cats are just lazy; however, I’m beginning to wonder if she doesn’t have some ulterior motive. Does she just enjoy seeing how disappointed I look when she won’t play with me, or what? 😕 **ENugent** , thank you for the links. I’m going to have to check out Da bird–what a cute name :)–and the Cat Dancer, but I have to wonder if my naughty kitty will really appreciate them or not. I’ve got cat toys strewn all over the floor already, but hey, what’s a few more? 😃 **avabeth** , I’m sorry you have a mouse problem in your house. I don’t mind mice just so long as they don’t try to inhabit the same residence that I live in! [shudder] ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/59 "2003-08-07T00:11:18Z")
**teleute** mentioned the horrid and dreadful Petco. We all must run and _hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide_!!! _ducks and runs_ I would rather stuff a rabid ferret up my cooch than set foot in another Petco. _shudders_ IDBB ---
**Author:** ![Bugnorton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bugnorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bugnorton)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505/60 "2003-08-07T02:10:26Z")
**Avabeth** I’m sure you folks know this already, but we had quite a scare a few years ago when two of our little angels got into the corner top shelf of a magnetically _ **and** _ latch closed kitchen cabinet where we had placed some DeCon ages ago. Lenny and Sparky apparently answered the call of the wild (a mouse scurrying up there) and when we woke up and went into the kitchen there were DeCon pellets _everywhere_. Well, two weeks and $500 later the “DeCon Duo” were fine (14 days orally and two injections of vitamin K) and we never knew whether they had ingested any of the nasty stuff but it’s not anything to take chances with…bottom line don’t use that crap, ever. **IDBB** , I’ve never been to a Petco, what’s the deal with them (we do have one around here but I’m just way too lazy to drive 1/2 hr. for stuff I can get right down the street or online. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats/192505.md?page=4)