Yep, weeds are good - especially when you make a new game with them. Today husband-man threaded a weed through the hollow of a foam tube, and that little bit of green disappeared and re-appeared in a tantalising manner.
The foam tube is, in itself, very good to grab and kangaroo-kick, with a yielding texture that is apparently fun to also bite chunks from. So the grass gets chased, and the tube also gets grabbed. We got this foam tube from Clark Rubber - if you have a foam exercise roller, chances are you will already know how attractive such a material is to cats (ours is sorely battered). Click on the photos below to make the series larger... (remember also to choose grass that is non-toxic to cats).
The foam tube is, in itself, very good to grab and kangaroo-kick, with a yielding texture that is apparently fun to also bite chunks from. So the grass gets chased, and the tube also gets grabbed. We got this foam tube from Clark Rubber - if you have a foam exercise roller, chances are you will already know how attractive such a material is to cats (ours is sorely battered). Click on the photos below to make the series larger... (remember also to choose grass that is non-toxic to cats).
Update 29/05/2014: I recently received a concerned comment about the safety of this toy. Their key issues were about the choking hazard of foam if chunks were taken from it, and also from toys where plastic bags were involved.
This is a valid concern. As always, with all toys, as I've often said throughout this blog, common sense prevails. Play WITH your cat so you can always see any potential dangers. If an invention proves to be less than desirable, then scrap it. If a toy in session starts to develop shreds or potential dangers, change/remove or fix it. Put your toys away afterwards. And know your cat - each cat will have different predilections (for trouble!).
For this toy in question:
1. it is an interactive toy, where the weed is the primary target as shown in the pictures, and humans are supervising
2. as a potential choking hazard, this has as much potential as other commercial cat toys, or cat-safe plants, or a cardboard box, or their food- which is in far larger pieces
3. the 'chunks' that were ripped out in session were not ingested and not a potential danger - they were not even noticed by our cats. The size was crumb-like, as can be seen from the picture. The shape was rounded, not a more dangerous strand-shape, which could wrap around the intestines causing a blockage.
4. we put away this toy after the play session - the weed was what they were after in anycase
5. we know our cats. Both of them are shreddders - they rip and spit, never ingesting. But we DO know Kato has a thing for rubber bands, so we have taken protective measures as described in that post.
As always, any comments, concerns and feedback are appreciated.
This is a valid concern. As always, with all toys, as I've often said throughout this blog, common sense prevails. Play WITH your cat so you can always see any potential dangers. If an invention proves to be less than desirable, then scrap it. If a toy in session starts to develop shreds or potential dangers, change/remove or fix it. Put your toys away afterwards. And know your cat - each cat will have different predilections (for trouble!).
For this toy in question:
1. it is an interactive toy, where the weed is the primary target as shown in the pictures, and humans are supervising
2. as a potential choking hazard, this has as much potential as other commercial cat toys, or cat-safe plants, or a cardboard box, or their food- which is in far larger pieces
3. the 'chunks' that were ripped out in session were not ingested and not a potential danger - they were not even noticed by our cats. The size was crumb-like, as can be seen from the picture. The shape was rounded, not a more dangerous strand-shape, which could wrap around the intestines causing a blockage.
4. we put away this toy after the play session - the weed was what they were after in anycase
5. we know our cats. Both of them are shreddders - they rip and spit, never ingesting. But we DO know Kato has a thing for rubber bands, so we have taken protective measures as described in that post.
As always, any comments, concerns and feedback are appreciated.