This product was mentioned in 43 comments, with an average of 3.21 upvotes
Hmm. When does it scratch you? Just randomly? Maybe you're getting too rough with it or touching it too much and it's trying to tell you to give it some space?
Are you playing with it daily? I strongly recommend playing with it for at least 5-10 minutes every day. It's the equivalent to taking it for a walk and helps curb a lot of behavioral issues. This is hands down the best toy you can get - [link]. My cats are also partial to chasing rolled up tinfoil balls that I throw for them.
For behavioral stuff I recommend checking out some books by the My Cat From Hell guy Jackson Galaxy. He's an actual expert, so his advice will probably be more helpful.
Yes!! Came to say the same. Damn thing is $3 on Amazon and my cat goes insane for it. All the expensive toys just sit gathering dust.
Cat Dancer 101 Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy [link]
It’s called a “Cat Dancer”. They’re super inexpensive ($1.99 on Amazon last time I bought one). My bengal would make these adorable chirping sounds he didn’t normally make while playing with it. It’s also great because you can tape it to the wall when your arm gets tired and they can bat at it on their own time. I’ve given them as gifts to several friends and every cat seems to love it. Here’s the link: [link]
Best cat toy ever is the cat dancer, it's literally a wire with some rolled cardboard strips. Costs about $4? My cat is 14 and still loves to play with it even after all these years. edit- $2 on Amazon [link]
Not similar in style, but my cat goes absolutely wild for hair ties too and he loves this wire toy from Amazon as much (if not more).
Cat Dancer 101 Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy [link]
My cats are obsessed with this cheap wire toy. You can hold one end while you lay or sit down and it basically bounces around on its own. They also love when I open the front door and they can look outside via the glass porch door.
When you feel well, maybe you can make some enriching puzzle toys out of recycled materials (or buy some online!). They love to play with those, especially if there are treats in them. Actually, my cats just love any new things they haven't seen before. Maybe you can find some new stuff for them to investigate while you're on the couch.
I'm just glad I don't have dogs!! I don't have the energy for that.
This is one my cat absolutely loves and it has a metal wire instead of a normal string! I don’t know if it would help the aggressiveness but it should help you with the string breaking
Too cute!! The Cat Dancer Toy is basically a guitar string with little rolled up pieces of cardboard. My cats go absolutely apeshit for it cuz it resembles the spazzy flight of flies.
One of the best cat toys I've found, loved by all of the cats I've owned, is a Cat Dancer. Looks simple, but I've bought them for years, after my grandmother first showed me how HER cats responded to them. My current cat is a lazy, good-for-nothing tubbo, but he knows where I keep the cat dancer, and will jump up if he sees me reaching for it. In our last house, I kept it coiled up on a shelf next to my computer chair, and he was always trying to get onto the back of my chair and onto the shelf to get his "bug". No cat nip on it, just well loved by cats!
a cheaper alternative to da bird is the cat dancer. my cat prefers it to any toy. she first played with it when she was ~6mos.
the scaring people is playing, both of our cats do it... Try playing with them morning and evening. We actually have to separate our cats to play, as one is to dominant. But we found a toy which totally tires the more active one out cat dancer. It works wonders and is cheap!.
Good luck with the peeing thing... No Idea what to do about it (our two cats share the same toilette, being scooped twice daily).
Edit: formatting
The only thing that will work is time. If you push yourself on the cat, it will just do more damage than good. What you are doing now with the treats is great. You could add vertical spaces that he could hang out and feel safe while also staying in the same space as you, so he doesn't have to retreat every time you're around. Also, does he play with the girlfriend? You could get toys that you play with from a distance and try to lure him in. This is a great one.
The show My Cat From Hell works with this subject a lot, you could watch a few episodes on Netflix.
My cat loves hair ties, she even has learned to fetch with them. Also those crinkly mylar balls that you can buy for a dollar at the pet store. And this is a really simple, cheap toy that cats love.
How much do you play with your cat? If he isn't getting a way to exercise and work out his hunting instincts, then naturally he will start to hunt you. This is an excellent toy and at most pet stores for only a few dollars. At his age, you should be playing with him every day for about a half an hour total.
I totally agree with /u/AstridDragon about those cheap toys. You will be amazed by how entertaining a crumbled up piece of paper can be. Mine also like the mice you can get for a dollar at one of the big box pet stores. Also, the Cat Dancer is the best $3 you can spend on cat toys.
When he gets bitey, it's good to have an interactive toy, like the Cat Dancer or a feather on a string, so that you can get him running around and work off some of that energy without associating your fingers or toes as playmates.
Also, you could contact your local shelter/animal rescue groups about fostering another kitten his age. That would give both loner kittens a playmate, but would take the financial burden off of you. :) You can search for local rescues by zipcode at www.PetFinder.com.
Little kittens have SO MUCH ENERGY! Look out for when they start thinking pants are trees! That is a good time to get a real cat scratching post (or ideally, super tall cat tree that you can buy online or on Craigslist for cheap). That way he has an outlet for his natural desire to climb.
Good luck. :) You guys are gonna have a lot of fun!
Our cats LOVE these, as do all cats I've encountered. Dirt cheap and loads of fun. Set up little "walls" or barriers, or tunnels and stuff and make the cat chase it around. He won't stop until he drops from exhaustion. Get him a cat tree and put it near a window so he can survey his territory. Oh, and take plenty of pics and videos of when he's very little, you'll look back on them fondly as he quickly grows up.
Playing with a cat makes them more friendly than anything but food. I recommend this cheap piece of wire and cardboard. My cats LOVE it. The secret is play. They can't resist it even when they can resist food.
Yep, normal kitten behavior. My cat was like that until he was about a year or so old, then he was still like that but in shorter and shorter spurts. It can be both adorable and frustrating at once! (Especially at night!).
Redirection like someone mentioned does help a lot. The spray bottle never worked with my cat. He just figured out that if I didn't have the spray bottle in my hand he had X amount of time to misbehave and run. I also found that attention worked a lot too. Like making sure you spend a fair amount of itme playing and tiring them out!
My cat had a ton of toys to play with,, which kept him occupied. Simpler tended to be better -- small plastic balls to bat around were probably his favorite. The other thing he LOVED was [link] Its a cheap toy. Nothing to it, but its a stiff wire and when he batted at it, it owuld move in an erratic fashion (like a bug). So that would be something he'd do to entertain himself all the time.
Good luck!
Probably the Cat Dancer? If not, that thing is stellar and cats go batshit crazy for it. [link]
We get my cat all sorts of things but this is hands down her favorite toy: [link]
Ahh I’m jealous, kittens are so fun! And a huge pain, but mostly fun lol. You probably already have a bunch of cat toys, but if you do need any I always tell people to get a cat dancer or a da bird. Cats go absolutely NUTS for both of them and I don’t know why
So precious! If he's your first, I really recommend a few things if that's ok! Amazon/ ebay links but products can be found elsewhere.
Watch My Cat From Hell - it's FULL of good ideas and knowledge, despite the cable TV format.
Harness and leash train your cat asap. Not only can you then take them for walks (which takes a couple years to do but is well worth it), being ok with a harness and leash will make him way easier to travel with and take to the vet.
Cat backpacks are easier than cat carriers; I like the solid rectangular ones best.
Check out robot toys that your cat can play with on their own, as well as bouncer toys (basically a long wire with a little cardboard thingy on each end that you can wedge somewhere for them to play with.
Couple of things mine love:
A cat tree next to a window with a bird feeder outside (you can get ones that stick onto your window) will make them very happy. Note on cat trees - I got a really good deal on ebay recently, and the same cat trees were way more expensive on Amazon - I totally recommend checking ebay for cost comparison on this. They were like 30-40% cheaper.
He looks like he's going to be a floof. I recommend these two brushes - the first is for removing extra hair every so often in the summer months, the second is a general daily brush (I just keep them in the powder room seeing as my cats insist on going to the bathroom with me anyway). This seriously reduces the amount of hair all over your home. We barely have cat hair on anything aside from their regular spots on cat furniture.
If they do turn out to be floofy, watch out for them seeming bit light/ skinny in hot weather - they can get dehydrated, and this is a real life-shortener. Avoid cheap cat treats, which tend to be too salty (Temptations/ Dreamies etc) get the vet recommended sort.
My cats also love this fountain (we've gotten them three and this is the top pick and the easiest to use):
Learn to trim his claws yourself - you'll save your furniture. I use these:
This is so true.
EXCEPT - this $2 toy on Amazon. My cats (even one who doesn’t really like any toys) go absolutely bonkers for it.
Buy her a cat dancer, the greatest cat toy (according to all three of my cats).
Absolutely!
Get this - [link]
Please do not yell at your cat or spray your cat with water it will not teach it a thing and it will only confuse it and teach it to be afraid of you.
Increase one on one play time with your cat to get some energy out. Use a variety of toys and rotate them. Some tried-and-true favorites... This is such a simple toy and a very cheap so order several as they are an add-on item and they’re great to have around in every room because kitties seem to always enjoy them whether it’s dangled from the air or drug along the ground for chasing. Cat Dancer 101 Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy [link]
Order natural peacock feathers off of Amazon for a super fun game with your kitty. The first time my girl are saw one she literally stood up on her hind legs walking across the floor trying to get out it. When you want to get the feather away pull it straight back toward you and it will slip through their claws and teeth. Eventually the quail will break from play so it's good to get a pack of them, they are not very expensive.
ALL in ONE 20pcs Natural Peacock Tail Feather [link]
SnugglyCat The Ripple Rug - Made in USA - Cat Activity Play Mat - Thermal Base -Fun Interactive Play - Training - Scratching - Bed Mat [link]. My girl goes crazy for this one every time. Dangle a peacock feather or anything else outside some of the holes when your kitty hands in the rug and you’ll see a little arms reaching out of holes all over the place it is hilarious and loads of fun.
Your kitty is a lifelong companion so please take a little time to make the most of that relationship and read this book by Jackson Galaxy- The cat daddy himself.
Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat [link]
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Cats will chew thinner wires and like to sleep on hot things so they might accidentally push a button on PC or UPS to turn it off. Also, they will sometimes just lay on a keyboard for the hell of it, especially if it is a warmer laptop keyboard. My cat loves to sleep on my receiver that is connected to my PC since it is warm.
As for wires, just need to give them something to bite on that they enjoy. Get it out of their system and they will ignore any PC wires.
My cat loves to chew on this but they don't last long. Also, she likes to chew and chase this which last much longer lol.
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A lot of it is just time. Keeping the kitten confined to a room is good - make sure there are no hazards where she can get trapped/injured, including power cords she might try to chew on, or window treatment cords she could chew/get strangled on.
I found laying on my belly (or back) on the floor, and just quietly being present, was helpful in getting a new kitten used to me. Gradually, they come out of hiding and check things out. Just let them. Keep doing this and let them come to you on their own terms.
You can always read a book or quietly do things on your phone to keep yourself occupied. When you're standing or even sitting, you are such a towering presence compared to her tiny size!
I've also had kittens where an interactive toy would make them forget their fear (for at least a short time) - something like the Cat Dancer or a fishing pole type cat toy.
Good luck!
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Bed: Great idea. All three of my cats love pet beds. My girlfriend has probably bought about 7 or 8 of them to keep in different rooms. Obviously you don't need to go this overboard. Anything with a fair amount of plushiness to it is good. Probably want to avoid oversized pillow type beds for now. My cats refuse to use the one we bought for them.
Scratcher: A simple scratching post is fine. There are ones that look like cardboard rectangles that just lie on the floor, and those can be a pretty popular alternative to the iconic scratching post.
Cat Litter: Unscented is probably the healthiest for them, and my veterinarian girlfriend insists on it. I always buy Tidy Cats Lightweight Formula though. Even though it's scented, our cats seem to have a much easier time burying after business with it.
Toys: Our first cat, when he was a kitten, loved "crinkle balls". Basically, little fluffy balls that make crinkle noises when batted around. Fluffy things hanging off of sticks are fun, but our cats got bored of those types of toys very quickly. This has been their favourite toys for the last few months and refuse to play with anything else.
Food: My girlfriend only buys food from the clinic she works at. I believe the brandname is Hill's. I'll warn you that it's expensive stuff, so maybe try some stuff at the petstore if you'd rather not be broke 24/7. Royal Canin is awesome on your wallet and awesome for your pets, because Royal Canin tries to make stuff that isn't just junk food. For a kitten, you'll want things marked "Kitten formula". I'd recommend feeding a mix of dry kibble with wet food, because if the cat gets old, you'll want it to be used to wet food.
Pet Insurance: This one is a controversial topic. We had all three of our cats insured until a year ago. It can be a very good peace of mind thing knowing that if something ever happens to your cat, insurance will pick it up for you instead of having to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket. This is not an exaggeration, this is how expensive an emergency vet visit can be. We stopped insuring them for now because they are all quite young still, and they are strictly indoor cats, so the risk for them is very very low. If your kitten will be primarily indoors, then insurance could be easily overlooked -- unless you get hyper attached.
We plan to insure our cats again when they are considerably older.
Additional: Not every cat likes this, but our three go absolutely nuts in piles of paper. If you happen to have some brown packing paper kicking around, laying out a pile of that paper for your cat to shred, when it gets older, could be a very good way to keep it occupied. Also consider investing in a cat tree of some description, these provide a great vantage point and endless entertainment.
toys:
litter:
my favorites in order are:
Arm and Hammer Seal and Clump
Ever Clean with activated charcoal (clumping)
Tidy Cats clumping
litterbox:
i would avoid covered or anything that makes the kitty feel trapped. no reason not to have tall walls, especially with sloppy kittens. you're also going to want a litter mat so they don't track it everywhere.
food:
kittens. eat. constantly. so keep out dry food 24/7 and feed a little wet food morning and night. this is temporary, don't free-feed dry food when they're an adult. you'll want to transition kitty to scheduled feedings when they're 6-8 months old, and i recommend wet food only at that point as kibble really isn't great.
my kitten has been thriving on premium edge kitten food but purina's kitten offerings look good and are a bit easier to find. with wet food supplementation. if you want, tell me your budget and i can give you some recommendations.
misc:
72" wooden cat condo - (or something like it, you definitely want something 6 ft+ for them to climb)
a tall scratching post - random one i found. tall scratchers are healthy for your cat, they have vertical muscles that need to be exercised.
cardboard scratchers - i like this one as it lasts a long time and you can flip it over for a new side.
not sure about flea meds as my cats are indoors. your vet will know what is effective in your region (some flea meds are completely useless in certain states). i would keep your cat indoors though.
A few more thoughts:
While she remained wary of us, she still liked to play.
Toys she liked are the Cat Dancer and the Cat Charmer and Da Bird.
She got so focused on the toy, she forgot I was there. Then she'd suddenly realize she was about a foot away from me and she'd panic just a little.
Now when she wants to play she leads me to the closet where we keep those toys.
A catnip blanket might be useful too. We got ours at a craft fair, but they are on ebay and Amazon too. It's a small 12"x18" blanket with catnip inside. This gets her so happy and relaxed. It's part of my plan to get her comfortable on my lap.
Nice! Yeah man, they melt your heart when they're like "yeah, I'm going to sleep on you and you're going to pet my belly"
Must haves
You’re very welcome! Your enthused review has sold me on purchasing one for my cat who is also picky about toys.
Completely different but here’s another suggestion: [link]. Mine has played with this toy at least once per day for the past year and a half in spite of how simplistic it is
Cat dancer is super simple, but even my sedentary cat goes nuts for it: [link]