by Christy Wills

Created on: May 23, 2008   Last Updated: August 28, 2009

Having been a cat owner for over twenty years, I've purchased numerous toys for my kitties in that time. From various furry mice to plastic balls to a big round red container with plastic balls inside (don't ask) to a yellow, battery-powered thing that swung a fake bird around. Oh, and then there was that remote-controlled helicopter as well, a purchase influenced by that famous video on YouTube.

But there's really no need for any of this. And that's not being cheap or mean; cats aren't aware of brands, after all, and won't throw a strop just because their friend has a better fake squeaky fish than they do.

For this article the answer could really just be the same word repeated ten times: string. Yup, a good ol' piece of string. Or perhaps ten pieces of string of different lengths.

But enough joking, here's the real top ten list:

10) Anything long and relatively pointy, that can be waved about or moved around quickly under newspapers or blankets

Like a pen or pencil. Or better yet, your finger. Because when the cat pounces, it provokes a reaction from you. And that's double the fun. (For the cat, not for you.)

9) Leaves

Okay, this one assumes that you have a garden, as leaves that have fallen from indoor flower arrangements aren't really all that exciting. These leaves must fall from trees in an abstract fashion.

8) Baths

Stick with me on this one. Baths are great but clearly not when they're full of water. Your cat will most likely prefer to sit outside in the rain rather than sit within 5 meters of a water-filled bath. But when empty, they're superb. It's like another world in that tub a big, white slippery world.

7) A box

An ordinary cardboard box that you get from the supermarket that's been used to transport fruit in its previous life is best. If it has holes in its side its better, as that's great for sticking paws through. A box is especially great if you have two or more cats, because they will repeatedly take it in turns to "claim" the box by sitting in it for hours on end. Not because they especially want to sit there, but because it prevents the other cat from sitting there.

6) The corner of a wall

Clearly, not the kind of corner that one backs into, but the kind that you turn round. Because, on spying another cat or human, your cat can hide behind it and pounce at exactly the right moment.

5) Kitchen roll

This one is amazingly fun, and there are two games to be had from it. The first is dragging as much as possible of the kitchen roll from its

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