by Casandra Greco

Created on: June 30, 2008

The top ten things my cats love to play with from 10 to numero uno. Thankfully most of them come from things that are already around the house, don't cost money, or are really cheap.

10. Fish Tanks - or mainly the fish that are in there. Out of all the cats that I have at home with me, or those that I have had, one of their most favorite pastime other than snoozing was watching the fish swim back and forth. And without the proper cover, they will try to catch the fish, not only because they see it as food, but mainly because it moves.

9. String- Yea, the most common thing you hear people say. String, yarn, thread. With feathers or buttons or bells. Doesn't matter, they love it when you flick that string around for them to chase, and let me tell you, its amusing to see a 20 pound cat trying to flip while catching string in mid-air.

8. Cords- a close relative to the loved string. If you are vacuuming and the noise doesn't scare them away, they will chase the moving cords. As well as if you are moving a laptop or its power cord is dangling from the counter. Not something that I would allow my furry friends to play with because if they manage to snag your laptop, then you know, its kind of expensive to replace.

7. Cardboard boxes- Ranging from the large package boxes from auntie in South Carolina to the smaller boxes of a 12 cans of soda. Doesn't matter, if its laying around someone is bound to climb in and either snooze or attack the innocent passerby.

6. Plastic Bags- Something that has always made me worry about them suffocating, but with careful supervision, a cat with a plastic bag can be hilarious. They like to go into them and proceed to attack their brethren, the family dog or you. Claws are very likely to sink into your ankles if you walk by unexpecting.

5. Paper Balls - The ever faithful paper ball. You have something that you were writing up but you just couldn't get it right so you toss it, miss the trash can and along come fancy feet to take it. Another humorous toy that doesn't involve much effort on your part.

4. Catnip - More than just something to make your cat go crazy. Lay out a thin line on a slippery floor and call the kitties to it, and soon enough you'll have them fighting over it, playing in it and acting like hyper balls of fur. Hilarious to watch.

3. The unexpecting Canine- Every feline loves to practice pouncing or sharpen their nails on the unexpecting Fido. Whether they are sleeping peacefully or wagging their tails in response to a shake of the treat bag, cats will attack.

2. Their Kind - Yes, cats like to play with their own kind. When there is nothing better to do cats will entertain themselves by attacking each other, bathing each other and other times just by chasing each other around the house.

1. You of course- Cats love when their humans play with them. Especially the outer extremities of a human (aka the fingers and toes). You wriggle those toes under the covers you better hope their nails aren't sharp. And even the oldest cat will fall for the rapidly moving fingers on the edge of the bed trick.

Play with your cats and keep them active. Although everyone loves a great fat lazy cat, everyone likes a playful one too.

Learn more about this author, Casandra Greco.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.