K-pop edit archive - cat steals false eyelash from band member when doing make-up

No idea who this K-pop 'starlet' is if indeed he/she is a starlet. I can't tell if the person is male of female which I think is a GOOD thing. Yes, I am 74 years old but I am very sensitive about the need to respect inclusivity and the LGBTQIA+ community. 

K-pop edit archive - cat steals false eyelash from band member when doing make-up. Screenshot.

No matter what your gender alignment is, you have equal rights to all others. They should and do nowadays demand those rights. This is good. It is an old-fashioned idea that humankind is made up of male and female - a black-and-white situation.

It is not like that. Humankind is grey when it comes to gender. There is a spectrum of sexes but I am not going to get into the biological sex argument. That's a little toxic I feel.

The video

A sort of cute video. The cat sees something interesting in the false eyelash. The fact that this is a false eyelash does not mean that the person is automatically a woman or girl as the 'boys' or young men of K-pop bands wear lots of make-up as part of their production methods.

I wonder what the cat did with the eyelash!? Stashed it away to play with it as a toy. That's my bet. It'll make a nice toy. One danger: the cat might see it as something to eat!

Yes, cats like to play with small objects and then put them into their mouths. A lot of cats have swallowed stuff that they should not have ingested. Lesson: keep small objects off the floor if you live with a cat companion.

I am being too serious.

Simple, free cat toys are often the best

This is a really cute photograph of a Siamese cat with a ring of plastic in his mouth. It's one of those security plastic rings used to keep the screw top of a milk container in place during transportation. Just another bit of waste plastic to humans. A great toy for this Siamese cat. I can remember my cat being fascinated with one of those plastic covers for a three pin UK plug. He chased it around the room for hours. Another bit of plastic to be discarded but in the meantime a great cat toy.

Simple, free cat toys are often the best. This is Mikey with his favourite toy. Photo: u/iwantmyhalfsleeve 

As long as the bit of waste plastic is sufficiently large and therefore cannot be ingested these are great toys. They probably remind domestic cats of insects. They are a similar size. They are not animated which is why cats animate them by pushing them around.

This 'old-style' Siamese cat, Mikey, made the front page on the Reddit.com website five years ago according to his owner. He has sadly reached the end of his life. About eight hours ago his human caregiver announced that tomorrow he is going over the Rainbow Bridge. He will join his brother there on the other side.

Wouldn't it be great if we could all meet up with our long-lost, deceased cats on the other side? I would love to do that although I don't believe in it. It's a charming thought nonetheless.

Home-made cat toys of the very simple kind are often as good as the most expensive manufactured toys. We don't need to spend money on cat toys. My girlfriend likes to buy cat toys for my cat at Christmas. That's fine. It gives her enjoyment. Far more enjoyment for her than for my cat 😉. He might play with them. I stress that he might play with them but if he does it won't last that long.

I have said this in the past: plastic cat toys aren't ideal because they can't be killed! Cats want to see the destruction of a toy to confirm that they have hunted it and killed it. That's the theory and it is a good one.

RELATED: Cat bored with flapping fish toy because she can’t kill it.

It's why you see cats ripping scrunched up paper balls to death. It's why you see them destroying toilet rolls. They want to destroy it. You know that all domestic cat play is a substitute for hunting and killing. They can push an item of plastic around the room to simulate hunting. But they have got to end up killing it.

RELATED: Why does a kitten sometimes throw a toy into the air when playing?

Clearly, the desire to kill was not satisfied with respect to this plastic ring. That's a downside but it seems that the upside outweighed the negative. This boy loved his plastic ring and although he couldn't kill it it didn't stop him playing with it and hunting it.

The Cat Wheel

My cat has never had the privilege of using the cat wheel. These are becoming more and more popular particularly in North America. I guess they are an excellent way for an active cat that might be a permanent indoor cat to get some exercise. And the domestic cat needs exercise because Mr Domestic Cat is becoming obese. There is an increase in feline diabetes that appears to be linked to obesity and there is an increase in overweight domestic cats with all the encumbant health issues that excess weight brings with it.

We don't tend to play with our cat enough. Cats are very independent minded and we think that they are OK. They might not be. They might need some input from us as we can distort the natural life of a cat. The cat wheel is an innovative way to make life more natural for the domestic cat.

I don't have personal experience of using one (err..I mean my cat..) but I would guess that if you put a cat on it he or she will run instinctively if she is naturally active and inquisitive. Not all cats are like that so some cats will need encouragement or training. That is probably an obstacle to purchasing one.

Savannah cats are ideal candidates for the cat wheel because they are smart, athletic and active. Any wildcat hybrid cat will probably like the cat wheel (Bengal for example). Apparently the Sphynx also likes it. Sphynx cats are athletic and very smart so no surprise. Here is a video of Zuri (human companion: Paige) on a cat wheel bought from the Cat Wheel Company:



Zuri was born and raised at A1 Savannahs, the best in the business. I know as I have been there and lived there and played with the kittens - gorgeous.

Some tips on getting a cat to use the cat wheel by the Cat Wheel Company:

• use a laser light toy for your cat to chase. Make sure the wheel is static before using the laser light.
• put catnip on the wheel!
• place your cat's favorite toy on the wheel and gently rotate the wheel to stimulate activity (this a modified version of the advice given by the Cat Wheel Company).

Can you buy these in the UK?  Yes, there are several businesses selling cat wheels. This is one: http://www.thecatwheelcompany.co.uk/

Big Cat Toys

The interesting thing about searching on the internet for "big cat toys" is that it can mean two things. Either people search for toys for the big cats: jaguar, leopard, tiger and lion or they want to buy toys that are based on the four big cats, such as plush toys.

Big Cat Plush Toys

Here is a carousel of big cat plush toys and big cat toys from Amazon:



There are many more. These are for the North American market place.

Here's a picture of a large big cat plush toy:

Big cat (tiger) plush toy - photo Melissa and Doug

Large toys for large cats!

These must be a specialist kind of toys unless I am mistaken and I probably am. Judging by this great video from Big Cat Rescue the big cat toys are not really specialist but simply big lumps of durable plastic shapes. These cats love them. This must be good for the health of the cats as it will help to keep them mentally and physically active in captivity.





From Big Cat Toys to Home Page

Lucky Chinese Cat

The lucky Chinese cat or Chinese Lucky cat is, I think it is fair to say, a misdescription of the The Maneki Neko (meaning "Beckoning Cat") and which is also known as the Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Money cat, or Fortune Cat.

Chinese Lucky Cat? No...the Japanese Beckoning Cat. Photo by Naked Eyes (Flickr)

This is a Japanese model of a cat that essentially brings good luck. It is used primarily to create good luck for business and is therefore seen outside shops etc. (see photo above of the Beckoning Cat).  It is a representation of the Japanese Bobtail cat. A purebred cat that you could say is the national cat of Japan.

I guess people get confused between Japan and China. They are very different countries and there is some friction between these countries.

As it happens I have a nice article on Maneki Neko Cats and an article on the Japanese Bobtail cat.

I won't, therefore, repeat the information here.



From Lucky Chinese Cat to Home Page

Honeysuckle Cat Toys

Photo by samatt (Flickr)
Honeysuckle cat toys have similar properties to catnip toys and other play objects. If your cat does not like or is not turned on by catnip you might like to try honeysuckle. You can see them in some pet stores, in the USA at least.

Some people might be tempted to see if their cat likes honeysuckle but there are dangers because some varieties of honeysuckle are toxic to cats. Unless you are absolutely certain then don't go down that route. Ask what type of honeysuckle is used in products or sold and check that the vendor is aware of the hazards. Check the labeling etc.. And note that Japanese honeysuckle vine is toxic to cats.

Also if you produce a chunk of raw wood honeysuckle for your cat to play with it can be dangerous to a cat - think jagged edges and your cat might like to try and chew it. This has a very good chance of causing injury requiring a vet. If buying raw honeysuckle the advice is to place it in a thick cloth material to protect the cat.

An additional concern is that in order to bring out the smell of honeysuckle it is advised to moisten it. This can cause mold to grow on the honeysuckle and some mold is toxic to cats (e.g. bread mold called Aspergillus niger). See what I mean about the hidden dangers! The wood should be "lightly misted" using a water spray bottle.

In general it is said that cats respond less to honeysuckle than to catnip but as cats are individuals it is a nice potential alternative provided precautions are taken.

With the warnings etc. out of the way here are a couple honeysuckle cat toys from Amazon:





You can also buy Honeysuckle Spray for Cats (2 oz.) which can be used on, for example, a cat scratch post to encourage your cat to use it.

Enjoy honeysuckle cat toys but take care.



From honeysuckle cat toys to Home Page

Green Cat Toy

What is a green cat toy? They are good for the environment. But they are also good for the cat, equally importantly. Without intending to be critical or hostile to other countries and cultures I would check where there toy came from. Certain countries have a bit of a history of supplying products that are less than healthy or just plain dangerous and that applies to human toys for babies or children. I can remember a health scare with respect to childrens' toys about a year ago from an Asian country. The same country recently supplied a poisonous ingredient for cat and pet food. See Melamine in Cat Food. So, I would focus on cat toys made in the West.

Other negative factors to think about might be:

• Toys made from plastic and painted plastic. The chemicals in plastic might present a hazard when chewed and paint can also contain chemicals (like lead). Paint from the less developed countries can contain lead. Lead used to be in paints in the UK at one time (exterior paints) to make it more durable.
• Any painted toy should be a No No.
  
• Toys that are small or have small bits attached. This might include threads and stringy bits that can be swallowed. Perhaps the best thing is to pull the toy about a bit without destroying it before buying!
  
• Toys made with fillings that can be ingested. This might include polystyrene bits. Cats do like to tear things to bits and chew what's left. I would have thought it possible to feel what is more or less in the interior of a toy.
• Plastic bags are a big no no as they are potentially dangerous (suffocation).

Cats don't know if the toy is expensive and/or manufactured and the simplest of homemade toys or just bits of rubbish can be good toys and very much a green cat toy as it is good recycling Zach in the video has the right idea and he makes a great green cat toy, the greenest imaginable:

• Cardboard boxes are one of the favorites judging by the videos around. The box should be completely empty.
• Catnip stuffed toys. My Timmy a stray likes these but on one occasion broke it up and started to eat the foam like interior so I took it off him. They are generally safe it seems provided there are no bits on them that can come off and be eaten. Cats can be very destructive with catnip toys as the catnip drives them to destroy it!
• Crumpled up paper balls are simple and effective and a nice bit of recycling.
• Balls of various types are always fun for a cat at least for a while; pushing and prodding it around the place.
• A piece of cable or string that is held at one end by us and dragged slowly in front of my cat on the bed keeps her interested for the longest time. I get tired of the game well before she does. String "managed" like this is safe (i.e. we can react and protect). A lump of some sort on the end of the string helps (provided it is safe lump). I use cable sometimes like a power cord but stop her chewing it by always just beating her.
• Any toy that has had any potential nasty bits removed is OK. I would be surprised if a cat toy manufacturer made a toy that had bits on it that could be eaten but some from Asia might (this, as mentioned, is not an attack on Asia, just a reality).

Green Cat Toy -- Some more reading:

• Cat Chew Toy
• How To Make Cat Toys
• Homemade Cat Toys
• Remote Control Cat Toy -- take care with this one - not really a green cat toy though! here is another angle on the same toy
  
• How to Entertain a Cat -- fancy manufactured cat toy - nor is this a green cat toy
  

From Green Cat Toys to Home Page

How To Make Cat Toys

Cats love to be in or through or trapped by and playing with BOXES - photo by kingfal

Cats often prefer simple homemade toys. How To Make Cat Toys? Well as cats are unaware of the fact that you spent a fortune on a fancy cat toy and unaware of your upset when they casually ignore it; it is worth reminding ourselves that cat toys can be pretty basic and yet be highly effective. Cats do like to prod things with their paws, preferably through holes. This is hunting instinct behavior for a cat. Cat play generally is a form of training for hunting, perfecting hunting skills. Cats also like to jump into boxes and some cats do this to an extraordinary degree and with great style (see this video for example - Stupid Cat Videos).

So, here is a video about making a cat toy out of a humble box:



Zak Scott goes one step further. He uses his cats fur to make a cat toy and in doing so it is double pleasure for his cat. First the grooming is highly pleasurable and then the fur is made into a cat toy so there's more pleasure on the way. Now if only Zak could get his cat to actually make the toy as well? Here's the video:



Cats will play on their own for a while. How long depends on the cat, of course. But our involvement is always welcome as we can create a stimulus that mimics prey for our little treasures to hunt and destroy. I use a simple cat tease. They cost a dollar. These invariably work but our cat has got to catch it sometimes. In another post I talked about a remote control cat toy that pleases both the human (if you like model helicopters!) and the cat, see it here: Remote Control Cat Toy. And finally here are the thoughts of someone else on homemade cat toys. Thats how to make cat toys.



Photo published under creative commons license:

How to Make Cat Toys to Home Page