Background: We have a one year old cat dearly loved by the family.
However she keeps swallowing threads and strings. These get tangeled in her
gut and could kill her. We've had two expensive trips to the animal
hospital and as part of her rehabilitation I want to make a few cat toys to
distract her. ( the aversion therapy for strings I'll discuss on the cat
groups)
Questions: What woods are safe/dangeous for cats? Hardwoods or
softwoods? I'm assuming they'll be chewed up royally. What finishes, if
any should I put on the toys? Does anyone have plans or descriptions of
good cat toys? I'm assuming they won't be to complex.
Thanks in advance, Joseph
And if the're fun, Midnight ( the trouble maker) & Sunshine (her brother)
thank you.
And if they keep her alive, Susan, Andrew, Bridget and Cara (the rest of the
family) thamk you too.
> What woods are safe/dangeous for cats? Hardwoods or
> softwoods?
Make the toys out of a soft hardwood like poplar.
> What finishes, if any should I put on the toys?
I wouldn't put any finish on, but shellac is edible, as is any
vegetable oil.
> Does anyone have plans or descriptions of
> good cat toys? I'm assuming they won't be to complex.
Considering that our cat is happy playing with the turds the rabbit
drops when he's out of his hutch, or whatever small moving creature she
can catch in the back yard, I think the range of complexity is wide
open.
Dung or complex warm-blooded living being, she'll play with 'em.
Cats... go figure.
djb
--
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> Questions: What woods are safe/dangeous for cats? Hardwoods or
> softwoods? I'm assuming they'll be chewed up royally. What finishes, if
> any should I put on the toys? Does anyone have plans or descriptions of
> good cat toys? I'm assuming they won't be to complex.
I'd use some nice lead based paint. Then again, I'm not a cat lover.
:-)
Want to save time and money? Give the cat a milk ring (the plastic ring
that most folks throw away after they open a jug of milk). Just make sure
it's the "full circle" type -- the split type don't seem to be quite as much
fun. The only thing I have ever known any cat to play with more than a milk
ring is something involving catnip.
"Joseph Lappin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
<snip>
> Questions: What woods are safe/dangeous for cats? Hardwoods or
> softwoods? I'm assuming they'll be chewed up royally. What finishes, if
> any should I put on the toys? Does anyone have plans or descriptions of
> good cat toys? I'm assuming they won't be to complex.
<snip>
Dave Balderstone wrote:
> Make the toys out of a soft hardwood like poplar.
>
>> What finishes, if any should I put on the toys?
>
> I wouldn't put any finish on, but shellac is edible, as is any
> vegetable oil.
I was going to recommend arsenic but that wouldn't be kind and would betray
my feelings about cats... ;-)
-- Mark
"Vic Baron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Sleeping shelf. Find a Georgian pier table, have the french polished
> > surface restored, decorate with finest Irish damask then place
> > somewhere sunny. Garnish with sleeping cat.
>
> No fair! You looked at MY cat's sleeping shelf.
>
>
> LOL
>
> Vic
>
and then the cat toys are provided when they bat the fine crystal off the
tabletop. damhikt.
In article <[email protected]>,
The Kitty Wizard <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I'm assuming they'll be chewed up royally.
>
>I doubt it. They'll get clawed and pounced, but I've rarely seen a
>cat that seriously chewed.
One of my wife's cats likes to chew wood, mostly to be annoying so he'll
get fed.
--
Mike Iglesias Email: [email protected]
University of California, Irvine phone: 949-824-6926
Network & Academic Computing Services FAX: 949-824-2069
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 02:07:40 GMT, "Joseph Lappin"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Questions: What woods are safe/dangeous for cats?
I wouldn't use wood ! Dogs are chewers, cats are chasers. If you
want to make cat toys, I'd go with stitched (maybe glued) fabric.
>Hardwoods or softwoods?
Soft hardwoods. Poplar or maple are good, for non-splintering
behaviour. Basically anything that works for children's toys.
> I'm assuming they'll be chewed up royally.
I doubt it. They'll get clawed and pounced, but I've rarely seen a
cat that seriously chewed.
> What finishes, if any should I put on the toys?
I wouldn't. Most finishes have some residual smell, and this may be
distracting. Shellac is about the least odorous.
>Does anyone have plans or descriptions of
>good cat toys? I'm assuming they won't be to complex.
Scratching post - Take a christmas tree - the sort stuck in a slice of
log as a base. After 12th night, saw the trunk through about 18"
above the base and strip the branches off. Wrap with thin sisal or
jute rope.
Catnip starfish. Cut two 5-pointed starfish shapes from light canvas
or denim. Sew a loop or hanging string to one corner. Sew them
together along 9 sides of the shape. Turn inside out (use a chopstick
to poke the arms). Stuff with a mix of shreds of polyester fleece /
felt and catnip. Hand-sew the remaining edge.
Prey gallows. Make the above two toys. Add a gallows arm or T arms
to the top of the scratching post and dangle toys from it.
Outdoor barrel - makes a rain / night refuge for outdoor cats. Buy a
half-barrel (many garden centres - but check it's actualy waterproof)
and turn it on its side. Make two tapered feet to go underneath and
level it, or a cradle foot. Seal the open top with a plywood disk and
a small cat-sized hole at the bottom. Lay a piece of double-wall
plastic (estate agent's sign) inside as a warmer, washable floor and
lay some old blanket on top.
Sleeping shelf. Find a Georgian pier table, have the french polished
surface restored, decorate with finest Irish damask then place
somewhere sunny. Garnish with sleeping cat.
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