A kitten is naturally curious and needs toys that are safe and fun to play with. Choose toys made especially for cats—ones that cannot be splin- tered, torn apart or swallowed. A celluloid ball that rattles, a catnip mouse or a hard rubber mouse is perfect. To avoid accidents, some cat toys should be used only when you are playing with your kitten.
Toys don’t need to be store bought. Use your imagination. Some great play-things include:
- Table tennis ball
- Empty wooden thread spool
- Unshelled walnut
- Balled-up waxed paper
- Cardboard toilet paper tube
- Empty shoe box
Some items you may be tempted to give your kitten could be harmful. Keep the following away from your kitten:
- Balls of string
- Spools of thread
- Rubber bands
- Balls of aluminum foil or cellophane
- Corks
- Wire twist ties Also avoid anything with hard sharp points that can break off. Be wary of toys (or items that a kitten may see as a toy) that can break, such as Christmas tree ornaments for example. Be careful not to give her any- thing small enough to swallow, like buttons, beads or paper clips. Keep your kitten away from children’s toys made of soft rubber, fur, wool, sponge or polyurethane. If your kitten swallows even a small particle, it could cause digestive problems. Avoid all toys with squeakers that could be swallowed.