THE ONE CAT TOY YOU NEED TO HAVE!

TOYS..LOTS OF TOYS...

I know how important it is for indoor cats to get exercise. Therefore, over the years, I have purchased MANY cat toys for my indoor cat Coco-Puff to play with, including (but not limited to):

Cute fuzzy ferrets, colorful mice, tantalizing objects with feathers and sisal rope and streamers attached; toys that make noise, an octopus with eight dangly legs, pretty satin toys that look oh so attractive strewn around the living room (NOT being played with) and even holiday toys, like goofy yarn santas and tiny stockings bursting with catnip.

However, there is ONE toy that trumps them all..the one and only toy (which is not even a toy) that turns my lazy fat ball of fluff into a stalking crazed wild cat..and that toy is..TAA-DAA...A PLAIN OLD PIECE OF BROWN STRING!

THAT MAGIC PIECE OF THE PLAIN OLD PIECE OF BROWN STRING.

We discovered The Magic Of String one night as my husband was organizing his tool box. Coco-Puff was dozing on the couch, lazing away the hours, as usual. However, as soon as my husband pulled the piece of brown string out of that toolbox, she immediately sprung to life.

And the rest, as they say, is history!

My husband slithered the string all around the living room; over chairs and over the couch. Coco-Puff went wild! She stalked; she pounced; she jumped two feet into the air. It was quite entertaining to watch.

"Look at her go!" I laughed.

My husband laid the string "down to rest," so we could go upstairs to bed. However, Coco-Puff was not ready to quit. She positioned herself right next to that piece of brown string, waiting for this wonderful, new, and amazing prey to magically "come to life," once again.

"Sorry Coco-Puff. The snake has to go to sleep!" I told her.

When I came downstairs for coffee the next morning, there was Coco-Puff, still waiting patiently by her piece of brown string.

She was already addicted!

ALL THE SIGNS OF ADDICTION...

She was displaying all the signs of addiction....obsessing; not being able to "get enough"; losing all interest in everything else.......the string was even more fascinating to her than looking out the sliding glass doors for her "chipmunk friend," which is where I usually found her in the morning.

However, at this point, I still found it sort of cute and funny. So I put off getting coffee for a few minutes while I played String with Coco-Puff. When I was done, I layed the string back down to rest.

"Mommy needs coffee!" I told her, in what I hoped was a firm tone.

After I put the coffee on, I peeked out of the kitchen. I saw my cat still sitting by the piece of brown string...patiently waiting.....

This went on all day. Every time I walked past Coco-Puff and her String I felt guilty. I would usually end up playing String for awhile..... but it was rapidly becoming not so cute or funny any more.

I don't think Coco-Puff ate anything or used the litter box all day, for fear she would miss out on the string moving.

HIDING FROM COCO-PUFF AND HER STRING...

I tried to "sneak" by her, so she wouldn't see me. I even camped out upstairs for awhile, to get away from Coco-Puff and her string! When my daughter came home from school, I relagated String Duty to her.

Eventually, I had to "hide" this new object of my cat's desire, so I could get some peace and not feel guilty - because yes, I have other things in my life to do besides play String all day.

(Is there such a thing as Stringaholics Anonymous for cats)?

But it does make me wonder.

Why does Coco-Puff like this particular item so much?

Why does it get such a reaction out of her, whereas other toys - much prettier and cuter (and catnip infused) toys do not?

Is it because of the wiggly, sinuous action of the string that resembles a snake?

Do cats typically catch and eat snakes in the wild?

SNAKES IN THE WILD...

Maybe not our spoiled suburban dwelling kitties. But yes, their ancestors did. After all, cats had to compete with snakes for food - nice juicy rodents. So attacking these competitors (and possible enemies) has been drummed into their genetic makeup.

It all comes down to movement. Cats, as predators, are just naturally attracted to movement.......especially movement that is not all "in one straight line" like say, an electronic toy, because that does not resemble natural prey.

However, a piece of string can indeed resemble real prey. The way it twists and turns, and the fact that the movement involves the entire length of the string - that's pretty darn exciting to our furry little predators!

I also discovered something else. A snake that does NOT move is not nearly as enticing as a snake that DOES move. For instance, if I just drap the string over a doorknob, it is not as interesting to Coco-Puff.

In other words, Dead Snake Over the Doorknob is not nearly as fun as Live Wiggly Snake Over The Couch!

A MOTORIZED PIECE OF STRING...

So I guess this String Obsession is just something I'll have to live with, from now on.

On the plus side, it's providing my formerly lazy cat with some much needed exercise. (And, I have to admit; it's providing ME with some much needed exercise, as well).

Also,I think Coco-Puff has even learned the word "string"!

I just wish they would invent the ultimate cat toy - a piece of string that moves all by itself!

Try the string game with YOUR cat. It's a "free" toy that provides hours of fun and exercise for both you AND your cat.

But beware....your cat just might get addicted, too!

LOTS OF THINGS CAN BE TURNED INTO A "SNAKE" FOR YOUR CAT...

Of course you don't need a long piece of brown string from a toolbox to do the trick. A long piece of green or red or yellow string works just as well!

Many things can be turned into a " snake", such as yarn, ribbon, nylon cords, shoe laces (for lazy people who like to sit on the couch and let their cat play "baby snake") or long skinny bathrobe belts.

A long strip of leather makes a cool snake for a hip cat. A word to the wise: If you do choose ordinary string, make sure it's on the thick side, so your cat does not attempt to "eat the snake." Also, make sure it's long enough (at least 3 feet is good!) so it can slither around just right.

Tying another toy to the end of a string is also a fun way to "mix things up"......although Coco-Puff won't play with the string when I do that. She prefers her string straight-up - with no fancy adornments or attachments. However, your cat might enjoy this variation of the Snake game!

You can also buy many cat toys that incorporate the popularity of The String...such as the classic favorite, Cat Dancer, feline flyers (feathers on string), and Amazon's cat Charmer toy.

STRING IN A BOX; STRING UNDER A BLANKET; STRING SLITHERING ENTICINGLY UNDER THE BATHROOM DOOR.

For some fun Stringy Games, place the string in a box, then slowly slither it out so it "oozes" over the sides of the box.

Or hide part of the string under a blanket so the "tail end" is sticking out,then slowly, slowly, pull it out the other end, so it looks like the "snake" is gliding under the blanket. No cat can resist! Anything half-hidden is twice the fun!

Another fun game, is to get on one side of a closed door while your cat is on the other side. Slide just a bit of the string under the door first, so that when you go on the other side, you can sloooowly and tantalizingly pull the string towards you, underneath the door. Your cat will go wild!

SOME STRINGY "TIPS"...

I would recommend putting the "snake" away when you're done playing for three reasons. 1). Getting the "snake" out of sight will stop your addicted cat from obsessing. 2). Trotting out the "snake" periodically keeps the thrill alive. 3). You want to keep kitty safe! You don't want your cat to become hopelessly tangled up in it.

If your cat gets tangled, he willl panic trying to "get away" and this can lead to a serious situation. Cat photos featuring kittens all tangled up in pink yarn are cute....as long as someone is there to safely untangle them when the photo shoot is over.

Some items that should NEVER be turned into "snakes" are electrical cords (shock danger. You can stop kitty from turning your electrical cords into a dangerous snake by spraying cords with a repellant like bitter apple), tinsel from a holiday tree (blockages are never any ho-ho-ho fun. Best not to use tinsel if you have a cat), and window blind cords.

Cats can get tangled up in blind cords, just like young children. Tie window blind cords up with a twistie to avoid any mishaps. (Childproofing and catproofing aren't so different)!

Any smallish loose threads are a no-no (including those loose threads dangling from clothes or uphostry)... another ingestion danger. Also, the string on a balloon isn't such a hot idea, because when the balloon goes POP, your cat just might jump 5 feet in the air and get the scare of his life!