How to Prioritize Safety When Choosing Cat Toys
Although it’s temping to spoil your kitty with every little toy and trinket under the sun, there’s a few things to consider when you’re in the mood to shop for your furry friend. Whether you’re a habitual gift giver or just browsing around for your cat’s holiday present, we’re offering a few tips on what to look out for when it comes to shopping for your pet.
There’s much to consider when you’re shopping around for cat toys — and a lot of that depends on your cat’s size, environment and activity level. While safety can’t be 100% guaranteed with any toy, there’s guidelines you can follow to decrease any risk for your pet.
You’ve probably noticed your cat is the most intrigued by “toys” that can actually be the most dangerous to them — rubber bands, caps, paper clips, pins, cords and any type of string or ribbon. Although a lot of toys might have little plastic eyeballs or feathers attached, they can be lethal to your cat if ingested. Consider removing those parts of toys before letting your cat play with them. A good guideline to follow for toys are ones that might have a stamp of approval for small children to play with. These won’t contain any choking-hazard fillings like beads, chips, toxic materials or dyes.
So which toys get a gold star when it comes to cat playtime? Ping pong balls, empty paper towel or toilet paper cardboard, paper bags with no handles and cardboard boxes are a few examples of “toys” around your home that are safe for your pet to pounce on. When it comes to shopping for them, toys with catnip, wand toys and tunnels are the purrfect fit for most cats.
When it comes to the actual playing, make sure to take a look around before getting your cat riled up. Do you have any breakable objects laying around? Any objects that are a danger to animals that they could get distracted by? Keep your cat engaged by playing “hide and seek” with their favorite toys, or switch between a few different types of toys during playtime.
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