Customer Reviews

50 Games to Play With Your Cat

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My boss--er, cat--would give this book two thumbs up . . . if he could!

The ideas are divided into sections, beginning with simple toys (such as a crumpled up piece of paper), and going into more elaborate toys made from cardboard.

The book would get five stars *if* some of the toys weren't store-bought, such as: a toy glove, a ball that drops a treat when played with, circle ball track, a cloth tube/tunnel, scratching post, cat tree . . . you get the idea! These are toys/games you can find out about just by looking at the pet store, and some are pricey.

However, overall, the book should provide inspiration and mostly (with some exceptions) low-cost, homemade ideas. Both cat and owner will mutually benefit from playing these games together. It's about time someone realized cats aren't aloof and do really want to interact with us . . . thank you, t.f.h!

Some great ideas for playing with your cat. Although you've probably thought of most of these ideas yourself, I think everyone will find a gem that pays for the book. For me, it was using an old bookcase and cardboard to make a hideout and play area. This book would be a great gift for a child who always wants to buy toys for their cat - now they can make them for little or nothing. The book also teaches a lot about feline behavior. Doris Dingle's Crafty Cat Activity Book: Games, Toys & Hobbies to Keep Your Cat's Mind Active

I've always said that cats are more likely to play with the box it came in rather than the toy inside. Therefore, when I was asked to write the forward for this book, I was interested and excited. As the text and photos came to me, it became apparent that this book was going to be all I'd hoped for. It's a fun read, and I encourage readers to put their imaginations to work and add their own embellishments to the projects. In closing, I'd like to say that in fairness to Jackie Strachan, my name should not appear anywhere on Amazon as "co-author" of this book. It's Jackie's through and through and she deserves full credit. All I am is an admirer and forward-writer of the book.

I wanted to like 50 GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR CAT by Jackie Strachan from the day I bought it. I've looked over and over it, partly because it is very attractive with lots of cat photos. But I just can't find that the book is of much help. The main toy in it that I spent a good deal of time making was Box of Balls, which consists of taking a cardboard box and cutting holes in it, covering it with contact paper, then putting several balls in it for the cats to reach in and bat around. Strachan says "this one is guaranteed to drive a cat wild." Well, I've got 3 cats, and in about six months since I made Box of Balls, they've played with it maybe 10 minutes total! Another section describes a fabric tunnel by saying "almost all cats enjoy exploring tunnels," so I bought one, and my cats were a little curious about it for about a week, but since then it's been ignored. Strachan describes a treat-dispensing ball as "a sure-fire winner," so I bought one and it too went over like a lead balloon. The same with blowing soap bubbles, although I need to try that more. Also, some toys in the book, such as Pinball Wizard, appear to be ludicrous to me, so I haven't tried them. Ironically, the type of cat toy that I've had by far the most luck with, i.e., wand toys with various attachments such as toy birds, is not mentioned in the book at all.

A disturbing aspect of this book is that there are several suggested toys about which Strachan warns that parts of them, such as yarn or feathers, are dangerous, and so advises only to allow your cat to play with these when supervised. I appreciate that Strachan warns about safety numerous times, but why use dangerous things for cat toys in the first place? How long is it going to be before you forget to supervise a toy 100% of the time, or someone else gets the toy out and is not so careful? Some other pages suggest attaching things to your fingers or toes for your cats to play with, yet the great book Starting from Scratch: How to Correct Behavior Problems in Your Adult Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennett warns not to use toys like that because they will be "sending a mixed message to your cat" that it's OK to play with your fingers and toes. I sure don't want to start that! (STARTING FROM SCRATCH includes a helpful section on cat toys, though there are just a few toys mentioned in it, but it has much more information than the Strachan book does about cat psychology with regard to cat toys, and many more helpful hints about using cat toys.)

I don't mean to be totally negative about 50 GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR CAT, because it does include some helpful information. For example, it speaks highly of cat trees, and indeed my cats have much enjoyed their cat tree. Yet I believe that the book has a lot in it that is very dubious, so I do NOT recommend it.

The games in this book aren't really novel, but they are helpful all the same. Some of them just use different items for games we already play with our cats.

This book just shows you things you can buy for your cat and what to do with it. It's a waste of money unless you plan on spending more money on getting this stuff. To me it's a total waste of money.

We gave this to my 10yo daughter for Christmas. It kept her very busy over break coming up with new and creative ways to entertain our kitty.

this book is sorta a waste of money. it pretty much tell you stuff you already know. it didn't really inspire me to play with my cat in any new way. the things it suggest are kinda no-brainers, like, "toss a wad of crumbled-up paper." or "pull a string under a paper". I was hoping the book will show me how to make toys instead of telling me to just throw around trash, or buy toys. if you still want the book, contact me, i'll sell mine, brand new, only been flipped through once, for half price.