You’ll want to have a supply of toys for your kitten to keep her occupied – and you’ll want to share this activity with her. With a kitten’s fascination for moving objects, it’s not hard to come up with simple, fun toys. An all – time favorite is the kitty fishing rod. To a 2- or 3- foot pole, attach a foot – long length of twine or strong to which you’ve tied a last feather, a stuffed sock or a small ball. From the comfort of your chair, you can play “fish” with your kitten, who will spend hours chasing and catching the object at the end of the pole.

A look through any pet supply store or catalog will supply you with a slew of ideas for toys you can buy or make. Cats love to explore, and so cardboard boxes with cutaway entrances make great toys. There are fabric – lined tubes you can buy for your kitty to run through, fleecy and bouncy toys.

Another favorite amusement is catnip. The plant itself is a member of the mint family, and the chemical it contains gets kitties going. That chemical is nepetalactone; it triggers something in the scent glands that has a euphoric effect on cats. They respond by licking, chewing on rubbing the plant or a catnip – filled toy. Like mint, catnip is fairly easy to grow, and you can plant your own crop from which to pick and dry leaves. Or, you can buy dried catnip and already – made toys in pet supply stores.

Resource: The Essential Kitten by Betsy Sikora Siino