A Close-up of Zoee’s New Toy
I have written before about making toys for my cats. They always seem to like them better than the ones I buy. My latest creation was a modified version of a toy I read about in the January/February Humane Society magazine, “allanimals.”
The article by Emily Smith suggested that you glue toilet paper rolls together in a “wall or pyramid.” It also suggested you could cover them with non-toxic paint or fabric (which seemed like too much time and work to me when I didn’t know if they would like it). I modified the suggestion; I collected some toilet paper rolls and put a rubber band around them. Then, Emily instructed, use tissue paper to close some of the tubes with treats inside. I checked around my apartment and found a piece of tissue paper from a breakable item I had bought at the store. Hmmm…a friend had recently given me a small gift buried in shredded paper…maybe that would work too?
Oh-oh. This is what my living room floor looked like when I came home one day.
Cats…Pick up your Toys!
And then I managed to make it worse by tracking the shredded paper around the house. And this toy has to be remade every time you use it! (Translation: reloaded with treats and paper.) I don’t know about this…
But she played with it! That’s a success!
So…I went around and gathered up my paper shreds to stuff them back in and loaded in some treats…and I watched her. Smart Zoee…She flipped it over on its ends to see if the treats would just “fall” out — less work. Hmm…the shredded paper didn’t hold the treats in that well. It might have appealed to her mischievous nature, but wasn’t practical.
I decided maybe it would be better to go out and buy some tissue paper…and let Zoee do her own shredding. Maybe it would keep her busy for just a little bit longer…:-)
Sued51's Blog 
The tubes wrapped with an elastic is an awesome idea! I would worry that a cat would get sick from eating glue used on the tubes, probably not, but I’d worry anyway.
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Peter, It did say “non-toxic” glue, but some cats do like to chew on and rip cardboard with their teeth. Even if it didn’t “poison” them, there might be something worse for me to clean up than shredded paper. 🙂
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Oh I’m just way too paranoid about what our cats eat, Ms. J makes fun of me all the time about how cautious I get about them!
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I let my pets get away with [way] more than my children ever did. They tell me that’s what old people do. Your Zoee is a lucky cat.
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it looks like Zoe had a lot of fun. Timmy in my place discovered a box of kleenex (tissues is probably the generic term) while he was home alone one day, and there were shredded bits of paper everywhere. i don’t know what it is about the tissue – or magazines if they are left about – but somehow all that paper transforms him into a little destroyer.
my only concern was that he may have swallowed some, since cats are unable to spit out what’s in their mouth once it’s there. but he survived the ordeal. the tissue box is out of his reach now. but it is amazing how little it takes for cats to get excited 🙂
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I have heard (and seen pictures) of cats shredding toilet paper, but mine don’t bother it.
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apparently Timmy is all for toilet paper too, according to the person he was with before we adopted him. however he has not shown any interest in it since being here. table napkins, kleenex and magazines are another matter, however 🙂
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