Most people think that blind cats need or only want to play with toys with bells or that make a noise but that’s not always the case. When I first arrived with mummy and daddy they had all sorts of toys ready for me to play with. Some of these I loved right away and some I have grown to love to play with as I’ve got older. Some had bells or rattle things inside and some were much quieter. The things that make a noise are easy to track around the flat which is great if your running round at speed chasing them. If however you want to practice hunting or stalking prey then something more elusive and quiet is in needed to practice with.
Mummy and daddy also do something that most people think is a bit odd when they play with me with my toys…they rub them on me, mostly around my face and neck. This might seem odd but they’re actually being very clever, the toys pick up a scent off me which, specially for the quieter toys means that I can smell them out if I ever loose track of them. Mummy and daddy are very clever and considerate.
So this week I thought I would do a review of my favourite toys to help, you all out if you ever need to entertain a blind cat.
Crinkle balls – these are good as they make a light crinkling noise which isn’t too loud, they’re lightweight so are also good for kittens too. They’ve got lots of crinkly bits that even small mouths can grab onto and carry around.
Nub toy balls– these are small rubber balls that have lots of bobbly bits on them. The bobbly bits mean that they bounce at funny angles and keep you on your paws when chasing them. They don’t make much noise so they help blind cats to develop their hunting and chasing skills in keeping up with their wobbly wobbly path.
Feather wand – this makes noises like the birdies I hear and stalk outside. You can use it in so many different ways so kitties rarely get fed up playing with it. My mummy waves it about in the air so I can hear the feathers move and the leap to catch it. Daddy uses it to get me climbing the scratching post by wiggling it up the side for me to chase. I also chase it along the floor after mummy, who doesn’t like a good game of chase round the flat? You can do so much with this toy and I love it 😻, it’s one of my top favourite things to play with.
Mousey– mousey is small and hollow so makes a very different noise when it hits the ground, it’s got a tail and so I can carry it by the tail or pick it up and throw it around. As it’s so light and small I can fling it really far and high and then leap about after it, catching it again and again.
homemade toys – these are good too, they smell of home already and mummy and daddy make them really quickly if ever they can’t find a toy I want to play with. Silver foil balls, little bits of paper rolled up, quality street wrappers. These all make great instant toys, they all make slightly different noises for kitties to be able to learn from. They’re all great fun and easy to make, easy to pick up in even the smallest kitty mouth and the best thing is they’re free.
Ping pong balls – these are especially great on wooden or hard floors as they bounce whilst you try to chase them, they make a fun noise that’s easy to follow and the the perfect size for little or big paws to play with. Most people don’t know but cats are great at football ⚽️ and ping pong balls are the perfect size for cat football. I can dribble the ping pong ball from one paw to another whilst running full speed down the hallway, then I score a goal through the doorway coz mummy isn’t quick enough to match my football skills. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I can’t play sports (and win) against my slow human.
Fluffy balls / soft toys – these are a bit like the feathers, they’re quiet to play with so you have to be able to hone your senses to play with them. Some of them come with catnip in them which makes most cats (me included) want to play with them even more than a normal toy. Daddy and mummy prefer me to play with these quiet toys in the night if I wake up as I can play as much as I want without waking them up. The toys that make a noise are (according to mummy and daddy) ten times as loud in the middle of the night, specially when I bash them around under their bed knocking them against the under bed storage boxes! I found it really fun playing under their bed at night when I was younger but it made mummy and daddy very tired and grumpy 😡 so I stopped doing it. With fluffy balls you can pick them up and carry them around without hurting your teeth and they’re much easier to play fetch with mummy and daddy. I love playing fetch and try to do it as often as possible. Most people think that it’s only dogs that play fetch but that’s not true, cats love it as well. It’s great exercise and you can spend time bonding with your humans in a fun way, my daddy and mummy were amazed the first time I brought a toy back when they threw it and have encouraged me to play ever since.
My most favourite toy of all time though is nosey. Nosey is one of mummy and daddy’s old foam red noses, from Comic Relief – he was once a pirate face. I love nosey and he is the perfect toy. He is quiet but not like the fluffy balls as he is a bit heavier, also he’s not completely round, he’s got a flat part so he doesn’t roll straight. If mummy or daddy pick him up and throw him he bounces and so I can play football with him. He’s soft enough so I can pick him up and play fetch with and he’s quiet enough so I can play with him at night. He’s just perfect. He’s getting a bit worn now and mummy and daddy have bought some similar ones as replacements but they’re just not the same, they don’t feel the same or sound the same so I don’t play with them very much. I love my nosey toy, he’s the one I’m playing with in the video.
The best thing of all to play with though is my big brother Peppar. I love it when he sits in the cardboard box bed (cats lurrve cardboard boxes) and then I can attack him from the outside. I duck down below the box and sneak an attack on him by jumping out on him when he least expects it! SURPRISE! Even though I’m blind I still hide behind things, which mummy and daddy think is just so cute. it’s my hunting instinct kicking in, they’re still pretty good as I practice so much whilst I play with all my various toys.
We also run about the flat, I’m always the one chasing but I can follow his pawsteps and I can move really fast when I want to. I know the layout of the flat like the back of my paw so I can run full speed without fear of bumping into anything. I win our games most of the time but mummy and daddy think it’s just that Peppar is such a good brother he lets me win!
When we’re play fighting surprisingly we’re quite evenly matched even though Peppar’s bigger than me and can see. This is because of an eye infection Peppar had when he was a tiny kitten which means he closes his eyes when he fights! What a pair we are.
All in all my best recommendation is to get a selection of toys, they don’t need to be anything special for a blind cat to play with, the most important thing is that you just play with your furry friend, make them feel loved and bond with them. I know I love 💕 playing with my mummy and daddy but they also get great pleasure laying with me too.
Jenny’s Story 