Around the House

#49 · Cat toy

Drag a chopstick slowly across the floor or tie a bit of string or feather to the end. Cats completely lose their minds.

A chopstick, a length of string and a feather is the same object pet shops sell as a wand toy for £8. The cat is entirely indifferent to the price difference.

How to do it

1. Tie strong string securely to one end of a chopstick - a couple of turns and a double knot.
2. Attach a feather, a strip of ribbon or a scrap of crinkly paper to the far end of the string.
3. Drag it along the floor and around furniture rather than dangling it in the cat's face.
4. Let the cat catch it every so often, and put it away when you finish.

Why it works

Cats hunt by ambush, and the trigger is prey that moves erratically, disappears behind cover, and moves away rather than towards them. A rigid wand lets you produce that darting, stop-start motion at a distance, which a string alone cannot. Dangling a toy in a cat's face triggers nothing, because no real prey has ever done that.

Tips & warnings

• Twitch, freeze, dart away, hide behind a chair leg. Movement away from the cat is what works.
• Always let them make the final catch. A hunt that never succeeds is frustrating rather than enriching.
• Store it out of reach between sessions.