Toy Troubles

Toys are a real problem in my house. Once we have children we’ll have to be careful about what toys are left lying around. At the moment we can’t have many toys for either the cats or the dog, and Chihiro has no one but herself to blame. Chihiro has one goal with every toy she finds: to consume it. When we first got her she came with a stuffed pink octopus toy. That lasted just a few weeks before she began tearing off pieces to eat. I got her another stuffed toy and a rope toy to replace her … Continue reading →

Getting Cheap with Pet Toys

Or… what to do with all those old, mismatched socks? There’s an interesting phenomenon going on in my sock drawer: all my socks are sprouting leaks at the same time. Okay, maybe it’s not that interesting when I recall the fact that I tend to buy my socks in six packs. It’s no wonder they’re all wearing out at the same time — I bought them at the same time! But I’m left with a bunch of socks with extra holes, and I’m not sure what to do with them. After much thought, I came up with two ideas: Quick … Continue reading →

Games of Chase

Do you have a dog (or cat) who loves to run and chase? My Lally likes to chase and be chased. If you want to play some running games with your pets, try one of these. Dog-chases-human. This one is quick and easy — just get your dog’s attention and run away from her. Stop when she’s within a few feet and reward her with praise and/or treats. Why stop? Because that will prevent chase from turning into “nip at the human’s ankles”. That’s always a good idea. Hide and chase. My brother’s dog Lily LOVES this game. The idea … Continue reading →

The Dogs vs. the Laser Pointer

My new roommates just picked up a new laser pointer for playing with their cats. Let the hilarity ensue! The two cats are pretty entertaining when the laser pointer is out. They chase the spot around the room, stare at it in horror when the red dot is on a paw, and go skittering into the bathroom (and onto the tile) at full speed in pursuit. Since it was such fun and great exercise for the kitties, we decided to try it on my dogs Moose and Lally. My roommate M. was in control of the laser pointer; I sat … Continue reading →

Picking Halloween Pet Toys

Yesterday I wrote about how it was I decided I needed to buy Halloween pet toys for Murph and his best friend Tucker. Today I’m going to tell you how I ended up picking the toys I did. (You may be thinking that sounds a little humdrum, but bear with me. There’s a method to my madness.) Decisions, Decisions As I left off in yesterday’s blog, I explained how I’d decided to buy Halloween pet toys from Doctors Foster and Smith. Here are the toys I was deciding between: 1. Halloween Witch of Devil Loofas. 2. Halloween Pumpkin Puzzle. 3. … Continue reading →

Why I’m Shopping for More Pet Halloween Toys

I know in another blog I admitted that one way I could ease my worries about the economy and its affect on my pocketbook would be to cut out buying toys for my pets. But I had to make an exception for Halloween. See, a couple of weeks ago Murphy’s best friend Tucker came for a visit when his parents had to come through town on their annual trek to Indianapolis for the pet shoot they do up there every year. Since Murph’s down and out with his cast, he wasn’t able to play with Tucker. (Not because he didn’t … Continue reading →

A Collection of Cat Toys

As impressive as the collage of cat toys to the left might be, it’s only a small representation of the entire collection of cat toys my cats claim. (Wayne’s decided if we’re looking for ways to cut money in case of a depression, cutting out my pet toy spending is a place to start. Sadly, he’s probably right.) But the purpose of this blog isn’t to show off my cats’ impressive collection of cat toys. Rather, it’s to discuss the names they know their toys by. (As I wrote in another article, I’m big on naming things.) See if you … Continue reading →

DIY Chew Toy

My brother’s two dogs are super chewers. We often have a hard time finding toys that will survive for more than a few minutes around their powerful jaws! Recently, I wondered if I could make a toy that would stand up to a power chewer. In theory, it isn’t hard to make a dog toy. Just take the fabric of your choosing, sew it into a simple shape like a rectangle or circle, stuff it with cotton batting, and close the hole. Easy, right? But when you’re dealing with power chewers, you have to be even more crafty. You need … Continue reading →

Halloween Tricks and Treats for Pets: Toys

As I was admiring all the cute Halloween costumes for dogs, I also came across some cute Halloween-themed toys. Some of these just might provoke a few tricks from your four-legged friend. Doctors Foster and Smith • Halloween Trio –Ghost, Pumpkin, or Frankenstein: These are smaller toys (six inches) for small and toy breed dogs. But don’t let the name fool you –you don’t get one of each in the “trio.” You have to order them all separately. However, singly they’re $2.99, but buy all three and they’re $2.29 each. • Spooky Musical Odd Toys –Pumpkin, Ghost, or Cyclops: These … Continue reading →

Murph and the Flying Monkey

I had first spied the Flying Monkey in the Things You Never Knew Existed catalog last year. I knew the perfect recipient for it: my sister. She was turning 50, but rather than do the traditional “Over the Hill” stuff most people do for big birthdays, I decided to go the opposite way. I was going to gift her with all things childish and fun. I had not seen the Flying Monkey in action, but it sounded great. Supposedly you held it like a slingshot, pulled back, and released, letting it sail through the air wherein it was supposed to … Continue reading →