Toys to Entertain Your Kitten

Many cat owners throw away a decent amount of money trying to find toys for their cat. Many toys are just not interesting enough to grab and maintain the attention of a kitten. So, how are we supposed to know what kind of toys we should buy for them?

For the most part, there are a few basic things you will need to keep in mind when you are looking for a toy for your kitten. First and most importantly, safety. Your cat should only play with toys that are safe for them. Be sure you stay away from a toy that can be quickly chewed and destroyed by your cat. If your cat chews a toy to get the little bell inside, he or she is risking the possibility of choking on the small pieces or on the plastic chewed up pieces.

Toys that will get your kitten up and moving around the house are ideal toys. Your cat will be able to get some needed exercise and constructive play at the same time. You actually, do not have to go and spend a lot of money on toys to entertain your cat. When you are putting up a new shower curtain and rings, recycle the rings. Your cat will love playing for hours with the rings. They are thick enough to not pose a threat to your cat is they are chewed. Although, you should sterilize them first. Wash them as you would your dishes and then boil them for a couple minutes. Once they are cool give them to your furry friend.

Old stuffed animals are great play toys for cats. If the stuffed animal has small eyes or anything else that can come off and possibly choke your cat, take it off before giving the toy to your cat. If the small stuffed animal has a tail, you cat will surely love it. Be sure to keep the size of the stuffed animal relatively close to the size of the cat playing with it.

A great way to keep your kitten stimulated with his or her toys is to only offer a select few each day. Continue to rotate the different toys. Each day will be a different set of toys for your fur ball to enjoy. Any toys that are not being left out for that particular day should be kept completely out of the cats sight. Although, if your furry family member has one particular toy that you know he or she is quite fond of, you can leave it out at all times for him or her.

You know your kitten better than anyone else. You will be able to decide what types of toys he or she is going to get the most enjoyment from. However, remember cats are very similar to children. They often get the most enjoyment from the box the gift came in. Therefore, there is no need to spend a lot of money on toys. Use your imagination and safe household items for toys.

Toys in the Early 1900s

The early 1900s were very different from today. Toys, though they have evolved in many ways, were still the delight of children everywhere. Explore the history of toys, as charted by the History website.

Theodore Roosevelt's Presidency marks the beginning of the "Teddy Bear." In the year 1902, toy bears were named "Teddy" after the president's nickname. The Teddy Bear became known world wide, and is still known and loved today. It was only a few years later when the Teddy Bears were mass produced.

Crayola crayons were made for the first time ever in 1903 by Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith.

In 1913, an item called the Erector Set was invented. It was a steel, motorized toy that children could use to build models of just about anything. Its creator was A.C. Gilbert, a medical doctor.

Charles Pajeau created a similar wooden set called Tinker Toys in the year 1914. Tinker Toys was made for younger children.

Raggedy Ann dolls first came on the scene after newspaper cartoonist Johnny Gruelle reproduced the doll he made for his daughter. That was in 1915.

The following year, an architect's son named John Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs, which were interlocked to make structures.

Polystyrene was invented in 1927, and it is the kind of plastic that was used for making toys in the early days.

Two years after Mickey Mouse was created (which was in 1928), stuffed Mickey Mouse dolls were made by Charlotte Clark. This was the start of Disney merchandise.

The yo-yo became popular in the United States after Donald Duncan bought a yo-yo company in 1929.

Scrabble was developed from a game called Criss Cross, invented by Alfred M. Butts in 1931. It became known as Scrabble after James Brunot bought the rights from Butts, and trademarked the game with this new name. Now more than a million Scrabble games are purchased every year in North America.

In 1935, the Parker Brothers introduced Monopoly. This game is so popular today that there are many different clones of this game, many of which are just as popular.

The View-Master, a three dimensional viewer was developed by a camera enthusiast named William Gruber. The toy became popular when Gruber licensed Disney characters to make still, 3-D images from Disney movies and television programs.

Finally, in 1940, model airplanes were mass produced. They started out as a way for manufacturers to sell planes to the military, but later caught on as a toy.

The toys that we know and love today have had their roots from these ancient times. Isn't it interesting to know that if it weren't for all these creative people most of the games you know today, would never have been?