Sunday marked the 1-month anniversary since we adopted two 8-year old brothers, Stan and Butter.

They're really doing well, except that as they get more attached to us, they get more mournful when we leave, and scold us more vociferously when we get back!

I know how important it is to keep them entertained, but they're completely disdainful of the toys we bought, of the cat tower we invested in... they don't even play with things like the toilet paper roll or follow the light from a little flashlight.

They do have energy - they like to chase each other from one end of the house to the other, but are they just too old for toys? Are there products which might entertain them?

have you tried paper bags and cardboard boxes?  tennis balls (USA made ones)  Mine will play for hour with paper bags they can rustle and boxes they can hide in.  Remove any handles from the bags.

My cats will usually chase a laser light. They also like string toys type things.

One that was an unexpectedly big hit is that plastic tape that surveryors use to mark the top of stakes. I'm not sure what it's called, but you can get a roll at a hardware store for less than $2. It's basically a roll of brightly colored plastic that's easy to tie to things. It whips fairly well and makes a satisfactorly russling noise they seem to be attracted to. It does break easily, so you want to pick up pieces so they don't eat them.

Another one they used to like is some tennis looking balls that were downsized for cats. They came in a pack of 3 or 4. I'd gather them up and roll them down the hallway for them to chase.

They're a little over 8 now, and don't seem to get into toys as much as they did as kittens, but they still play when they're in an active mood.

If it's possible to get in touch with the previous owners, they might be able to share what sort of toys the cats usually played with.

Ping pong balls are good with some cats. Mine like strips of newspaper also. Plastic straps that are used to go around boxes for shipping make good string toys.

In general, they seem to have the most fun with cheap stuff that isn't intended as cat toys. A flying insect will keep them busy for hours if you're not too worried about the possibility of property damage. One of my cats got a big kick out of a wobble toy that came in a box of cereal. Another one that was popular with my guys was a cheap bag of semi soft moulded lizzards, snakes and frogs I picked up for a couple bucks in a children's toy section of some department store.

And, well, if they just like to play tag with each other, that's really pretty good exercise.

We do that with folded up tea bag wrappers.  They like to bat them under the fridge.  Also, hard plastic wrappers rings around milk cartons spouts.  (have to watch so they don't eat them though)

This is what's so great about this website - I just posted this, and BAM! Like 20 good ideas!

We've got many, many paper shopping bags, and I think I'll swipe a couple cardboard boxes from the little supermarket next door and put some crinkly things in them.

August, when you say packing paper, do you mean actual paper, or bubble wrap?

One thing I've tried, too, is putting a ping pong ball in a shoebox, and cutting a small holes in the box which are too small for the ball to come out, then sealing the box. The idea is that the holes are big enough for them to stick their paws in and try to get the ball, but that they'll never really be able to get it. I don't remember where I read about that, but our last cats were not impressed by that...

The only playful thing Sai ever did was try and catch the golden twist ties from bread bags. We'd throw it up in the air and he'd rear up on his hind legs and catch it - weird!

  As August suggested, cut the handles off of any bag you let your kitties play with, but I might add, do it whether you are supervising or not.  There is no worse scene than seeing a panicked kitty running around with a bag stuck around its neck!  And, if they try to run into a tiny space, the bag can get caught and choke them.  I, unfortunately, did witness this scenario and it nearly gave me a heart attack!  I hadn't LET the kitty play with the bag, rather someone left one on the floor and before I knew it the kitty was in it and the panic began.  Fortunately, I was able to get the bag off because kitty could go no farther once she was stuck, but she was fighting to try to keep moving.  Needless to say, it is a firm rule in our house to NEVER leave a bag with handles where the cat can get into it.   

August -

You know, when we had our old cats, we noticed that they loved boxes and bags and such, but then always said, "Aww, sweet - but now it's time to throw that dirty old thing out!" Then I read something about a couple who always said, "You'd never guess from our house that we have cats!" and it seemed so wrong... though it echoed my own philosophy at the time.

But now it's "Bring on the cat tower! The boxes! The bags! (I'm beginning to sound like the narrator from The Grinch... "The roast beast!")

Actually, carefully tear them off. They also make good teaser toys.