I've always played for 15-30 minutes a day with my cat (he's around 11 now). He goes outside three times a day, but never really leaves the garden.

Now over the years we've played with paper bags, table tennis balls, expensive mechanical wonder-machines that whizz a toy about, feathers on sticks etc., etc. The only surety is that the more money I've spent, the less likely my cat is going to enjoy playing with it!!!

I feel it's time for something new and exciting, perhaps something obvious I've not thought of.

Any suggestions?

Cats love these http://www.amazon.co.uk/CatIt-Senses...4698381&sr=8-1

Yes they really do love these. I saw a post on here earlier this year about this toy and bought it for my cats. I've never seen them have so much fun with a new toy! They knock that ball about with the greatest of delight. Many a night I'm awoken with the sound of it.

Can't go wrong with bird feathers on the end of a string attached to a long stick/branch (fishing rod type affair). My two go absolutely nuts for this and fly through the air, jumping chasing. Luckily we have many big birds visit the garden so there's always plenty of feathers laying around. Just gather up a few, tie them to a long piece of string and tie this to the end of a bamboo cane or branch and weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...happy cats!

I got my cat a couple of soft balls from pets at home they only cost £1.25 each and the cat never tires of them. He'll play for hours on end with them only stopping for food and litter breaks lol. I often chuckle at him chasing the balls around the flat.

My cat's favourite toy is a knotted piece of kitchen roll attached to some string. She carries it about with her everywhere, and the best thing is that you can just replace the kitchen roll when it gets all holey and scaggy She's never bothered by any toys we buy for her. All about the string and kitchen roll.

Thank you for these, folks. I've put in an order for the Senses toy -- it's a no-brainer at that price really. (And I've failed with higher priced toys!)

Feathers are indeed a good suggestion. He's enjoyed them in the past, but it seems they have to be the right sort or colour (honestly).

Balls! Never hit his sweet spot, sadly.

Tin foil ... if only ... he has zero interest in the shiny stuff. Grrrr.

Further suggestions welcome!

Just to let you know the catit senses is £9.99 at Zooplus at the moment.

Feathers are a no go with my cat, he eats them.

Thank you, Lozza. I've already placed an order with Amazon though. Mind you, it will be delivered tomorrow (Amazon Prime member).

A ball of knitting wool always worked well in our house. Unwind a good bit then wrap some tightly around the middle and tie off, leaving yourself enough to throw it as far as you want. Drag it back towards you and watch your cat pounce and 'kill' it.

You then have the fun of unravelling the tangled mess to remake the ball but that's what servants are for

They won't send it to Guernsey...

A torch is pretty cheap. Some cats love to chase that in the dark.

A piece of string with a pram bead on the end.

A ping pong ball

A scaletrix set.

The cover ties on chairs

Wicker chairs

Have all been great cat toys.

Sticks and long grass blades also make good chasing games especially if you can wave them in the air a little above their heads so they stand on hind legs and paw the fun article.

I've had some great games from the long grass next door.

Toilet Paper, lol!

My little kitten plays with everything and anything. I like the look of the Catit, I debated buying one a while ago. Maybe I will give it a go. My toilet roll still won't be safe from naughty little paws though.

Aww how cute

Ours isn't allowed in the bathroom yet but if I know him, he will do that to the toilet roll! I love the CatIt products, I mean, a water fountain for kittens!

USB sticks, one of ours knows how to pull them out. I found one under the sofa yesterday.

Other toys have included Kotex, cigarettes and onions.

My cats really love their Bada Beam.....got it from Pets At Home

Cheap toys...oooh, scrunched up paper balls, anything that rolls ie empty film canisters, a string pulled for their entertainment gives them hours of fun. One of my cats likes to 'kill' my popsocks and our old cat used to have rather an...ahem...bizarre friendship with a My Little Pony, but the less said about that the better I think!

Oh and our next door neighbour once gave me some beautiful Pampas grass from his garden to put in a vase. It lasted all of a weekend because the cats adored the feathery fronds on it and couldn't resist them!

Well, as the OP of this thread I feel an update is in order. I took delivery of the Senses Play Circuit yesterday afternoon and saved opening it till the evening. I can confirm that my cat thoroughly enjoyed watching me whirl the ball up and down the "slide", but had absolutely zero interest in doing it himself!

I could tell he was thinking: Strange, strange human...

I will try a ball of wool as I don't think we've tried that previously. Other than that, it's back to the drawing board, folks!

My two kittens have spent a good hour this morning stalking and chasing a fly...and have worn themselves out and are now fast asleep..Bliss!