I’ve bought some popular cat toys for my cat and found that what really impressed him was the boxes that packed them :D

You can spend money on cat toys, or crumple up some tinfoil into a ball. :) Plastic rings off milk jugs, and bread clips are all huge hits here.

One of our cats is also intent on stealing my little plastic dental floss pics. I can’t turn my back on them.

My cats favorite toy is a plain black hair tie.

Lots of good advice here. Just some extra tips from someone that’s spent over 40yrs around cats. Keep in mind cats are all different. A toy one cat loves, another might have 0 interest in. Your cat may not respond to catnip or catnip alternatives. It may want to drink running water over still water. If it’s a indoor cat, it might even be picky about the type of litterbox/litter used. It may live for cuddles and belly rubs or not like to be touched much at all beyond the occasional ear scratch (Generally though, the more it’s handled at a really young age can help determine how much it enjoys that).

Try to stick with whatever food your cat was eating before you got it, and don’t go crazy introducing treats, even natural options like raw meat/fish/offal. They can have really sensitive tummies and upsetting that balance can equal diarrhea everywhere. You can switch to a different brand/type of food but it needs to be a gradual transition to get them used to it first. Having dry food available 24-7 and wet food offered a couple times a day is the healthiest way to go, according to our vet.

For bedding, your cat will sleep wherever it wants, but sunny spots tend to be preferred, and if it’s an actual pet bed, one that offers a bit of seclusion is usually a good idea. They’re ambush predators, so they usually like the “cat cave” or semi enclosed styles of bedding. Cat window beds are pretty awesome for daytime lounging.

Like others have said, tree is a must. Get a decent pair of claw trimmers and learn how to use them. Touch/massage kitty’s paws regularly if you can, so that it isn’t a fight every time you need to do a trim.

Good luck with worm pills. Watch how your vet does it, watch some YouTube videos on other methods, and then mentally prepare for battle.

Almost forgot! I’ve never had a cat that didn’t enjoy playing with the little plastic ring that’s left on milk after you open it. Don’t cut it off, try to leave it intact by prying it off with something like a butter knife. They tend to like the milk smell, it’s easy for them to pick up both with paw or jaw, and it skitters nicely across tiles or wood. I’ve had 2 cats pick up “fetch” very quickly with those things.

Cats want to be tall in any given area.

Make sure the tallest place in each room is somewhere they are allowed.

Cardboard box. Not a joke. This is famously the most universally enjoyed object for cats.

definetely buy a cat tree and if you don’t already, make sure there’s a spot so high up that no one can reach her. my cat has a box of fabric on top of a cabinet.

Cheap plastic springs are the most effective cat toy, bar none. Google ‘plastic spring cat toy’, you’ll find what I mean. Check your local dollar store before ordering anything online

Others are right about a scratching post. I like a carpeted tower that they can perch upon and nap (they like to be up where they can see their surroundings).

Best toys for mine are those that are on a wand with string and feathers or wand and felt that they can chase. They like to hunt and stalk, so try to play up that aspect by dragging it slowly on the floor. They also like to run around and just get crazy, so sometimes give them lots of fast action once they’re already engaged in playing.

Last tip: some people think cats are standoffish. They aren’t if you socialize them correctly. My kitties want to be around us all the time and love engagement. It’s all about how you raise them. Look for advice toward that end, as I have to get back to watching a show with my partner.

Congrats! Best wishes for you and kitty!

So I know this is a thread about toys, but it looks like you got a lot of good advice, and since you’re new to cats, one thing that most people either don’t realize or ignore is the number of litterboxes. 1 is not enough, even for a single cat. General rule of thumb for litterboxes is Number of cats + 1. You want them to view the entire place as their territory and a big part of that is scent markers. And the biggest of them is the litterbox. Many cats will, as soon as you change the litter, use it. That’s because they want it to smell like their territory (To their sensitive noses). Spreading that around for them makes for a happy cat and reduces the chances of “accidents” or just marking territory later on in times of stress.

I’ll also say you should probably have a scratching post on every room that they hang out in regularly. They’re not going to go to another room to find it if they want a good stretch or scratch. I suggest angled or flat ones at first because they will often use them to really stretch out their spine so they need to get a lot of distance between stretched out back and front feet. That’s a lot easier (and cheaper) in flat or angled ones. If they end up preferring upright ones they got to be real tall to give them what they want. And those are expensive.

One more tip. Even if you decide to feed them dry food, use designated feeding times. Read the package and figure out how much they should eat a day and split that in 2-3 parts and measure that out giving them meal times. It’s better for their physical health and it’s more in line with their body’s natural rhythm.

In general though, it’s best to establish routines for behaviors you want to promote (Cats love routine) early on and keep it up. If you try to introduce new routines later it’s a lot harder to establish. The change of moving into a new home is the perfect time to create a new routine since everything is kinda chaos for them anyway and it helps them establish order in their lives.

Cat tree is a must to give the cat a place to scratch without damaging your furniture.

I found that little mice work best as toys for a young cat, he can entertain himself with them but over time lose interest. Toys on strings work universally well, and let you interact with the cat.

It may be a good idea to install some shelves so your cat isn’t limited to floor and furniture, and can explore your home vertically as well.

Oh, one more thing: don’t put your cat’s water next to their food. Separate the two by at least 4 meters. Across the room, or preferably in another room. Get a water bowl that’ll hold a few liters and auto fills. Cats don’t like their water by their food, and you should make sure your cat always has plenty available. Also they like water that’s moving. A fountain is good, but my cat took to the self filling water bowl just fine and it seems to work a lot better for her. Once I switched to it from water just in a bowl the amount she drank tripled.

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In my experience its extremely cat dependent.

Why do you want a toy made from REAL cat?