Cats must play, but like sleeping, there are the proper times for it. The most important time for a cat to play is when you are trying to do something that takes concentration. The cat must play with whatever has your attention, If that is not possible, it must play wherever it is most disruptive to whatever you are doing.

Buying cat toys is tricky. Like cat beds, the amount of pleasure a cat will get out of a toy is inversely proportional to the amount of money spent on it. I have purchased my cat, Halloween, mylar crinkle toys, furry mice, bizzy balls, catnip toys, furry weasels, wacky weasels, kitty teases, to mention a few. Her favorite toy is a small wad of paper. She is especially fond of small wads of paper I have discarded in the trash can. Her favorite time for fishing those out of my trash can (Of course, she must overturn the trash can first!) is when I am too busy or too sleepy to clean up the mess.

It is a cat's job to leave its hardest and most breakable toys in your bed or on the floor in the spot you are most likely to step on when you get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom.

Cats love to play inside grocery sacks. Not the plastic ones, the paper ones. Do not ever forget to empty a grocery sack you might not feel like disposing of right away. Kitty will get into it, spreading cat hair all over your groceries, with absolute glee.