Does anyone get annoyed that there’s less stuff for cats?

[Heyjude20]

If that makes sense?

Like anywhere we go (John Lewis, local garden centre etc) the pet section is full Of dog stuff!

Joules have just bought out a range for dogs 😑😑

Where’s all the lush cat things!

My kitty is the same! She loves her catit track!

I think cats are just more sensible, and like many MNetters, they don't like plastic tat being spent on them. It's well-known that if you buy a cat tree, the cat will play with the box it came in instead.

Does anyone remember the 1981 children's book "The Patchwork Cat"?
Tabby sleeps on a quilt, which is patchwork, like herself. She loves it. One day, she cannot find it.
"Ah," says the mother, "we have done some snatchwork on your patchwork. We have thrown it out because it is so very dirty, and we will buy you a basket."
Tabby does not want a basket. She will do some angry scratchwork on it if it comes.

I refuse to buy any cat items if they say "purrfect" or "pawsome" in the description, which rules out most of them.

Sparklingcat has a toy box but only likes a couple of specific toys. I bought her a lovely three storey tower thing with three places to sleep but she will only sleep on the top bit and only if one of the sofa cushions is placed there first.

I think cats are just not fussed by our attempts to spoil them, so they won't produce loads of stuff for us to buy as it doesn't sell?

She does appreciate a bag of catnip though, and when I blew £40 on this I was worried but she goes in it every day and I can't get her put of it sometimes. (I have modified it by putting perspex windows in).

Yes it does annoy me, but then my cat really likes having his stuff and will sit batting balls to DD for ages, bounce after a toy on a stick until you get fed up waving it for him then run round the house with it in his jaws or take a catnip mouse into his bed to play with (he's 14 years going on 14 weeks). Anyway, surely dogs don't want the guff sold for them, it's just to amuse the owners.

My two specialised in free toys. Champagne corks were fun in the garden (from a neighbour's party), feathers (obvs), little plastic rings off bottles of milk. Expensive plastic stuff is booooooooring. A box full of newspapers waiting for recycling proved to be my boys favourite toy. He'd spend ages in there, scrunching up and shredding the papers. So no, I'd say bought toys and cat beds (bean bags for my two) are usually rejected.

Oh wait, the laser pen was good...exhausted them!

A drinking straw usually goes down quite well.
Laser pointer thing wasn’t a hit. She just looked a bit WTF.

Ours figured out the laser pointer & tried to look inside it which made me worry I’d blind him so I stopped using it.

Mine loves my hair scrunchies. I've moved on the elastic bands now as my supply was being depleted. Again, I think because of the strands of my hair on them.

Laser pen this the only toy mine likes these days! Apart from various toys belonging to DC that is...

And he has never ever been prepared to sleep in an actual cat bed (I've bought several over the years)

The one thing Arthur adores is his Cat Mint plant in the garden (Nepeta). From the moment it emerges in the Spring, and all through the summer, he will eat it, and rub it, and roll on it, and sleep in it. Poor plant doesn't manage to grow much, but it has probably been the best £5 investment ever.

My cat enjoys galloping up and down the stairs for 5 minutes after his dinner, and rummaging under the hearth rug. He occasionally plays fetch with my slippers. That's it.

I agree there's more stuff for dogs than cats at John Lewis and in the pet stores/garden centres I visit, but I can't get worked up about it.

There's more than enough cat things to choose from on Amazon, eBay and elsewhere online if you (or your cat) want(s) it.

Mine occasionally deigns to use the mat/bed we got for free with her insurance and her preferred toys are deadly socks, dangerous balls of wool, marbles and Lego.
And rats. We also get them for free with the house.

Christmas trees are for cats really

My cat doesn't really play with cat toys, and prefers human beds to cat beds. Though he loves sitting in a cardboard box or large paper bag.

His favourite toys are pencils and pens (bonus if they are being used by a human to write something important at the time) and he will always pounce on and make off with a Lego model in the middle of construction, or chase a treasured mini figure round the room. He LOVES the game Guess Who and always knocks down all the pictures if the DC are playing. In fact generally he loves joining in with board games so much he has to be sent from the room if they are being played.

He is a fan of technology and likes to walk across or lie on the keyboard if you are typing. He'll enjoy sprawling on the sofa watching wildlife documentaries on television every now and then too.

So he has plenty of hobbies, but doesn't really need his own stuff.

Do you know what her fave toy is, well two. A cloud thing we bought from pets at home. She’s currently playing with abit of plastic of a Ben and Jerry’s tub 😂

She does have a teddy that she loves!! She carries it around chirping everywhere and takes it bed with her.

Our female cat sleeps on DD bed, the dining room chairs DS bed and a chair in the spare room.
Our male cat sleeps on Dh side of our bed, the widest step on the staircase (triangular) and under the chair in the spare room.

They go out , MaleCat has a real Ohh yes, this is mine look on his face in his garden.

They scorn toys except a bird toy and the laser pen.

@wheresmychocolate I totally agree!

It's useless. My mum bought our cat a beautiful little "house" for Christmas to sleep in, and the cat currently sleeps in the box that it came in, and hasn't touched the actual gift ..

Completely agree!! Wish Joules did more cat stuff

There’s a cat on our road who has a little hutch type thing, felted roof so it’s water proof with a blanket inside. Cat sleeps on it or by it but never in it.

Sometimes the cats curled up on the door mat.

I know what you mean OP, although I think a lot of the brands who do this are kind of "outdoorsy" brands aimed at a certain type of post dog people.

My cats love all their stuff! My previous one didn't care much but I have four cats now and all sleep on/in their cat beds, play with toys, use their cat trees daily etc. I mainly shop online for them with cat-specific retailers...

A lot of the dog stuff is walkies paraphernalia though. Harnesses, leads, poo bags, poo bag holders, tennis ball throwers, coats and suits. Trying to put a harness, coat and lead on most cats would taking your life in your hands.

Sorry, peeps, but if your cat is appreciative of the paraphernalia you buy, he/she isn't catting properly. I can't get through the day without at least once being looked at like I'm a complete idiot, and treated to a gradually disappearing anus/upright tail combo as their owner flounces out of the room.