Top 10 Bengal cat toys (as voted by Azaria, the 12 week-old Bengal kitten).

1) Turbo Cat-Scratcher, by Bergan

I’m rating this the number 1 cat toy because if you want to train your Bengal kitten not to destroy your furniture, this is a MUST!

It’s a corrugated cardboard cat-scratcher set in a plastic disc with a ball that rolls around it. Set the ball in motion and your Bengal kitten will follow it around, then instinctively start scratching at the center. This is a great way to start your kitten off learning good scratching behavior, so I recommend you get this from the very beginning. It comes with cat-nip, although we have not had to use it to entice Azaria, the ball itself was enough (and at 12 weeks of age it would probably not be effective anyway). Refills of the cardboard are also available.

2) Da Bird, by Go Cat 

This feathered dangling toy is makes for great hunting fun and lots of exercise! Set on a swivel with 32″ nylon string and a 36″ wand it is definitely Azaria’s favorite toy to chase, she goes crazy for it! And it is just as entertaining for us to watch her in action! Feathered re-fills are available for when the feathers get destroyed (and with how much she loves it I’m sure it won’t take long!) And there are a variety of different attachments available.

We also bought ‘Cat Catcher’, which is the Da Bird wand with a mouse attachment. She loves both, this one perhaps even more than the feathers. I’m definitely going to pick-up a variety seeing she loves them so much!

Be mindful that this is a toy that requires your interaction and supervision, it’s not one that you want to leave out as it could prove to be hazardous if your kitty is left to it’s own devices with it. It’s a wonderful bonding toy though, and as I said makes for great exercise to keep your Bengal healthy.

3) Large Cat Tunnel by Best Pet Supplies 

This leopard-print cat tunnel is a great little hide-away place with 2 peep holes to jump in and out from. Azaria loves zooming through from one end to the other then turning around and zooming back the other way! She also loves it when we drop little toys inside for her to attack, and there is a hanging ball attached inside the roof of the tunnel too for her to bat around.

It’s actually not a bad-looking tunnel comparatively to other leopard-print cat furniture out there (and the fact that she matches it doesn’t hurt!) It’s plush on the outside and the inside makes that crinkly sound cats love. It’s the perfect length at 51 inches.

4) SpringString by CatAction 

This is an awesome cat toy for self-play! Place the SpringString on a door-knob for instant entertainment. It has a little feathered mouse at the end of a piece of elastic string that bounces and catapults around as Azaria grabs and bites at it. The plastic that hangs over the door-knob extends the string the perfect distance from the door itself to maximize free movement of the toy, and it features rubber footing to protect the door surface. This toy gets a big paws-up from Azaria!

5) Peek And Play Toy Box by SmartCat 

This simple toy has Azaria enthralled! It is a wooden box with holes on the top and sides, big enough for her to peep through and bat the toys inside around. If she is able to get one out she even drops it back in through one of the holes and starts batting it again! It’s available on-line for about $20, but I actually picked mine up from CVS Pharmacy for only $9.95! Another great toy for self-play.

6) Play-N-Squeak “Mouse Hunter” Cat Toy by ‘Our Pet’s Company 

This is a little soft-toy mouse that squeaks when touched. The squeak is actually quite cute and realistic and not at all obnoxious. On its own Azaria wasn’t that taken with it, but put behind a door where she can paw at it through the crack she goes crazy batting it around! The squeak only makes her more enthralled!
7) Ping-Pong soccer in the bathtub!

This would have to be one of the cheapest and simplest cat-toys around! Place a couple of ping-pong balls in an empty bathtub and instant ping-pong soccer! Azaria LOVES this sport!

8) Leopard Cat-Sack, by Petco 

We all know how much cats love playing with plastic and paper bags, this is no exception. Azaria is drawn to the crinkly sound it makes and dives in it, jumping around inside. It has a plush leopard-print exterior that matches nicely with our leopard-print cat tunnel (and the cat), with a nylon interior. There is wire in the opening so it stays open, ready for her to dive in head-first!

9) Cheese Chaser, by Petlinks Systems  

This is a plastic disc with one ball that rolls around an exterior track, and another that rolls around the center  which is accessible via 3 holes in the top. Azaria will bat and chase the balls about before attacking the soft mouse-attachment in the center to relieve her frustration from from not being able to get the balls out. Bengals get board easily, particularly when left alone while their owners are at work, so this is another great cat-toy that is interactive.

10) Catit Design Senses Play Circuit by Hagen 

Azaria is still warming to this toy, however given the enjoyment she gets from from the Turbo-Cat scratcher, the Peek-and-Play Toy Box and the Cheese Chase, I’m sure this one will move up in rankings once her agility improves and she works out how to maneuver her paws through the various openings.

We have tried to invest mainly in toys that will keep her entertained when we are not at home; she loves interaction and being left alone is no fun at all for her. If you have any other suggestions of other cat-toys that make for great Bengal entertainment (particularly interactive ones), we’d love to hear from you!

Modern Cat Furniture; The Ultimate Bengal Cat Sky-Walk!

Let’s face it, if you are into designer cats, you are into designer cat furniture.

Bengals like to climb and be up high, as do most cats. Although the Bengal particularly so given their wild Asian Cat tree-dwelling heritage. The biggest challenge we faced was satisfying the needs of this desire without filling our house with ugly, expensive cat-tree monstrosities that detract from a modern home.

We live in a small apartment, however are lucky enough to be bestowed with high ceilings and stunning high windows in our lounge. Here is how we made the most of our small space for our kitty without detracting from the modern abidance of our home, for a fraction of what you may pay (less than $200) for the usual unattractive cat furniture on the mainstream market, courtesy of IKEA*:

Pic 1:

Pic 2:  

*We just moved to a new house, and have reassembled the same cat-walk in a new-look room….

*product details provided at the end of this post.

Here are some other amazing cat walk designs from Japan. These were the inspiration of our own creation (also featured on moderncat.net)…

The first two awe-inspiring pictures are courtesy of Asahi Kasei’s Plus-Nyan house. They have tastefully incorporated these cat-friendly designs in a way that not only compliments but enhances this beautiful modern home:

This next series of pictures are from ‘The Cats’ House‘; They have taken cat-house design to a whole other level! In addition to the steps protruding from the wall, there are holes along the way leading to the next room.

The “cat hole” where the cats can enter and leave is a popular place, sometimes the cat steps will jam like this.

Cats can observe from this high place.

The ‘Cat’s eye’ view.

Relaxing, and enjoying the view.

The catwalk on the second floor of the cabin is made from beams placed in a zig-zag width of 20cm.

The zig-zag walk.

And here are some other cat-shelving designs you can pick up from The Refined Feline. Mind you 2 of these babies will set you back more than our entire IKEA ensemble cost us, but they do look cool (as do the beautiful marbled Bengals featured in the last 2 photos)…

A Taiwan company called ‘CatsWall Design’ has developed this ingenious and unique “Modular Cat Wall” below – which is like a cat playground, a combination of adjustable modular beds, scratch boards, ladders and shelves built on the walls designed for indoor cats to walk, run, climb, jump and scratch as well as to hide and sleep in:

This is my CatsWall Design favorite through… the cat running wheel! This is by far the nicest looking running wheel I have seen! While it is pictured on their site, there is are no specifications listed and from what I can tell from their Facebook page, they are working hard on the distribution. I can’t wait!

Check out the wheel in action…

Here are the product details of our own IKEA cat-sky walk…

Pic 1) 

• Cat Tunnel: ABO Gear Cat Fun Tunnel, purchased via Petco: $23.99 (as of 12/16/2011)
• Cat Scratcher: GoPetClub 28″ Cat Tree Toy Condo House Pet Scratcher Post Furniture, purchased via Amazon: $35.00 (as of 12/16/2011).
• Total: $58.99

Pic 2) 

• Cat climber wall: 2 x LACK Wall shelf unit, white (Article Number 401.637.78), Purchased via IKEA $49.99 ea (as of 12/16/2011)**
• Long shelving: 2 x LACK Wall shelf, white (Article Number 000.110.13), Purchased via IKEA $29.99 ea (as of 12/16/2011)**
• Short shelving: 4 x IKEA LACK Wall shelf, white (Article Number 501.036.18), Purchased via IKEA $6.99 (as of 12/16/2011)**
• Total: $187.92

** To ensure safety of your cat and others in your home, when fixing the shelf to a stud wall, always make sure that the shelf is secured directly to a stud though at least one of the shelf’s three fixing points. As wall materials vary, screws for fixing to wall are not included. For advice on suitable screw systems, contact your local specialized dealer. (When securing to a stud, we used #8 x 2″ wood screws. When securing in plaster, we used Triple Grip 77lbs Cobra Heavy-duty Anchors (http://www.cobraanchors.com/).