Hello Tyler

I'm Squeeky, a 16 year old, Heinz 57 variety feline in Upstate New York. I have to agree with you that the milk jug rings are one of the best trash toys ..........my human, Judy, has taken 'trash play' to a higher level to include grape stems. She ties the stems (after she's eaten the grapes) to a thread and hangs it so it is just touching the floor at the edge of a doorway (mine is going into the TV room). I can sneak up on it, or just lay around and bat it about as it swings on the thread. When I've beaten or bitten it off the thread, she replaces it.

I, too, love to take as many naps as possible. I have one of those window seats that lets me keep an eye on all the squirrels and birds in the yard.

Thanks for the website.

Back to Tyler the Cat's Page

Dear Tyler

I have thought of a cool toy you can make to play with. The things you'll need to make this toy is a piece of string and a sheet of newspaper. What you do is crumble the newspaper up tightly, then take the string and tie it around the ball. Now ask someone to swing it in the air while you paw at it.

Back to Tyler the Cat's Page

I couldn't agree with more with Tyler about those milk jug rings. At our house we call them milk mice and my brother Sherlock and I have been enjoying them for many years now.

May I also suggest the plastic ring (or spool) left over when all the cellophane tape has been used? Get your person/owner to pop it out of the dispenser for you. They're great. (A one-inch segment cut from an empty wrapping paper tube can be just as fun!)

Another fun game around here uses the ball from the top of an empty roll-on deodorant bottle. You'll have to get your person to pry one out for you. Then have her drop it in the (empty, of course) bath tub. You can go wild in there slapping it around and having it roll off the sides of the tub and in all directions. The noise you generate can be quite impressive. Keep in mind if you really get into playing, a few hard crashes of your head against the side of the tub are bound to occur. That just makes it more exciting, don't you think? It's never slowed me down a bit, although it always makes my secretary/mom flinch.

As far as getting people to do what you want, I suggest this. Jump in their laps and flop over backward. When you're satisfied that you're *really* looking cute, then proceed to purr until you drool. This has never failed to work for me.

Back to Tyler the Cat's Page

Hi, to Tyler the cat!

We live with Bill and Betty Smith in Glenwood, Utah. We are Kato, age 11 years old, Molly, age 4, and Rosie, about 9 months old. Guess what our favorite toy is Pom Poms....
We hide them all around the house, especially under things. We carry them around in our mouths, drop them, flip them up in the air. We like to have them thrown to us to catch. The pom poms are the little 1/4 inch size so they tend to get lost under things, but it is fun trying to find them again. Why don't you ask Aunt Annie to get you some? WHEEEEE... They are so much fun!

P.S. Our human sister Laurie Sue has a cat named Binks, and his fur is long so his pom poms get caught in his long fur and he looks like he has purple bumps on him sometimes.

Back to Tyler the Cat's Page

Hi Tyler, Have you had a good summer? It's been too darn hot here in our neck of the planet, but we've survived. I'll let you in on our little secret. When we want to come in out of the heat, or bad weather, we just ring the bell. Our ladyfriend Betty put a 2-inch bell out on the door knob last Christmas, and it hung down so I could reach it if I stood on my tip toes. Do you know what I did? I reached up and it makes the neatest sound and lo and behold, Betty comes to the door to see who's there. I am there. I just walk in pleased as punch. Now, every time I ring that bell, I wait, and she's trained better than a seal on a ball. Ain't that something? Rosie just watched me a couple of times, and she can get Betty to come a-running to open the door too. If she does't come fast enough, I give it a real loud wack, and that gets 'em every time. If I'm up late prowling around and don't want to come in until 3 o"clock in the morning, I just ring and ring that bell, and wake somebody up.

Boy, this is the life..............................

Back to Tyler the Cat's Page

Hi Tyler! My friend Sue is writing for us. We are Chi-Chi, SirMe, Killashandra, Manypaws, Cherie and ShiDi (known in a previous life as MomCat), and we live with Donna. We have her very well trained. She has bells on both the outside and inside of the sliding glass door in the back and the screen door in the front of our house. Every time one of us rings the bell, she gets up and opens the door for us. This was very handy for Manypaws when she wanted to move in with us. She learned how to ring the bell and then she looked forlorn and abused (which she was) and Donna let her move in with us. However, not too long ago, somebody rang the bell. Donna looked around and counted tails and paws and then divided by 5, decided we were all in the house, and when she looked outside the back door there was a racoon ringing the bell! We took a vote and decided that the racoon should not move in with us. We have also shared our dry food (DEFINITELY NOT the canned goodies!) with a possum, but that's another story. Simba and Spots, the kittens next door, and their mother, Spotty, want to move in with us too, but we think six is more than enough!

Back to Tyler the Cat's Page

Hi, Ty: Mom (Barb) is enjoying your mom's website - I'm looking over her shoulder and spotted you. Adored your "cat toys from trash" item. My all-time favorite thing to play with is (you won't believe this) CELERY LEAVES. It's better than catnip. Mom pulls off the fresh leaves for me and I go wild rolling on them, smooshing my face in them. Ask your mom to try this for you. Unless I'm peculiar (possible), you'll like it, too!

I'd be interested to know if celery leaves have the same effect on other kitties. The stuff drives ME wild. Mom also dries some celery leaves on a sheet of aluminum foil in the oven. After cooking dinner, (with the oven turned OFF and lukewarm-not still hot) pop in the fresh leaves and let the residual heat dry them out overnight. In the morning, you'll have a new spice. Mom then crushes them and stores in a recycled spice bottle. Tastes especially great in omelets or scrambled eggs.

Back to Tyler the Cat's Page