# A Cheap, Simple Toy



## lexxie109 (Jan 20, 2003)

I want to ask you something. Have you ever tied a piece of string to a chair or to something else for your cat to play with? Have you ever bought those toys where its a long plastic stick with at one end a sting is attached and the other a suction cup or a clip to stick it to the side of a desk or chair for your cat to play with? Maybe you have. Well, hear my story and you might have second thoughts before letting your cat play with one.

About one year ago, while I was still fostering cats, I took home a litter of 5 kittens. They were all very sweet, playful, adorable, everything a kitten should be. One of the kittens was Abby, a tiny little calico. She was the runt of the litter, but just as affectionate and loving as the rest. 

A week after fostering the kittens, I bought a new toy for them to play with. A long yellow pole with at one end a red stretchy string with a bright blue fuzzy ball tied at the end. I attached to pole to the desk in the room and watch as the kittens cautiously check out the new toy. Soon enough, they were pawing the ball and jumping around having the greatest of time. 

It was time for dinner for the kittens, so I went down stairs to prepare it. I wasn't gone more the 20 minutes when I returned with the five bowls of food. I placed them on the ground and the kittens run over, each picking a bowl and eating. I noticed one of the kittens was missing, Abby. I glanced around the room and screamed with what I had seen. Abby had the red string tight around her tiny neck. I scrambled over and lifted her up but it was too late. That cheap, simple cat toy had taken her life. Poor little Abby was dead. 

I felt incredibly guilty after that and cried all night. I kept doing the "what ifs" in my head, what if I took down the toy before leaving, what if I had came back a little sooner. I was so upset. Even now, when I think about seeing her there, I cry. 

Now that you heard my story, I pray that all of you will reconsider leaving your cats alone with that sort of toy, even for 10 or 20 minutes. It can happen that quickly.


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## binkyhoo (Feb 16, 2003)

That makes me want to cry. Window blind cords are another danger.


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## Flow007 (Jan 20, 2003)

That’s so sad. I even got a toy with a long string for my kitties to play with. I'm definitely going to put it away and only let them play with it when I'm there watching from now on. I'm sorry about Abby, the kitten


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## ears (Mar 19, 2003)

that is really sad  i had one of those toys for my older cats, but they chewed the toy at the end off and ate the string. they were fine, but it was dangerous to them in a different way. i will never get one of those toys again.


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

I will definitely not get those toys for my cats. Thanks for the heads up, and I am sorry about poor Abby, it must be very sad to have that happen. At least we learn from our mistakes though :?


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## lotocats (May 5, 2003)

*Similar experience*

I am so sorry you had to suffer through that innocent tragedy. I say innocent because you didn't realize the danger and the tragedy was not your fault.

I had a cat almost strangle herself with a stretch cat collar. She became hung up on a tree branch and the collar didn't stretch enough to let her head slip out. I went out into the yard to find her struggling and as she struggled the tighter the collar became as she swung trying to get out. I was fortunate enough to save her. I cried as I took her down thinking about how she could have died had I not went out in the yard that very second.

Also, I learned the danger of string toys from a previous vet. He had one of those toys in a top drawer at the office where he had one of his cats. She got into the drawer during the night and got the toy out. In the morning he came in to find the string wrapped around her leg and her leg 3 times it's normal size. It took all day for him to get the swelling down and find that there was no permanent damaage. Lucky cat!!

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss. Please don't feel guilty. I take care of ferals in my area and once I accidentally rolled over one who came running up to my van tire not realizing it could hurt her. She died 1 hour after being rushed to the emergency hospital. We all do the best we can.


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## PrincessClaire (Jan 16, 2004)

I am so sorry about your little kitty, I don't have toys that stick to desks or anything, but I will now be very careful about leaving toys lying around, It wasn't your fault please don't blame yourself


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## mfhutchinson (Jul 16, 2004)

Thank you for shareing your sad tail with us. I am sorry for your loss and hope that from this sad event a kittys life will be saved! I let my cat play with hers all the time and will be takeing it down when I get home. Once again I am sorry to hear about Abby.  I hope that you know that it was not your fault and not to be hard on yourself. To bad we can not write to someone to have them recalled.


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