Our cats like the assorted boxes, bags and twisties as well as the next cat. What really sets them off into kitty nirvana is the laser pointer. They will sit by the desk where I store it and meow pitifully until someone brings it out. They also like my girls toys when there is no hot kitty laser action to be had. They will go out of their way to dig out the calico critters (small fuzz covered plastic animals) from my daughter's bin and the my little ponies which they like to chew on. It may be annoying, but at least the girls pick up their toys without asking.

We have Goth Kitty (aka Plus Size Kitty) who is way too cool for toys. Her favorite activity is threatening the other cats when they come too close.

Next, we have Hippie Kitty (aka Short Bus Kitty), who will play with cat toys, but prefers live prey. When not stalking live prey, she likes to hang out, man.

Finally, we have Psycho Kitty, whose all-time favorite cat toy (other than whatever appendage of mine happens to be in her line of sight when she wants to attack something) is a crumpled ball of paper. Yep, any old piece of scrap paper, wadded into a ball. This one will chase the ball for awhile, then bring it back to me so I can throw it and she can chase it. Rinse and repeat.

The toy on a stick also works with Psycho Kitty, although she prefers that we stick the stick end between some books on the bookshelf so that the toy part dangles. Me holding the stick and making her run after the toy just doesn't do it for her. Go figure.

I guess the moral of this story is, just because your cat likes a particular toy, that doesn't mean somebody else's cat will like it. Cats are like that. The rule of thumb from the article does, however, ring true, and that is the likelihood your feline will actually play with the toys you give it is inversely proportional to the amount you paid. Sucker.

My cats want a Litter Robot for Christmas. Actually, they want three....

We have "da bird" which is supposed to make a twitter sound that attracts cats. He likes the toy, except whenever he hears the sound, he freaks out and hides in the closet all afternoon. FAIL.

hang a plastic bag on a door knob and the cat will bat away at it for hours;

place a empty paper bag on its side and the cat will walk inside and take a nap;

sit down at your desk to type on your PC and the cat will spring onto the keyboard (Stupid Human! You Are Supposed To Be Pressing My Buttons Instead Of That Stupid Keyboard!);

start to play down chess or checkers with your friends and the cat will jump onto the table to 'assist' you in moving the pieces (The Cat Is Always The Better Player, After All!)

My cat adores the Furminator. I furminate her every morning and she climbs up on the sink (don't ask but that's where we have our little sessions) in advance and meows til I come running with Furminator wand to do my thing.

Cat Dancers are great but never leave with cat unattended - the little thingees on the ends can come off, leaving the wires exposed - they can cut cat mouths pretty easily.

My cats love Da Bird. Bird Bird Bird, Da Bird is the da Word.

I would also add the Ba Da Bing laser pointer - it's like the ones you use by hand but it rotates the beam automatically AND has an auto shut off so you can stick it and the hyper cat in the room and go cook in the kitchen without running out of batteries all the time.

Our 15-year-old cat, Kitty Boy, has vanquished those net bath puffs for at least 10 years. In fact, we don't buy them to use them, we buy them to let Kitty Boy find them and bring the puffy enemy down.

No matter where we put it, he finds it, then walks around the house growling and meowing proudly, as we thank him profusely for saving us from the terror that is the bath puff. He does this with no other objects.

Truly, he is the Bath Puff Slayer.

1. A discarded Q-tip

2. An empty bag or box

3. A full bag or box.

4. The wrapping paper from the gifts

5. Their mom's pounceable fingers as she wraps gifts

6. Their mom's lap.

7. The extremely fragile gift that their mom hasn't gotten around to wrapping yet.

8. The expensive temporarily discarded outer garments from guests.

They also like the store bought toys, but they tend to swat them under things and then lose interest if no one is around to retrieve them.

Discarded plastic bottle caps and dropped twist ties make my cats go nuts, while all those fake mice and assorting rolling toys lie gathering dust. The cat dancer and swishing feathers are great (though the cat dancer always gets hopeless bent out of shape). As for the crinkly tunnel. I bought one, or one just like it. My cats peed on it.