cats rarely give the time of day to any toy but yarn, prepare yourself for a whole new world of interspecies fun. After years of playing with our own four-legged family members, my kids and I have found that with a little instruction and practice (and okay, bribery in some cases), almost any dog or cat can play games like those that follow.
Even though the games we've invented are pet-tested and approved (see our tongue-in-jowl reviews), keep in mind that each dog and cat has distinct inclinations. A cat may gleefully plunge into a paper bag tunnel but turn up her nose at a game I call Spin the Bottle. In short, never force the frolic. Above all, remember this advice from one of our feline reviewers: "You humans are the real pets. The cat or dog is training you to have fun."
Maxine Rock is the author of TOTALLY FUN THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR CAT and TOTALLY FUN THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR DOG (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.).
