h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A576740

I updated the "Finding/Making a Cat Toy" with all the suggestions and now need some feedback on the new and improved, all feedback is NECESSARY...and much appreciated. Thanks for critiquing

The Guide ML and the bulletted lists make it look much more impressive. I don't really like the 'Discouraged Characteristics' header, though - it sounds a bit too dry. And 'reflections' is the odd word out, where all the other bold characteristics are adjectives.
Anyway, I like it so far. I didn't know about cats not liking red - I had a cat once who was very interested in tomatoes!
Azara

I like it too

Can't think of more to add, apart perhaps from a few examples of toys which fullfil all the specs!

Bossel (Scout)

A nice story, but I think you underestimate the cunning intelligence of a cat.
I have never seen a cat with fear of damaging something, it just adds to the fun to know the claws are sharpened on a rare persian rug.
So toys should be expensive (a golden chain with a diamond hanger will do fine, preferably around the neck of someone with fear of cats).
You allways can recognise someone who fears a cat, or gets ill from the hairs. He or she will have the cat in his/her lap.

By the way, there is a typo in the "Hanging" part. It should be 'elastic'.

Some other reward you will get from a happy cat:
It will climb onto your lap, look you purring in the face with its eyes half closed and start stomping and clawing your shirt and trousers, while shedding clouds of hair in the process. So back to the tailor to get them mended or replaced.

And for food, a cat won't be happy with stuff from the same tin can as yesterday, while the boss has roast beef. Most cats refuse their food at least once a week to keep the standards high.

that's the reason it should be cheap or free(the cat wanting to destroy it that is). you don't really want the cat tearing up something expensive, this will only result in tears and yelling directed at the cat, defeating the whole pupose of the toy.

what about catnip? cats love something with catnip in it; they roll around with it, luxurating in that intoxicating(to them, at least) scent.
make a homemade catnip toy: you need a bit of stuff for stuffing, a small amount of catnip, some nice tough cloth, like denim(it needs to be tough, for if the cat likes it it will be much abused, bitten and clawed and batted around.), some pins(lots), a peice of string, a pair of scicors, and some sewing ability(doesn't have to be very much, or any particular stitch, just so you can sew up the toy and not have the stuffing come out.). take the cloth and cut it into an at least sort of regular peice(vaguly circular or squar or triangular or whatver, but make it symmetrical, which you can do by folding it in half and cutting half the shape you want, with the center along the fold.), about 2-3 times as big as you think the finished toy will be. place the stuffing in the center of the toy and fold the cloth in hlf over it to see the general shape it will be when finished. hold the edges together. if it seems to be too full of stuffing, unfold it and take some out, if there isn't enough, put more in. if you add or subtract stuffing, repeat last step to make sure all is how you want it. when you have the right amount in it, unfold it and sprinkle the catnip over the stuffing, or perhaps mix it in with it, and fold the cloth over once more. place the string over the toy, with maybe an inch(a few centimeters) of string on top of the toy. pin the edges together to keep it from unfolding, and the string to the cloth to keep it from falling off. be generous with the pins, but not ridiculous. put them every inch(few centimeters) or so. you should only need one at the string. sew the edges together, taking the pins out as you get to them so as not to sew over them, and when you get to the string sew over it, going back and forth over it a few times to make sure it's really securely attatched. when done with the sewing, make sure there are no places where the stuffing sticks out, or could, and that the string is securely attatched(give it a few good tugs to be sure of this. if it comes off, don't worry, you can always re-attatch it by pinning it on the toy and sewing over it a few times, making sure you're not just putting stitches over it, but actually getting some *into* it so it will not slide out. if you really can't get it, still no worries, the string isn't totally necessary.) cut off any excess(hanging a good ways outside the stitches) cloth. for pete's sake, don't cut too close to the stitches! this will make them come out more easily. cutting of excess isn't really necessary, but it makes it look a little neater, a finishing touch sort of thing. don't let the cat near you while you're making this, or he/she will surely come and nose around in the catnip, spreading it all over and making it difficult to put it in the toy. find a room with a door and close it while you're working; if you have to stop, put it out of reach. no, not on top of a refridgerater. cats can leap the necessary 7 feet straight up to get on top of it and pilfer the catnip. *in* the refridgerator would be better, as our cat cannot get in there. you can play with this with your cat either by just leaving it around for the cat to find, iving it to your caat directly, or dangling it from the peice of string and letting your cat bat it around as you sway it from side to side.(alternately you can drag it along the ground and twitch it a bit) probably shping it like a mouse will not make it more fun for your cat, as they can tell the difference between catnip smell and mouse smell, since they use their nose for hunting. also real mice tend to be a bit faster, and move a lot differently than a catnip toy.

also things that move. a very simple toy is.... a long peice of string! you simply hold it by one end and drag it in front of the cat. the cat will usully crouch there, as if deciding what to do about this strange new animal, then crouch, then POUNCE! on the peice of string, holding on with his/her claws and not letting go until you stop trying to move the string, after which point the cat will let go, but gradually in case it moves again. twitch it around a little. watch your fingers, the cat can easily pounce too far and scratch them; the best way to avoid this is long string. the cat will POUNCE! on it again, and continue doing this until he/she loses interest, or until you do and stop moving the string. this is what usually happens, but sometimes the cat will disdainfully ignore the string entirely. this can happen if youu play the game too often, or if the cat is spoiled rotten and absolutely not playful. the string trick is especially effective with kittens, but almost all cats love to chase after something moving.

reflections could be changed to reflective.

i think cats like bells too, if they're those round small ones.

i like cats; can you tell?

please to forgive any typos, also the rambling-ness of the post; put it down to the lateness of the hour and my enthusiasm about cats.

I think this entry'd great! But I agree with some of the previous comments. It would be nice to have some examples of good cat toys, and the second sub-heading does sound a little strange.

I like it also,
I'd like to see it finished and ready, and you have a couple of things to do to get it there,

Please post when you update it.


Dancer

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