Merlin has turned in to the classic annoying little brother

[3catwoman3]

6. When you're a cat, anything is a toy. Even moreso for kittens.

One of our current 4 is very fond of pencils. Also Q-tips. My husband uses Q-tips in his hobby of building model airplanes, and this cat knows exactly where they are in the model workshop. He helps himself whenever the opportunity presents itself. We find the remains of mangled Q-tips throughout the house.

I think most cats like long , slender objects like pencils, oens, straws, or chop sticks, and I think I might know why. My theory - a young kitten's first play things are the tails of their litter mates and moms. Perhaps these long slender objects make a lifelong imprint on them.