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Here are a few ways to drive your cat absolutely bananas:

1. Take cat toy that includes string or rope, and tie free end to ceiling fan (metal portion). Allow for enough yarn so that cat can reach toy (barely) by leaping. Turn ceiling fan on, HIGH. Watch cat get tired real fast.

2. Turn on computer, play cat sounds on speaker; cat will investigate.

3. Have an old handheld game from the 1970's or 1980's with flashing lights that still works. Turn it on and play (or set it on auto). Watch cat chase the lights.

4. Have an analog weight scale. Step on/off and repeat process so that dial moves up and down. Watch cat chase dial in vain.

Have you ever tried "cat-fishing"?

But a practice fly-fishing rod ... the one that's a lot shorter with yarn and a slightly-weighted "fly" attached to the end of it.

Sit in one room while your cat's in an adjacent room and cast through the doorway into the room. Work the lure slightly and you will soon be trying to land that most elusive of catches: the 10-pound land cat.

If you don't jerk the lure out of its mouth, you can usually work the catch right up next to your chair where you can reach down and snag it into your lap.

Catch and release is preferred (although 11th Earl of March might disagree) because of the fact that, even after having been landed and released, the land cat will usually continue to strike at your lure either just shortly after it hits the floor in the other room or as you retrieve it slowly, twitching it slightly as you do so.

Hours of fun can be had with this sport. There will soon be a program on the Sports Network detailing all of its intricasies. And I can't wait to see televised national cat-fishing competitions.

"Here are a few ways to drive your cat absolutely bananas:"

Another thing you can do (what me and my siblings did growing up) is put a small piece of masking tape on one of the cat's paws.

It's so funny to watch because the cat will take a few steps then shake the paw the tape is on furiously, then take a few steps and shake, step and shake, etc. Very funny.

Or put the tape on the top of their head and they'll stand there bobbing their head down thinking they are going under something.

I feel sorry for our cats now! LOL