Think of those sweet, purring balls of fur that often sit in your lap and make you feel loved. Those are our pet cats for you. Although they can be loners when they want to be, a cat can be a wonderful companion to even the youngest children. So, why not make cats the theme of the next birthday party for your child?

For games, you can change some of the old standards into brand new games with a cat theme. “Duck, Duck, Goose” can become “Cat, Cat, Mouse”, and “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” can become “Pin the Tail on the Cat”. With a simple stuffed animal in the shape of a cat, you can play “Hot Cat”, just as you would play “Hot Potato”. And finally, using music from some favorite movies about cats, like “Oliver and Company” or “The Aristicats”, you can have a fun game of musical chairs.

Add “big cats” to your party and there are many themes you could adopt. “Lion King”, “The Jungle Book”, “The Tigger Movie” and “Tarzan” all have big cat characters.

There are craft ideas for a cat themed party, as well. Online, you can find cat crafts that are easy enough for the youngest child. Paper bag puppets, lion face masks and cats made out of hearts are the simplest, while coloring pages are easy to find with cat characters. All of the craft ideas don’t take many materials, but once made they are a fun momento for the party guests to take home.

Food at a cat themed party can be fun and healthy. Cats are supposed to love milk, so why not consider milk shakes to drink? Get your blender out and make different flavors with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream. Another favorite food for cats is fish. If you are having more than just the cake and ice cream fare, have a bunch of fish sticks to munch on. Cat shaped cookies are also a big hit, or those little goldfish crackers!

When the party begins to wind down, show the guests some old favorites like “Tom and Jerry” and “Sylvester and Tweety”. They will surely get several laughs out of the antics from these kooky cats. If it is a longer party, have a “Lion King”-A-Thon, showing the original movie, “The Lion King 2” and “The Lion King 1 ½”.

The cuddly cat theme is easy to find at many party outlet stores. You will be able to find all your paper goods like plates, cups, napkins, decorations, invitations and thank you notes, all with various cat themes. If you do happen to have trouble located paper products, go to your computer and look at the many quality party stores that are located online. (Tip: when ordering online, leave plenty of time for shipping!)

For game give-aways and goodie bags, check out your local dollar store for some great cat-themed ideas. Many times you will be able to find cat stickers and even books with cat characters.