u/patienceandpaw

Hosted the first neighborhood Cat Toy Swap / Play Library this past weekend and honestly it turned out really great! 🐱

A bunch of local cat owners came by, donated toys, talked about enrichment/play ideas, and swapped items their cats no longer use instead of throwing them away. It ended up feeling much more community-oriented than I expected, which was really nice to see.

A few things I learned quickly though:

Even though I planned to sanitize everything before redistribution, some donated items needed a much deeper cleaning process than anticipated. I ended up going through a lot of laundry supplies + enzyme cleaner to properly neutralize odors and sanitize everything safely.

So moving forward, I’m asking that donated toys please be:
- washed beforehand
- free of strong odors
- not heavily stained/soiled
- safe and reusable

I’ll still be sanitizing everything myself before future swaps, but this helps keep the project manageable and sustainable as it grows.

I also added an optional $1 Venmo contribution @patienceandpaw to help offset laundering/supply costs:
- eco-friendly detergent
- enzyme cleaner
- sanitizing supplies
- storage bins/materials
- future community events

Not required at all — anyone can still participate either way — but contributors will get first-pick priority during redistribution events as a small thank-you. ✨

I’m trying to build this in a way that feels community-centered, sustainable, and genuinely useful for local cat owners long term 💜

Next swap/redistribution table will be:
📍 Sanger Hall Art Fair (Sunnyside, Qns)
🗓 June 14
⏰ 2pm–6pm

I’ll also be hosting a Cat Trivia Night at Sanger Hall on July 16th as part of continuing to build more cat-centered community events locally 🐾

Stay tuned! 👀

Had such a successful turnout at today’s first Cat Toy Swap 💜🐾

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, donated toys, scanned the QR code, chatted, grabbed catnip, and helped support a little local cat community moment in Woodside.

This was just the beginning ✨

If you couldn’t make it today but would like to be invited or alerted about future swaps/events, make sure to join the mailing list 🐾💌

LEARN MORE HERE 💌👈🏽

NYC cat people… instead of letting your cat ignore the same toy for the 47th day in a row, come swap it 😭

I’m hosting the very first neighborhood Cat Toy Swap this Sunday outside Aubergine Café in Woodside ☕🐱

Bring 1–2 clean, gently used cat toys your cat has emotionally moved on from, and help build a rotating community toy library for local cats ✨

How this first swap will work:
• This Sunday is primarily a DROP-OFF day
• I’ll sanitize/sort everything at home
• Then I’ll organize a future PICK-UP + next swap date
• If you miss this one, there’ll be more in other neighborhoods too 😊

I’ll also have:
• free catnip pouches + lickable treats (limit 1 per person while supplies last)
• a sign-up sheet for future swaps, workshops, trivia nights, and cat events
• volunteer sign-ups for anyone who wants to help grow this into a real community thing 🐾

📍 Outside Aubergine Café (Skillman Ave side)
📅 Sunday, May 17
⏰ 9:30–11:00 AM

Hosted by Patience & Paw | Private Feline Care — local, insured, feline-exclusive care based in Sunnyside/Woodside.

Would genuinely love to meet more neighborhood cat people 🐈

** If you can’t make it this time but want to stay updated on future swaps, workshops, trivia nights, and other cat community events around Astoria/Woodside/LIC, you can join the mailing list here:

https://forms.gle/1nqBpfmhdERJHQa97