My cat's #1 favorite toy is a balled up piece of til foil, about 1" around. He chases it all around the house, and will pick it up in his mouth and carry it around. It's one of the few toys he'll play with all by himself. It makes a great toy because it's so lightweight that it really bounces around when he smacks it. They don't last very long, though, because he either loses them under the stove or couch, or he chews them flat! LOL! So I have to make him a new one every few days. Occasionally he'll even bring it back to me if I throw it for him.
The key to making a good foil ball toy is not to compact it too tightly, it should feel very lightweight, not dense and heavy. Otherwise it won't bounce as well. Right now my cat's favorite game is to shove it under the closed bathroom door whenever someone is on the other side. When you smack it back next to the bottom of the door, his little paw shoots out from underneath and smacks it back to you, it's hilarious!! Like kitty handball. ;-)
My cat also likes the small furry mice, he'll chase those if I throw them, but he seldom brings them back. Those don't last very long, either, because he eventually chews the head's off!
I've been wary to give him the plastic rings off of milk containers because he's a real chewer, I'd be afraid he would chew pieces off and eat them. But there is a toy you can buy that is similar to those, I forget what they're called but they're these bright colored wavy looking plastic rings that come 4 to a package. They bounce around very well and while he's chewed on them, they haven't broken apart or shredded. I bought them at the pet store. I've also seen coil-shaped rings, too, which are also fun toys.
Michelle Stitchy Kitty