Yeah, I have the exact same experience with my cats. I bought them 2 cute little toys that vibrates when you pull the string. They only touched it once and after that, instead of playing with it, they would run away from it. I think they find it pretty strange and they didn't like the material of the toy (it was made of fabric).
Instead, they would rather play with the pine cones in my garage. They like that a lot. I guess it's because it's rough and they like the feeling of it rubbing against their claws. I even got scared at first when they came near it because I was worried that they will get hurt. However, it seems they actually enjoy playing with it so I just allow them.
I think cats will never appreciate any toy that's made out of synthetic materials. They like toys also which are rougher in texture.
