cat

Have you ever bought an expensive toy for your cat, only to have it be ignored? It’s not only disappointing, but it also hurts your wallet. Here are 5 easy do-it-yourself cat toys that you can have fun building while you save some dough!

Cardboard Rings

All you need is a pair of scissors and an empty toilet paper roll. Cut a small ring of cardboard from the roll, and voilà! You have a toy. Your cat will have tons of fun batting it around the room.

T-shirt Tent

Do you have a few too many band t-shirts lying around? With a pair of pliers, a cardboard box, and some wire hangers from the dry cleaners, you can transform any t-shirt into a stylish tent-shaped cat bed.

Yarn Pom Poms

Your kitty will love tossing these soft colorful toys around, especially if you rub some catnip on them! Simply wrap yarn around a large serving fork, then tie a string across all threads down the middle between the fork tines. After tying a tight knot, carefully slip it off the fork. After a little trimming, you’ll have a nice, evenly rounded pom pom.

Crinkly Cat Toy

This one is a handy cure for a kitty who likes to munch on plastic bags. If you aren’t afraid of a needle and thread, you can easily sew a pouch around a crinkly piece cellophane, like the kind that wraps souvenirs. It’s also a great way to reuse worn-out clothing like sweaters, socks, and jeans. The noisy cat toy is full of recycling fun for the win!

Cardboard scratcher

You don’t need to run to the store every time your cat wears through the cardboard scratcher. It’s really easy to do it yourself! It all starts with a cardboard box that gets cut into strips. Using hot glue to secure it, wind the strips of cardboard around in a spiral. After a few minutes, you’ll have a cool circular scratching pad that’s fit for a furry little king!

Do you have an idea for an easy to make DIY cat toy? We’d love to see it! Take a photo and share it with us on Instagram!


This post is a collaboration between Andrea Gores and Candace Elise Hoes.

Andrea Gores is an actor, playwright, and pet sitter for Katie’s Kitty.

Candace Elise Hoes is a pet sitter and blogger at Katie’s Kitty. She is a graduate of the MFA Writing Program at California College of the Arts

photo by Dano272 on flickr