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!
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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
I hsve a cat with PICA. So cats who “love to munch on plastic bags” should not be tempted with cellophane toys, DIY or otherwise. Please read this article: http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/cat-health/cat-behavior/why-does-my-cat-chew-plastic-bags
Thank you for taking the time to share this link with us. It’s important to note that if your cat has PICA or tends to consume its toys or other inappropriate objects, we would not recommend this toy. Owners should always exercise discretion in determining which toys are suitable for their individual pets.
However, the crinkly toy described in the article above is actually enclosed in fabric. It’s meant to be a stimulating texture toy to provide an alternative to the plastic. Texture toys can sometimes be used as a dissuasion for cats, like described in the third bullet point of the article you shared: “Miranda K. Workman, a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and Adjunct Professor of Animal Learning at Canisius College, personally communicated to me that, “Addressing a cat’s sensory needs: smell, taste, texture and sound.” If your cat likes chewing on bags, find items in your local pet store that approximate those sensations, such as crinkly balls.”
Thanks for these suggestions. I need to start working on making DIY cat toys more often, since my cat really is picky about toys and this is probably the most affordable way to try a bunch out.
Thanks again!