Making Cat Toys

Linda Bittle
Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited October 2020 in Dogs & Cats

Since my little dog Sammy has chewed up all of Eliza Jane's cat toys, I am going to make her some catnip mice with scraps of felt, and my home-grown catnip. I'll post a photo later today. Here are some ideas for 10 homemade cat toys.

https://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/2014/03/the-10-best-homemade-cat-toys/

Comments

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    (My chihuahua thinks she is a cat, so steals the cat toys and has been known to shred the catnip ones. Strange.)

    Simple pipe cleaners and even twist ties have entertained my cats.

    Many fishing pole cat toys use jewelry wire to attach the dangle -- attention jewelry makers.

    The sock toy is by far the simplest, and if you make it big enough, will work as a kicking toy.

    Plastic package strapping bands entertain cats: they can be dangled for them or they will pick them up and carry them around. They are good because they are too big to be a swallowing danger (part of my concern with any poorly made yarn toy.)

    Not to discourage crafty people, yet crinkled up paper also entertains cats.

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Eliza Jane seems pleased with her new toys. I used scraps of felted wool sweater sleeves from an old project, embroidery floss left over from a kit, stuffing from one of Sammy's toys that he tore up, and catnip that I dried from my garden. I stuffed a single sock for Sammy, too.

    No cost to me, and a happy cat and dog! Wins all around.


  • Karin
    Karin Posts: 272 ✭✭✭

    Our cats get very bored with toys - they prefer the "real thing" lol. The only toy that's lasted the distance with their attention span is a "cat twizzler" - a long stick with several suede strands on the end. But of course, you have to twizzle it for them, and our older cat knows when you're not holding the stick - he looks at you to let you know he knows you've dropped it, and if he doesn't see you pick it up, he walks away!! The kitten would much rather play with the hand than the toy, with sometimes unfortunate consequences lol

  • Momma Mo
    Momma Mo Posts: 138 ✭✭✭

    I have had several cats whose favorite "toy" was a folded and knotted paper towel. They thought it was the cat's meow!

  • maryannfricko
    maryannfricko Posts: 133 ✭✭✭

    The best cat toy was a small cardboard box with paw size holes cut into it. Then I put in toys that were a little larger than the holes (so that they did not come out easily). They spent many hours working on getting the toys out.

  • maryannfricko
    maryannfricko Posts: 133 ✭✭✭

    Another favorite cat toy was scrunched up aluminum balls. I had one cat that would fetch it when I rolled it down the stairs.

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    Honestly, one of my cat's absolute favorite toys was the light from a laser pointer. We would move it around on the floor and up the wall for him, and he would pounce after it for long stretches. Of course, he also loved cardboard boxes, and paper bags. If we happened to find him in a sturdy, handled paper bag, we would gently swing him back and forth in it, and he really seemed to enjoy that, too.

  • maryannfricko
    maryannfricko Posts: 133 ✭✭✭

    Yes, they love the laser.

  • Karin
    Karin Posts: 272 ✭✭✭

    @Merin Porter this is our old cat (sadly now in kitty heaven) - she loved any sort of bag or box or basket :)

  • Tammy
    Tammy Posts: 11 ✭✭✭

    One of my cats is very finicky and hasn't learned to share lol. If she likes something she will play with it as long as no other cat gets it. If one of the other cats gets it she won't touch it again. We call her our little diva cat lol.

  • MaryRowe
    MaryRowe Posts: 736 ✭✭✭✭

    I crochet toys from bits of leftover yarn and stuff them with catnip from the patch growing in the yard. My three cats now expect custom-fit toys: my little girl wants small lightweight catnip toys she can bat around easily, one boy prefers smaller toys shaped so that he can carry them around in his mouth, and the other boy likes larger, long toys he can grab with his front feet and kick with his hind feet. They too enjoy boxes with toys or treats inside and holes cut to reach their paws in after them. And they love feathers--found turkey tail feathers are always a big hit, but you can make some great toys from molted chicken feathers as well. Tying a clump on to a wand toy is an obvious way, but I once tried crocheting the feathers into a catnip toy along with the yarn. The cats went absolutely wild for it. I think they probably tore it to pieces in less time than it took me to make it--still trying to figure out a sturdier version--but they had a grand time with that toy while it lasted.

  • stephanie447
    stephanie447 Posts: 404 ✭✭✭

    I used to have a cat that loved hair bands. Just the small circular elastic ones. He got really good at catching them when thrown up into the air.

  • beel.sara
    beel.sara Posts: 15 ✭✭✭

    Waste not, want not, right? Awesome job using what you have to meet a need.

  • Gail H
    Gail H Posts: 359 ✭✭✭✭

    Our cat's favorite toy is a fresh cranberry. They have a wonderful bounce and will ricochet all around the kitchen. The cat will be happy that it's cranberry season again.

  • maryannfricko
    maryannfricko Posts: 133 ✭✭✭

    I have a cat who walks around the house with a catnip toy meowing very loudly. It is like he is showing off what he has.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @maryannfricko I and my sister both have had cats that started meowing loudly when playing. Both started getting really noisy after the cats got above 12 years of age. Hearing loss? Dementia?

    On the other hand, I have a young cat who has always been noisy.

    Sorry, I just can't help sharing pet trivia.

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    One of my cat's favorite toy used to be... fresh green beans. If she heard you snapping beans, she came running. You'd throw a bean to her, and she'd carry it all around the kitchen, toss it, chew on it, talk to it, etc.

  • COWLOVINGIRL
    COWLOVINGIRL Posts: 954 ✭✭✭✭

    Our cats love a crumpled up piece of paper.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have had cats that love to play with (and eat) pimento stuffed green olives. My current cats are not interested though.