When it comes to cats and their toys they are pretty easily satisfied. It doesn’t take a lot to bring out the kitty in your cat and it shouldn’t break your bank either. I have a three year old cat that is easily bored and can become mischievous if I don’t give her something to do. She tends to look for drawers to dig in or worse, finds toilet paper to shred. With three dogs, a cat, 4 children and a husband finding the extra cash to buy store bought toys can sometimes be a struggle. Plus I found that usually when I do buy toys at the pet store they either get eaten by the dogs or don’t get played with by my cat. Forget flashing electronic mice, they almost always die before they get any real use. Instead of spending money on fancy toys that won’t be played with try these simple ideas for making your own toys.
Milk rings make excellent kitty fodder. I’m talking about the little plastic ring that stays on the top of the jug when you take the cap off. You don’t even have to clean the excess milk off of these because your cat will love doing it for you. Milk rings are great because you can roll them across a hard surface or just let your cat bat them around. My cat likes to stash them and before we realize what has happened we have them lying all over the house.
Mice on a string are fairly easy and cheap to make. Big lots and other discount stores usually carry packages of mice for as little as a buck. Simply tie a long string to the tail of the mouse and leave it to lie on the floor. Another good trick with these is run to Wal-mart, buy a pack of very small screw in hooks that you use to hang plants or other knick knacks from. Screw one into the wall above any available doorway so that the mouse dangles about two inches off the floor. My cat bats these around for hours. It’s another version of tether ball for cats.
Laundry baskets can be bought at the 99 cents store. Buy five or six of them and not only will you have extra laundry baskets but you’ll have plenty to create tunnels with. You can do a few different things with laundry baskets. You can drop a mouse or paper ball inside one and watch your cat spend hours trying to pull it through the holes. You can turn it upside down and put a mouse or ball inside and let your cat try to pull it through the holes that way; you can even put your cat inside it so he/she can try to get out. Also try laying it on its side with a mouse inside it. My cat likes to climb inside and by walking rolls it around with her in it.
Use laundry baskets to make fun playtime tunnels. Using a utility knife cut the bottom out of the basket. Leave a ring about an inch wide around the perimeter. Cut up an old sheet and hot glue it around this ring to prevent it from hurting your cat. Dig out a couple of those mice your bought at Big Lots, tie some string or yarn to their tails and hot glue to the opening of the basket. Tie one or two to the basket and let dangle inside. Repeat this process for two or more laundry baskets and when you’re done connect them with pieces of rope or bungee cords, whatever you have on hand will work. Hot glue works wonders. You can even make several of these and leave them lying around as single tunnels.
You don’t have to have a lot of money to make a mobile for your cat. You can use a flat piece of cardboard, some yarn or string and aluminum foil. Cut a piece of cardboard 12 inches long by 6 inches wide. Cut pieces of string long enough so that you can dangle the mobile from somewhere high and your cat will still be able to reach it. Using a large needle pass several pieces of the yarn through the cardboard. Tie a large knot in the string on the top of the cardboard to keep the string from slipping through the hole. Allow the string to dangle on its own. Tie or glue aluminum foil balls to each string. Used the needle again and pass a piece of yarn through the very center of the cardboard but this time come up from the bottom. At the end of the string make a loop so that it hooks onto a nail or wall hook. Hang from a hook where convenient and your cat has instant mobile. You can also dangle other things such as a strand of beads, or mice and feathers. The key is to use whatever appeals to your cat.
Catnip toys are easy to make and not very costly. Once again hit up your local 99 cents store and this time pick up some baby booties. They may or may not carry catnip; you might have to buy this at Wal-mart or the pet store. Pour three or four tablespoons of catnip into the baby booty or sock and sew the end shut. Your cat will love these and will probably carry them around.
All cats love things that move and roll around. It calls to the predator in them. A cheap and easy solution to this is to let them have the toilet paper roll once the toilet paper is gone. Make sure you don’t let them chew on it too much because it just gets soggy and they end up eating it. These only last for a few hours but with virtually no cost involved you won’t have to feel guilty throwing it away.
I love the 99 cents store. They always have the necessary supplies when it comes to making cheap pet toys. Add a feather duster to your shopping list. Cats love feathers. They think fowl when they see them. Make sure you get one with feathers and not one of those micro fiber magnetic dusters. Toss the duster on the floor and let your cat drag it all over the house. It might save you time on some of that dusting you’ve been putting off.
There you have it, several cheap ways to make toys for your cat without spending all y our hard earned cash. If you make all these and find your cat won’t play with them then rush to the nearest pet emergency hospital because something is wrong with your cat. Cats don’t care about color or expenses. They care about satisfying that need to hunt. Give them things to hunt and I guarantee you that your cat will be one happy kitten.
