Homemade Cat Toys

Homemade cat toys are perfect for any cat that loves to play, especially younger cats and kittens. It can be a joy to watch them running around from toy to toy as they decide what to play with. However, like everything else the cost of cat supplies has gone up over recent years, and this includes the cost of cat toys. Many people can't afford to keep buying toys for their cat, but at the same time do not want to leave their pet without anything to play with, especially if they are indoors cats.

There is an alternative that will cost you far less money and will ensure that your cat still has plenty to keep it amused and entertained, and this comes in the form of homemade cat toys. In fact, making toys for your cat at home can be fun for you as well as fun for your cat!

Homemade Cat Toy Ideas

You will be amazed at the simplicity of the cat toys that you can make at home in next to no time!

Toilet Paper Roll Wheel
All you need is a pair of scissors and an empty toilet paper roll.

Take your scissors and cut a slit at one end of the roll, continue doing this all the way around the tube. Make the slits about 1" deep.

Do this on both sides. The slits will look like little tabs. Take each slit and bend it out. When you’re finished, the toilet paper roll will look like a wheel.

Using a Cardboard Box
Cats love jumping in and out of boxes. If you leave a box out for your cat, sure enough you’ll find your cat lying inside it. He’ll likely either be sleeping in it, or darting his paw out of the top towards anyone who passes by.

Just Paper
This is a simple idea, as all you need is piece of paper. Take your paper, squish it up into a little ball, then toss it onto the floor so your cat will chase it. Better still, toss the wadded up piece of paper into the air and teach your cat to fetch. You might be thinking that teaching a cat to play fetch is impossible, but actually, some cats (such as the Siamese) are smart enough to learn how to do it.

Making a Rattler
Cats love toys that move and make sounds. To satisfy both of these things, find an empty pill bottle and put some dry rice or beans in it. Your cat will love swatting the bottle throughout the house, especially when he hears the beans or rice shacking around inside.

Please note: Make sure that the pill bottle is empty before you add the beans or rice. It can be very lethal if your cat somehow gets the lid off of the bottle and ingests a pill.

Plastic Bottle Cap with String
Take the plastic cap off of a 2 litre bottle, and make a hole in it. You can do this either using a drill on slow speed, or with a hammer and a nail.

Once you have a hole in the cap, take a piece of string or a shoe lace and push it through the hole. Tie a knot on the other end so that the string does not come through the opening.

String it up somewhere so your cat can bat at the dangling bottle cap with his paws. Be sure that the string you use isn’t too long, or it can end up being a strangling hazard.

Catnip
Cats go mad for catnip so you can use this on various toys as well as making your own toys. Sewing some catnip into a small patch of material will provide a wonderful catnip toy that your cat will love.

Fishing Pole
Find a long stick that’s around 2 feet long, and find some yarn that’s a little longer than the stick. Tie the yarn to the end of the stick.

Now that you have your pole you will need some "bait" for your cat to chase. You can use anything you think your cat would be enticed with, such as a feather, mouse filled with catnip, or twist ties twisted around the yarn.

Tin foil balls
Cats love things that crinkle and make noise, so scrunching some tin foil and throwing it will provide your cat with loads of fun. Your cat an also pick up the foil in its mouth and run around with it, which many younger cats love to do.

These are just a few of the toys that you can make for your cat, and the possibilities just go on and on.

Have fun making your homemade cat toys. If you use your imagination there’s no limit to the things that you can make! You’ll find that it’s easy to construct something that your cat will find exciting. Just be sure to use your common sense to keep your homemade cat toys safe.

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