Jul
2
2010
How can I make cat toys?
Hi. I’ve been in the mood to create stuff for my 3 cats lately, not just go to the store and buy stuff. It’s a known FACT that cats like the stuff lying around your house more than store bought toys. =) I was wondering if you’ve ever created anything neat with materials lying around the house.
Get some tin foil and roll it into a ball.
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Get some tin foil and roll it into a ball.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 3:41 pm
yeah, toilet paper… what cat can say no to a fluffy roll of t.p. to mess up the house with?
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July 2nd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
My cats favorite toy = a wadded up ball of aluminum foil!
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July 2nd, 2010 at 4:26 pm
my cats love the milk tabs that you pull off to open a milk carton. My husband took a few and tied them to a string. There are 3 of them tied in different locations and they love it!
I’m sure you will get many answers! have fun!
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July 2nd, 2010 at 4:53 pm
I make and sell over 300 a month–so yes, it’s definately something you can do. I have a small sideline making cat stuff.
The simplest is to make squares or ‘pillows’ but you can vary the shape and make mice, hamsters, chili peppers, sushi, etc. All simple toys, and sewn a LOT better than those glued together things from China and Korea!
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July 2nd, 2010 at 4:59 pm
i have made cat nip toys out of some old clothing that the cats liked to roll around on and get onto, cut it up into pieces and then sewed it and filled with catnip. had one cat that her favorate toy was a piece of blue tape from the top of a box. would play with it for hours and not touch any store bought toy
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July 2nd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
I take old socks, fill the toe with cat nip, tie them with ribbons and cut off excess material. My cat goes bonkers for them. I also made her a "fishing pole" from a meter stick and old felt that i had laying around.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 6:15 pm
paper bags, and tin foil rock. maybe if you have the little pillows that were also mentioned, spray them with a little bit of catnip and they’ll be hysterical for hours….
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July 2nd, 2010 at 7:01 pm
OK… Here is a 100% your-cats-will-love-it toy! (It has been proven with many cats…)
MATERIALS:
1 thin sock (small/baby socks do best)
Catnip
String
Thread & Needle (optional)
Scissors
4-5 SMALL Feathers (optional, but adds extra fun!)
DIRECTIONS:
Cut off top of sock, around the top of heel.
Put catnip in until a tad more than half-way is filled.
Arrange feathers in catnip mixture
Tie top with string
To Xtra secure catnip, tie the top with a needle and thread. ( I do this to save time afterward if string becomes loose.)
Make sure everthing is secure by turning toy upside down and shaking it.
Give to your cats and watch the fun!
( I thought of this toy by myself when I wanted to make ‘origional’ toys for my cats.)
Enjoy!
~ Animal Lover and her 2 cats. =]
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P.S. Like someone already said, the caps of milk cartons work very well too!
July 2nd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
my kitten ’s favorite toy rite now is a simple small branch off of my fake x-mas tree, bent into the shape of a circle……he’ll play for hours with it………or put a few pieces of either rice or macaroni into the toy container from a kinder surprise (chocolate egg)…..or just give him a simple drinking straw(or pencil)……an empty jumbo cereal box is a great kitten amuser.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Ball of yarn – classic. Any old carpet or rug remnants glued to cardboard boxes make great climbing and hiding places. Rubber bands that are cutwith just about anything tied or glued onto one end (feathers, balls, etc.) are great. Anything that crinkles is great like potato chip bags, etc. They also like mirrors.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 8:35 pm
A tightly rolled ball of aluminum foil makes a nice toy to be batted around. 3-4 twisted pipe cleaners also make neat "spiders" to chase. A ball of yarn on a string hanging from a nail in a doorframe can be batted around for hours.
Be prepared to replace any that get shredded or torn.
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personal experience
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:25 pm
My boyfriend made a stuffed toy for our cats out of some "fun fur" he found in a free box at a garage sale. He cut the fabric into three football-shaped pieces, with one long piece for a tail, and stitched those together. He filled it with catnip, and two years later the cats still play with it.
You are right about the cats liking things that are already lying around the house – I’ve had cats who luv-luv-loved capturing my make-up brushes and dragging them around. Also the plastic rings from milk jugs, pen caps, and whole pens. I’ve got one cat who adores chewing up twisty-ties but I try to discourage that, as I get worried about her swallowing bits of the wire, or having the wire scratch up her mouth.
You know those expensive cat tree/cat condo complexes they sell in stores for hundreds of dollars? I have had some success replicating the kind of climbing and hiding play space for $20 or less by gluing some big cardboard boxes together, and cutting holes for the cats to climb through to each level. One of them, I got really fancy and duck-taped some burlap to one side, providing a scratching area.
With a canvas gardening glove, you could stitch some ribbons onto the ends of the fingers to make a "Kitten Mitten" type toy.
With a thin wooden dowel, some twine, and a small trible or mouse toy, you could make a fishing-rod style cat toy.
Got a couple cloth place mats that are ready to be retired from table service? Make a crackling catnip pad by stitching them together, with a plastic grocery bag or a _cleaned up_ potato chip bag, and some catnip inside.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 10:10 pm
I have never known a cat who doesn’t love paperbags and cardboard boxes with holes cut in it. They are the perfect gifts that you can easily design any way you like and fun for them to play with.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 10:38 pm
What is cat nip exactly? I know its a plant, but ive read about people putting it into home made toys etc – do you put the leaves in? do you buy it tried to do this?
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