Article by Karen Dagenais
You could go spend tons of money at the pet store on fancy, elaborate toys, and your cat takes no interest at all. Or maybe a new toy is exciting at first, but it ends up under the bed, collecting dust and completely ignored. Cats are finicky creatures. You never know what might spark their curiosity. But they do need exercise, and love to play. The simplest games, those discovered accidentally, often turn out to be the best. A dangling piece of string or crumpled paper bag can amuse a cat for hours.
It’s so easy to make your own cat toys. Cheap and quick, they can be put together with items you probably have around the house. And it’s fun. Get creative and think outside (or inside) the box. Experiment with your cat. Observe how it likes to move, and what kinds of toys attract it most. Making cat toys is a great project to share with children, as it teaches them to recycle, be artistic, thrifty and to care for animals. Discover the many ways to entertain your cat with its own personalized homemade toys.
Play ball
Cats love to run and chase balls. They will play with you, or bat the ball around the house themselves. It’s also the fastest and easiest cat toy you can make. Just take any sheet of paper and crumple it up into a ball. Voila! It’s kitty soccer time. The ball is lightweight and soft enough to grasp with its claws or carry in its mouth. For a shinier version, use tin foil instead of paper. Just be sure to form the ball tightly, so pieces cannot be torn off and swallowed. The foil ball will move faster and attract light for extra excitement. Tie a string to the ball and drag it across the floor. You’ve inspired an aerobic workout.
Snuggle socks
If you ever wondered what to do with the mismatched socks in your drawer, think about repurposing them as cat toys. Fill any old sock with a little catnip and tie a knot at the open end. You’ve just provided your cat with hours of pleasure. Most cats are attracted to catnip. It seems to heighten their senses. You might see them sniffing and chewing the sock, rolling around or even sleeping and cuddling with it.
For more active play, you can tie the sock to a string and drag it around for the cat to chase, or dangle it in the air and watch them jump up and try to catch it. As a side note, catnip is easy to grow in the garden, or you can buy a bag of the dried leaves at the pet supply store. As with all herbs it loses potency over time, so it’s best to store catnip in the freezer.
Bags and boxes
A paper shopping bag or any cardboard box is an instant cat clubhouse. How often do we get packages delivered, and as soon as we remove the contents, we find the cat curled up inside? The same goes for shopping bags. They’re a great place to poke around in and explore. Try turning an open bag or box on its side and roll a paper or foil ball inside for your cat to fetch and find. Or maybe hide a little treat. A box will also serve as a good scratching surface, since cats love to dig their nails into cardboard. An open box also works well as a cozy cat bed, especially with an old towel or sweatshirt tucked inside.
Shakers, tubes, lights and more
Cats love little toys that roll and make sounds. A small canister or cylindrical container is ideal, if the cap is fastened securely. A clean pill bottle filled with a few dried beans works well, as does a plastic Easter egg.
Save those empty toilet paper rolls for the cat. Cut fringes on both ends of the tube and bend back the tabs. Again, they love to chew and scratch cardboard.
Play flashlight tag. Darken the room and let them chase the light beam.
Build a cat toy with a pipe cleaner or two. Bend it into a spring shape. Twist a few together and form a sphere, another new ball for your kitty.
Then enjoy some quality play time with your pet.