Have you ever bought an expensive toy for your cat, only for them to ignore it and play with the box instead? Be inspired by these DIY ideas and learn how you can make a new and creative cat toy to pamper your favorite cat.
Cats play with everything they find in the house. Empty boxes, bags or a simple ball of yarn. The curious animals are always looking for interesting objects that keep them busy and happy. A homemade cat toy is a perfect way to spark your creativity and enrich your cat's day.
Make your own cat toys: Simple and inexpensive DIY ideas
Every little thing lying around the apartment becomes a potential cat toy. So why buy expensive toys when you can make them yourself? Making a homemade cat toy can be very easy. Just be creative and make sure it doesn't have any sharp ends. Gift your cat one of these homemade cat toys that will keep them entertained for hours.
Homemade feather toy
Cats love feathers because they stimulate their hunting instincts. And the best thing about this toy is that you don't need real bird feathers.
What do you need:
- cord
- Multicolored felt sheets
- tracing paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Silver bells
- Glue/glue gun
- wooden sticks
- iron
Step-by-step instructions:
- Draw the shape of a feather in different sizes on the tracing paper and cut it out.
- Glue them to the felt and cut out feather shapes in different colors.
- Fold the feathers in half and lightly iron them with the iron.
- Thread three bells onto a long piece of string and tie the string tightly around the quills.
- Cut the short end of the string near the knot or if it is long enough you can attach an extra bell to the end.
- Leave the string about 40 cm long to hang the feathers.
- Apply enough glue to the wooden stick and wrap the string around it.
- Tie it off at the end and cut it near the knot.
Activity board for cats
Activity boards for cats are usually expensive and if you want to give your cat some fun, you can easily make one yourself. And if you have two or more cats, just double the size and materials so they can all use the same board.
Necessary materials:
- Cardboard
- 2 small, empty fruit yogurt cups (large enough for your cat's paw)
- Scissors/carpet knife
- sandpaper
- 4-5 toilet paper rolls
- Popsicle sticks
- Non-toxic paint
- Glue
This is how it's done:
- Cut a square out of old cardboard and paint it the color you want.
- Sand the edges of the yogurt cups with the sandpaper until they are no longer sharp.
- Also paint the toilet paper rolls, yogurt cups and ice cream sticks.
- Cut two of the toilet paper rolls in half and attach all parts to the square with the glue as shown in the photo.
- Hide a small ball and some cat treats in the containers and let your cat try to get them out of the containers.
Cat toys made from wine corks
Throwthe old wine corksDon't throw it away, just turn it into a cute cat toy.
Materials required:
- Glue
- Craft feathers
- cord
- Bast
- Pipe cleaners
- Scissors
- Grill skewer or toothpick
Directions:
- First, bring a pot of water to a boil to prepare the wine corks.
- Steam the corks over the water for about 3-5 minutes.
- Drill deep holes in the softened corks using scissors or a screwdriver.
- Apply some glue to the bottom part of a feather and insert it into one of the corks. Gently push it in to allow it to secure itself. Repeat the process with the other feathers.
- To make another cat toy, cut four 6-inch-long pieces of raffia.
- Gather the pieces together, twist them around the center of the bundle, and then bend it in half.
- Apply some glue to the bottom part of the bundle and insert it into the cork. Use a toothpick to push it in.
- Apply glue around the hole to fill any gaps and secure the raffia.
- Then take the pipe cleaners and bend them into a “V.”
- Wrap the two ends around your finger, apply some glue to the curved end, and insert the pipe cleaner into the cork.
Cats like to play with toilet paper rolls
Old toilet paper rolls can be found in every household and they are perfect for making fun cat toys. This can keep your cat busy for quite a while, especially when you don't have time to play with him.
Fill a shoebox with several cardboard rolls by simply placing them upright next to each other. Make sure that the box is completely filled so that the toilet paper rolls do not fall over. Hide cat snacks or dry food in some of the rolls and let your cat have fun.
Toys for cats made from cardboard rolls and table tennis balls
This simple cat toy is very easy to make and guarantees hours of play.
Materials:
- Cardboard roll made from kitchen paper or aluminum foil
- Glue
- Paint brush
- Colored string
- Pencil
- Table tennis ball (you can also use several)
This is how it's made:
- Use the pencil to make a mark on the cardboard roll where the hole for the ping pong ball will be.
- Then cut it out with a sharp knife.
- Apply glue to the entire cardboard roll and begin wrapping the roll with the colored string. You can also use multiple colors as you like.
- Then trim the fringe that is over the opening and apply some glue to secure the ends.
- Put the ping pong balls inside and cut two circles out of cardboard to close the tube. Glue them on both sides.
Make your own cat toys: fabric knots
You can make these simple fabric knots from any type of fabric scraps and if you want to make them irresistible to your cat, spray them with some catnip spray.
Take some old clothes and cut out large rectangles (7 x 25 cm). Prepare 6 strips for each toy. Stretch each strip slightly so that it curls up. Then tie them in a knot and pull the ends taut.
And how you can make a scratching post for your cat yourselffind out here.
