Cats tend to have a reputation for being a bit picky (you know, the whole finicky feline thing). But when it comes to toys, you can get a curious kitty or tenacious tabby to go bonkers over a crinkling paper bag. Yes, many cats find a simple cardboard box irresistible.
Therefore, don’t spend all of your hard-earned money on pet toys. Instead, round out your furry friend’s collection with a few easy DIY cat toys.
Important Considerations When Making Toys for Your Cat
It doesn’t matter how cute or crinkly a cat toy is if it isn’t safe for your feline friend. No matter what you decide to make for your cat’s playtime efforts, it’s critical to verify that you’re using safe materials.
Also, just as you would with store-bought toys, stay observant and keep an eye out for signs of wear and tear. If a toy starts to break down, unravel, get holes, or have loose parts, toss it.
Limiting the number of pieces on the toys you make is a good idea so that there are fewer chances of something breaking off and choking or injuring your pet. Furthermore, steer clear of types of twine or string that easily wrap around themselves and get tangled. Things like this could twist around your pet’s neck or legs and hurt them.
Finally, as with all pet toys, always watch your cat when they’re playing with toys to make sure they don’t get in a pickle. Plus, your feline furry baby loves the attention.
Five DIY Cat Toys for a Purrr-fect Playtime
Getting enough play time and proper stimulation is essential to your cat’s overall health and happiness. Plus, when your cat is satisfied, you don’t have to worry so much about shredded cushions, turned-over cat dishes, or messes outside the litter box.
Therefore, toys are always a priority on your kitty cat checklist. However, you don’t have to spend oodles of money on new cat toys. Instead, DIY a few fun options for your furry friend. Here are some cat-approved ideas to get you started.
1. Ribbon Wand
This DIY ribbon wand from Pop Shop America is super cute and simple to make. It resembles a mini mop, only it’s a lot more fun. You’ll need a bunch of yarn, ribbon, crochet thread, and similar materials. Choose from your favorite colors and mix and match different textures for extra feline enjoyment. Overall, aim for approximately 50 to 60 feet to allow enough length for wrapping and gluing.
You’ll also need a one-foot wooden dowel, hot glue gun, glue sticks, scissors, and toothpicks. The toothpicks are primarily to press down the yarn and string when you’re gluing them so you don’t burn your fingers.
Paint the dowel or leave it natural, then follow the directions in the linked tutorial to create your fabulous ribbon wand.
2. Cardboard Tube Treat Puzzle
Cats are inquisitive and love the thrill of the hunt. Therefore, treat and puzzle toys are an instant success. This cute little cardboard tube treat puzzle makes your kitty work for their tasty treat, but they’ll have plenty of fun in the process.
This DIY cat toy is an excellent option if you're looking for something that is quick and easy. You only need a toilet paper tube (or cut a paper towel tube in half), scissors, and a few of your cat’s favorite treats.
If you want to add a few special touches, add markers or crayons to the list to decorate your cardboard tube. The linked tutorial guides you through how to fold and cut your tube to transform it into an irresistible toy.
3. Interactive Soda Box
This interactive DIY toy is from Cuteness and mimics the popular Whack-a-Mole games at the arcade. It takes a bit more effort to make than the cardboard tube idea, but it’s not an overly complicated concept.
You need a 12-pack cardboard soda carton, scissors, an X-acto knife, bamboo skewers, glue, duct tape, pipe cleaners, a paper towel tube, and crafting feathers.
You’re essentially cutting and adding supports to an empty soda box to create holes for your different pop-ups. Then you poke things out of the holes as your cat tries to pounce and grab them. This is a fun interactive DIY toy that provides an opportunity for you to spend quality playtime with your cat.
4. Soft Felt Toys
If your cat loves to snuggle and rub against soft things, then try these adorable emoji face toys from Dream a Little Bigger. If you’re not into emojis, decorate them any way you see fit.
All you need is different colors of felt, matching embroidery floss, a needle, scissors, and catnip. Trace your faces or other designs out on felt to stitch to your toys, or use freezer paper and a hot iron to transfer images. Check out the linked tutorial for specific instructions.
5. Sock Fish
We all have random single socks that pop up after a run through the wash or dryer. Nobody really knows what happens to those long-lost socks that leave their mate behind. But now you know what to do with the ones piling up in the single-sock pile.
These fun DIY cat toys from KatyClysm* are a great way to give those single socks a new purpose. Plus, they’re super simple to make. You need a rogue sock, something to stuff it with, and a marker if you want to get fancy.
When stuffing the sock, consider the sounds of the material you choose. For example, your cat may love the rustle of balled up paper, or you could use an 8 oz water bottle to turn the sock fish into a crinkly toy. Tie your sock to secure the contents (and make the fishtail), then decorate it with a permanent marker to show off your favorite fish face.
6. Kitty Pinball
Check out this elaborate DIY kitty treat puzzle if you want to create something that engages your fur baby for a long time. You need a box lid, or a cut-down cardboard box to act as the base of your puzzle. Then, basically, glue all sorts of interesting things to it that your cat finds fascinating, like cardboard tubes, crafting feathers, pipe cleaners, egg cartons, etc.
When creating something like this for your cat, think about all of their senses. You want to stimulate their sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. Add various materials that make different sounds and have multiple textures. Give your cat something to manipulate or push around, and of course, their favorite yummy treats create the finishing touch.
Mix Things Up to Maximize Your Cat’s Playtime
You’d do anything for your pet, so why not add a little DIY fun to the list? Give your cat a variety of play things to keep them intrigued and to quench their natural curiosity. Mix things up by creating an assortment of DIY toys blended with a few thoughtfully selected purchased items, like a licking mat or a tantalizing scratching board.
If these cute do-it-yourself cat toys have inspired you to get creative, then check out some more DIY pet projects. Plus, you’ll find plenty of other ideas as you peruse the rest of the Neater Pets blog.