Content
- 1- Cardboard labyrinth
- 2- Cardboard tunnel
- 3- Paper roll ball
- 4- Beaver lair
- 5- Surprise Roll
- 6- Pyramid
- Homemade cat toys
Play behavior is essential to the cat's well-being. Did you know that, in nature, cats pass 40% of their time hunting? That's why it's so important for the cat to play, as it's the only way indoor cats can express this natural behavior.
Toys allow to occupy and entertain the cats for several hours, thus reducing the number of hours spent on more sedentary behavior.
These days, there are many toys available in petshops that cats love! However, an excellent alternative is make cat toys from cardboard. Cats love it and, in addition to saving you, you'll be recycling. Everyone wins, the cat, you and the environment! For this reason, PeritoAnimal gathered the 6 easiest ideas. Prepare the material now and make these homemade toys for cats right now!
1- Cardboard labyrinth
This is a really fun toy, especially if you have lots of cats! You don't need almost anything:
- cardboard boxes
- scissors
Made changes recently and there are a lot of cardboard boxes to recycle? It's time to make them useful. You just need the boxes to have all the same size. Just cut off the tops of all the boxes and put them together! If you want, you can also glue the boxes together with glue or tape to make the structure more stable.
Cats LOVE boxes. It will be as much fun for them as it is for you to watch them. You can even make a funny video of your cats jumping from box to box and hiding, thinking no one can see them.
2- Cardboard tunnel
As you know, cats love to hide! Although a tunnel made from cardboard boxes has the disadvantage of being fixed compared to pet shops, it has a big advantage, it costs practically ZERO! Your kitten will love this toy, so go get the cardboard boxes you have there to throw away or ask at a store or supermarket near your house that they always have boxes they no longer need.
You just need:
- Scissors
- Scotch tape
- Three or four medium boxes.
It's pretty simple to make a tunnel. you just need cut the sides of all boxes to ensure the connection between them and tape them together so they don't come loose. The boxes should be big enough for the cat to get through without squeezing.
If you want, you can make a round hole in the top of one of the boxes, so the kitten has another entrance to the tunnel.
3- Paper roll ball
Generally, kittens prefer smaller toys. Do you know why? Because if more like fangs. Cats that do not leave the house and do not have the possibility of hunting, mainly, treat their toys as if they were prey because they do not distinguish between hunting and playing behavior.
Do you have a bunch of toilet paper or paper towel rolls piled up and ready to recycle? Perfect! Go get a roll that just need 1 minute to make a toy your kitten will rave about.
Again, the material for this easy toy is just:
- Toilet paper roll
- Scissors
Take the roll and cut five rings. Now all you have to do is intertwine the five rings to form a ball. To further stimulate the cat, put some reward like catnip, kibble, or something he likes inside the ball.
4- Beaver lair
This toy is very interesting because it promotes natural hunting behavior.
You just need to get:
- A shoe box or a pizza box
- Scissors
- Ping-pong or rubber ball
Knife several round holes on the top and side of the box, should be wide enough for the cat's paw to enter without problems. put the ball inside the box and move the box so that the cat realizes there's something inside. This toy is very stimulating for cats, it will feel like hunting inside these holes.
5- Surprise Roll
For this toy you just need a roll of paper! Put some candy or catnip inside the roll and fold the ends to close. Your kitten won't give up until he finds out how to get the reward out of the roll. It's a very simple idea but it can entertain your kitten for a while.
6- Pyramid
What do you think about building a pyramid with the paper rolls that are accumulating in the bathroom?
Material:
- toilet paper rolls
- Glue
- Sheet of paper or card (optional)
- Rewards (goodies or catnip)
Assemble a pyramid with the scrolls. Use glue to join the rolls together and for the pyramid to stand firm. You can cover one side with paper or cardboard so the cat can only access one side of the pyramid. Place inside some of the rolls small pieces of feed or other treat that your cat likes.
Image: amarqt.com
Homemade cat toys
these are just a few homemade toy ideas for cats well easy and with little material. You can use your imagination and build thousands of other toys for your cat with recyclable material.
sometimes a simple cardboard box is enough for amuse your cat for hours. However, all cats have different personalities and tastes. The important thing is that you try different types of toys to get to know your cat better and what he likes the most.
Also see our article for more easy and affordable ideas for making cat toys.
Have you tried any of these cardboard cat toys and your best friend loved them? Send us a picture of your little one having fun!