Content
- toys that cats like
- cork stoppers
- Cat toys with recyclable material
- How to make homemade cat scratcher
- cat tunnel
- mini pom pom
- Have you made any of these homemade cat toys?
Cats play since they are kittens and for their entire lives. Play behavior is normal and very important to the cat's well-being. Did you know that play behavior is seen in cats even when they are malnourished?[1]
For this reason, it is very important that cats have at home many toys that encourage this natural behavior. In the case of cats that live alone (no other cats), toys play an even more important role, as they don't have other four-legged friends to play with and need more motivation to play alone.
You must choose toys that stimulate intellectual abilities of the cat and toys that encourage physical exercise (Especially for those chubby ones who only want to move when it's time to go eat and prefer to stay all day on your lap or on the couch without moving a paw). Obesity is a very common problem in domestic cats and has dire consequences for their health.
There are thousands of toys available on the market for cats. But we all know that cats aren't very picky when it comes to playing and a simple box or ball can make them happy for hours! In addition to having appropriate toys to stimulate their intellectual abilities, such as interactive toys or food dispensers, it is important that you vary in the offer of toys for them. What is better than a toy made by yourself, without spending a single dollar and that allows you to entertain the cat for several hours? Besides, if he destroys, no problem, you can make one again!
PeritoAnimal has put together some of the best, easiest and cheapest, ideas for making cat toys! Keep reading!
toys that cats like
We know how frustrating it is to buy those very expensive toys for our cat and then he doesn't care. How to know what toys do cats like? The truth is, it depends on feline to feline, but what is certain is that most cats love the simplest things like a rolled-up paper ball or a simple cardboard box.
Why not take advantage of the very simple taste of cats when playing and making some cheap cat toys? Surely you are already tired of making the typical paper balls and would like to make something equally simple but more original. The Animal expert gathered the best ideas!
cork stoppers
Cats love to play with corks! The next time you open a good wine, use the cork and make a toy for your cat. An excellent option is to boil water in a pot with a little catnip (catnip) inside. When it is boiling, place a sieve (with the corks inside) over the pan, and let the water boil for 3 to 5 minutes for the corks to absorb the water vapors with catnip
Once dry, use a pin and pass a strand of wool through the middle of the stopper! You can do this with several corks and with different colored wools! If you have access to other materials, use your imagination. An alternative is the colorful feathers that fascinate felines.
Now that you have this idea, start saving all the corks! Your bigeye will love it and your wallet too! Also, the tip of boiling water with catnip will make your cat delirious with these corks!
Cat toys with recyclable material
A great way to recycle already useless objects is to make toys for your feline best friend! The Animal Expert thought of an idea to make all the socks who lost their soul mate!
You just need to take the sock (washed clear) and put the toilet paper roll cardboard inside with some catnip. Tie a knot at the top of the sock and you're done! You can use your imagination and use your artistic skills to decorate the socks however you like. You can put some newspaper or plastic bag inside, cats love those little noises.
Your cat will be happier with this sock than Dobby was when Harry Potter gave you his!
See more ideas for cat toys with recyclable material in our article on this matter.
How to make homemade cat scratcher
As you know, cats need to sharpen their claws. For this reason, it is essential for the cat's well-being to have one or more scratchers. There are different types of scrapers available in pet shops, the ideal is to choose the one that best suits your feline's taste.
If your cat is in the habit of scratching the sofa, it's time to teach him how to use the scratcher.
A very simple idea to make a scratcher (and it will look great in your living room) is to use a traffic cone of those oranges. You just need:
- traffic cone
- string
- scissors
- pom-pom (later we'll explain how to make a mini pom-pom)
- white spray paint (optional)
To make it look prettier, start by painting the cone with white paint. After drying (over night) you just have to glue the string around the entire cone, starting from the base to the top. As you reach the top, hang a pom-pom on a string and finish gluing the string. Now just let the glue dry for a few more hours and you're done!
If you would like to make a more complex scraper, one of those that are sold in pet shops at a very high price, check out our article that explains step-by-step how to make a homemade scraper.
cat tunnel
In our article on how to make toys for cats out of cardboard boxes, we have already explained how to make a tunnel for cats out of boxes.
This time, we thought about the idea of triple tunnel, ideal for those who have more than one cat!
All you need to do is get yourself from those giant cardboard tubes that are sold in industrial stores. Cut as you like and glue Velcro fabric to make them more comfortable for the cat and look better. Don't forget to apply a strong glue to keep the three tubes together and stable.
Now just watch the cats having fun in its construction and maybe even taking a nap after hours of play!
mini pom pom
Another great idea is to make a pom-pom for your cat to play with! They love to play with balls and some cats can even learn to bring balls like dogs.
All you need is a ball of yarn, a fork and a pair of scissors! Follow the steps in the image, easier was impossible. If your cat likes it, you can make several in different colors. Make some extra ones to take to the house of that friend who has a kitten too!
You can add this idea to that of corks and stick the pom-pom on the cork, it's really cool. If you have children, show them this picture so they can make the toy themselves. Thus, the children have fun making toys and the cat at playtime.
Have you made any of these homemade cat toys?
If you liked these ideas and have already put them into practice, share photos of your inventions in the comments. We want to see your adaptations of these toys!
What did your cat like the most? Didn't he let go of the cork stopper or was it the solitary sock that he fell in love with?
If you have other original ideas for easy and economical toys, share them too! Thus, you will help other guardians to further improve the environmental enrichment of their cats and instead of contributing to your cat's happiness only, you contribute to many others too!