Making your own cat toys
If your feline is a typical cat, it doesn’t matter how many cat toys you buy, they will always be up for more fun and games. Even if you’ve reached the end of your budget for spoiling your cat/s, you can still make your own cat toys to keep your feline family stimulated and entertained.
Cat Portal
Cats just love cardboard boxes! So with a few empty boxes, you can create the mother of all cat mansions to keep your curious kitties exploring and happy.
What you need:
- 4 or 5 different sized boxes
- Duct tape
- Box Cutter (Stanley knife)
- Treats
- Toys
- A feather or two
Instructions:
- Step 1: Build a tower or tunnel with the boxes placing them on top of or next to each other and stick them together using the duct tape. Make sure they are secured as you don’t want your cat getting a fright or doing the splits.
- Step 2: Cut different size holes in the boxes to create portals and windows for your cats to explore. Keep it interesting with holes of different shapes and sizes.
- Step 3: Once you have built the play portal place a few treats and toys inside the different boxes; cats love to use their noses and this will make them VERY interested.
- If you want to add some flair to your new creation, you can even add a little non-toxic paint and make the portal colourful!
Wand
Cats love interacting with their toys, especially if they resemble birds or insects, and if you can join in the fun then why not? Here’s how to make your own cat wand:
What you need:
- A sturdy wooden dowel or stick
- Jingle bells (with eyelet)
- Multiple fabric scraps (ribbons, shoelaces, etc)
- Roll of twine
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructions:
- Step 1: To make the wand look irresistible, wrap the plain wooden dowel or stick with twine. Use a small amount of fabric glue to secure the twine to the dowel, so that it doesn’t unravel.
- Step 2: When you finish wrapping the dowel, leave an excess amount (4 – 5 cm) so that you can tie your fabric scraps to the end.
- Step 3: Tie the ribbons and fabric scraps to the end of the twine. Make sure they are secure and tied on tightly!
- Step 4: Select three different scraps of fabric and tie on the jingle bells.
That’s it! Now go find your cat and enjoy playtime!
Scratcher
Cats love to dig their nails into just about anything. You can make your own cat scratcher, which your cats will love… and that will at least distract them from your furniture.
What you need:
- Cardboard boxes
- Box cutter (Stanley knife)
- Glue
- A sturdy box or crate to put the stack of measured cardboard into
Instructions:
- Step 1: Measure the length and width of your box/crate that you will be using for the base.
- Step 2: Measure, mark, and cut the cardboard strips. Repeat until you have enough to fit into the box.
- Step 3: Run a line of white glue along the centre of the length of each strip.
- Step 4: Stack them all together and apply pressure for a couple of minutes so they are all packed tightly together. Edge on, you have the perfect scratching surface for the demanding kitty.
- Bonus: It’s fully reversible, so when it’s shredded you can just flip it over, and your cat will have another new scratching surface to decimate before you have to make another one.
Tower Roll
Cats are always intrigued by new things and different shapes. Give your cat something to think about by making one of these.
What you need:
- 15 Toilet rolls
- Tape
- Treats or kibbles
Instructions:
- Step 1: Build a tower with the toilet rolls in a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 format.
- Step 2: Tape them together so it is nice and sturdy, but not too tightly that they cave in.
- Step 3: Add kibbles inside the rolls and let the cats loose!
The toilet roll tower is a great way to keep your cats engaged and entertained, and it stops them from munching all their food too quickly!
