How to make homemade cat toys?

Cats that live in houses and apartments tend to get bored easily, which can lead to mischief. On the other hand, if they remain calm and sleep much of the day, they may soon become overweight. In this sense, it is very important that you can keep your pet active with the use of toys.

Most cats love two essential things: eating and sleeping. Therefore, it is the caregiver’s job to get them running, exercising, and moving their bodies. To help you, we have made a list of 5 ideas for homemade cat toys that you can make yourself quickly and easily using recycled objects .

1. Cardboard house

Those who have a cat know that when an order arrives at home, the animal rushes to play with the packaging and the cardboard box. This is mainly because for them it is a cozy hiding place. In this sense, if you want to make a cat box in the shape of a house, you will need a cardboard structure and scissors to cut holes of different sizes through the walls. In this way, your pet can discreetly observe what is happening in the room, which is usually an entertaining activity for most cats.

It is important to know that the size and shape of the box are not so relevant, it is only necessary that your cat can be in it and preferably that he is able to take a couple of steps inside it. In this case, you can try making a cat castle or cat tunnel out of cardboard boxes, depending on your crafting skills.

2. Toy with toilet paper rolls

Instead of throwing away the cardboard tubes that make up the core of toilet paper rolls, you can save them to make some cat toys. For example, a structure where you can hide food to stimulate the cat’s brain and get a reward. Also, this is one of the games for cats that can keep them busy for a long time. To get started, you need to have at least one tube of toilet paper, some sheets of aluminum foil, and some treats. Afterwards, you just have to fill the cardboard tube with croquettes.

Now, you need to close the tube at each end by making two balls of aluminum foil that are about the same diameter as the toilet paper tube. This way, your cat can spend some time looking for a way to get the balls out of the ends. If the game is too easy for the cat, you can use several tubes and stick them together firmly so that the cat has a larger and more difficult toy to get the reward.

3. False prey for the cat

Many felines like to hunt, but an apartment or small house cat has little opportunity to exercise their hunting instincts . In this sense, you can make a cat game based on false prey, such as a mouse, which is a great idea to encourage your pet to exercise and use their reflexes. Also, know that the urge to hunt is caused by rapid movement, but the strong scent given off by birds, rodents, and lizards is what initially attracts cats. Therefore, to recreate this attraction you must have some treats that serve as a filler to create a fake rodent.

To make a fake cat dam you will need food, scissors, an old sock, a needle and thread. You should place kibble in the bottom of the sock until the end is full enough to be the size of a mouse. If the sock is very large, you should use a larger amount of cat food. Once the stuffing is the size you want, you just need to cut off the excess part and sew it to close the end of the sock. Finally, you can use some pieces of fabric to make the ears and tail.

4. Pom Pom Fishing Rod

Shaking objects near your pet’s snout is a game that can entertain your pet for a long time. If you want to offer him new baits to play with, then you should know that you can make a pom pom fishing rod yourself . In this sense, you will need woolen thread and a stick of approximately 1 m in length. 

To start, you should place 2 open fingers in a V shape, and then wrap the woolen thread several times around the fingers. Now, with an additional piece of thread you must tie the yarn between your fingers, creating a kind of bow. For the next step, you just have to remove the yarn between your fingers and make a double knot above the previously made knot, to make sure that the pom pom can resist the claws of your cat. Finally, cut both ends at the fold to create the pom pom and tie it to one end of the stick.

5. Candy dispenser

The treat ball is a popular cat toy, but if you don’t have this item in your home you can easily make it yourself using an empty water bottle, some kibble, and scissors. Then, in the container you must open holes that are a little larger than the food inside. In this way, when your cat hits the container he can take out the treats as he rolls on the floor, which is an entertaining activity to keep your pet active.

In short, there is no need to worry too much about getting an expensive set to please your pet, as it is possible to create homemade cat toys with a variety of inexpensive items and materials that you probably already have around the house. If you were wondering how to make a recycled toy, then you already know that you will only need some fabrics, plastic containers and boxes to transform them into fun homemade toys.