Easy DIY Cat Toys

We’re sure your cat loves some of the random things laying around the house. In that case, why spend a ton of money on cat toys? Here are 15 easy breezy cat  inchestoys inches that you probably already have at home.

Cat toys made with household recyclables.

1. Easiest cat toy ever. Wad up a ball of aluminum foil. It’s lightweight and skitters across a room with the gentlest touch of a paw.
2. Wine corks, feathers and jute glued into a cork with a hole in it will keep your kitty entertained for hours. How-to here.
3. An empty paper bag or cardboard box is preferred by cats of all sizes and ages. Cut holes for them to poke their paws through and let them at it!
4. Toilet paper tubes with straw poked through them will demonstrate your feline’s more interesting antics which are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.
5. With little more than an old t-shirt, a couple of wire coat hangers and a piece of sturdy cardboard, you can make a cat tent that rivals the expensive ones sold in pet supply stores.
6. Another way to use toilet paper tubes is to cut the tube into four rings, inserting one inside the next until you have formed a ball. Stuff treats inside and watch Fluffy go to work trying to get them out.
7. Pull yarn through an empty thread spool and tie knots so that the yarn doesn’t come out. Leave the yarn long enough to make ribbons.
8. Cut the top and bottom off of an empty soda bottle and then cut the rest into a spiral. Cats find this irresistible!
9. Cut the bottoms off of three (or more) paper bags and link one inside the other to form a tube. Toss some catnip or kibble into the tube to entice the kitty in.

Crafty cat toys

1. Make a wand from a dowel, some string or yarn, and a homemade pom-pom. Your cat that prefers to pounce instead of chase will love you for it!
2. Instead of pom-poms, attach ribbons and jingle bells to the dowel for a more lively attraction. Cats seem to love the tinkly sound of the bells.
3. Use a clear plastic food storage container to make a cat puzzle toy. Cut holes in the top big enough for Fluffy’s paws to go through and put ping-pong balls (or other small toys) inside the container. Secure the top and shake it where Fluffy can see the balls inside.

Other things cats love to play with

1. Give second life to a plastic easter egg by enclosing a couple of beans inside. Cats love things that rattle and are light enough to bat around.
2. Drip tubing makes a great tease toy! Cut a piece 18 inches to 25 inches long and wave it near Kitty’s nose. Its movement will entice her to swat at it.
3. Laser pointers are among the most beloved of all cat toys (dogs love them, too). Point it at a wall and move it around. Just be careful not to aim it into your cat’s eyes.