5 Home Made Cat Toys

I have been a cat lover and cat owner my entire life, and it never ceases to amaze me how much money can be wasted on cat toys! There is no reason to ever buy another cat toy again because cats will have fun with anything they can bat their paws at or crawl inside and out. I am here to present five common household items that are sure to occupy your kitty with hours of enjoyment!

1.)Paper bag

A paper bag can surprisingly bring hours of amusement to your cat because they love things they can climb inside of and hide. You can also try putting small objects inside the bag (plastic bottle caps, rolled up paper balls, etc.) for them to run and pounce. Often times it is just the crinkly sound the bag makes when they jump and scratch on it that attracts them.
**Safety tip: If you are using a large paper bag from the grocery store, be sure to cut the handles off the top in order to prevent your cat's head from getting caught in between them.

2.)Cardboard box

Most of us have at least one of these lying around the house, or if not, a large shoebox can be substituted. Similar to the paper bag, your cat will love to run and dive into the box and jump in and out. You can interact with your cat a lot while they play in the box by scratching on the side of the box or tapping your fingers. They will most likely jump and pounce near your fingers, but you will remain scratch free! Cats also love when you dangle toys from the top of the box or throw them in and out. After play time, throw a blanket inside the box and let your kitty take a long nap. If your cat sheds its fur in the box, it will be much easier to clean and dispose of than shedding all over your bed or couches.
**Safety tip: Be sure to remove any tape, staples, or other hidden dangers from the box before allowing your cat to play because these can be choking hazards.

3.)Toilet paper rolls

Instead of throwing away your cardboard toilet paper rolls, why not recycle them by using them as cat toys? Since these are smaller, cats can get a good grip on them and grasp them between their paws. My cats find great pleasure in rolling on the floor with them, biting and scratching at the paper. Even though cats might be scratching and biting at them, the rolls hold up quite well and will not leave paper pieces all over your house. The best part is, when they do start to get mangled, you can quickly replace them!

4.)Empty plastic bottles

For this toy, I suggest using a small 12-24 oz. size plastic bottle that has been cleaned out. Also be sure to remove any plastic labels from the outside of the bottle to prevent choking hazards. Plastic bottles can be noisy, so this might not be a toy you would want to leave lying around at night; however, cats love how they roll across the floor. You can stand them up straight and watch your cat try to knock them over, or let them run and slide into them, as they tumble across a flat surface.

5.)Plastic bottle caps, old hair ties, feathers, or anything that can be tied to a string or moved across the floor

I have seen many pet stores sell similar types of over-priced toys that hang from a string or pole. It is much more fun to personalize the toy for your cat because some cats may prefer certain dangly items to others, and you will save tons of money! Once you have secured an item to the string, you can tie it from a door handle or any place you won't mind your cat jumping and clawing at the toy. If you wish to make the toy even more enticing to your cat, you can tie a small jingle bell or bag of catnip alongside it.