Hand Made Cat Toys - Pet Care 101

Cats are finicky. You can buy them a fancy toy at the pet store, and they'll play with the bag it came in. Save yourself some frustration and money and try making some homemade cat toys for your feline friend.

I've seen it time and again, you go out and buy a shiny jingly ball or battery-powered mouse for your cat and it's more interested in the paper bag or cardboard wrapper. After many years of owning cats, I've stopped buying toys for my cats; I opt for handmade cat toys instead. I'll describe a few of my cats' favorites.

If you have any crocheting or knitting skill, or know someone who does, crocheted and knit cat toys are a great choice. You can use yarn, twine or hemp and create a fun and durable toy. I like to crochet mice for my cat. She loves them, and I can whip them up in about 10-15 minutes. I have a whole bag of them in different colors. When one gets too torn up, I toss it in the trash and put out a new one. They're inexpensive too, since they can easily be made with the scraps from other projects.

Another toy you can make with crochet or knitting would be small "pillows" with a jingly bell inside. Just make two small squares (or a tube), insert the bell, and sew the ends shut. Be sure that the ends are secure so the cat can't get the bell out. Also keep an eye on the toy for wear; you don't want kitty choking on the bell.

Another simple handmade cat toy can be made with a toilet tissue roll and some yarn or hemp string. Take a skewer or long needle and drive some holes in one side of the empty tissue roll and out the other. Push some brightly colored strands of yarn through the holes and tie knots close to the cardboard. The dangling bits are tantalizing to the cat, and it will roll easily across the floor.

One of my cats other favorites is extremely simple, it's just a ball of aluminum foil. She loves to chase them around and pounce on them. While they can be a great toy for some cats, do watch for the cat chewing on the foil. If your cat likes to chew, I would not recommend this type of toy as ingesting the foil would be harmful to their health.

Another fun toy is string on a stick. Just take a long, narrow dowel and drill a hole through the end. Put a piece of yarn through the end. Next, take several pieces of yarn and fold them in half over the yarn that's through the dowel. Tie the single string securely around the other yearn, then around the stick. Now you can dangle the yarn bundle above your cat's head for fun jumping and play.

Handmade cat toys are a great way to save money and increase the variety of toys you have to offer your furry friend. Variety will keep your pet happy, and play will keep them healthy. Experiment with making other toys for your cat and you'll soon find what your feline finds to be the most fun.