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    Home » Updates » DIY Cat Toys

    DIY Cat Toys

    Published: Jun 27, 2016 · Modified: Jun 8, 2021 by Vicky

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    At times I feel sorry for my cat. It almost seems as if she is loved too much. There are five people in our family and one cat. You do the math. That is a lot of hands petting, scratching and picking her up. My kids are certainly the biggest cat lovers of the bunch. They frequently shower our cat, Charlotte, with kisses and cuddles, mostly when she is attempting to nap. They also love to play with Charlotte and take any opportunity to do so. We have a collection of store bought toys, but recently we decided to try some DIY Cat Toys. My kids got to engage their creative sides and our cat got some new toys. Unfortunately, there are many shelter cats that don't have a loving home or a family to play with them. That is why I am proud to share this sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh Step® Litter. Read on to find out how they plan to help shelter cats find forever homes and get some ideas for cute DIY cat toys you can make for your cat.

    Want to entertain your cat but don't want to spend lots on cat toys? Find out how easy it is to make DIY cat toys. My kids were even able to make them. WelcomeHomeKitty AD

    June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. Did you know that millions of cats are in shelters across the country waiting for someone to give them a home? To help every shelter cat find a forever home, Fresh Step® has created the Million Meow Mission. If you are considering adopting a cat or kitten, June is a great month to do it!

    DIY Cat toys

     

    Adopt a Shelter Cat Month is important to my family because we have always adopted cats into our family. There are so many wonderful kittens and adult cats waiting for forever homes at shelters. If you are looking for a particular breed of cat, you might be surprised to find it at your local shelter. Shelters house pure bred and mixed breed cats that owners had to give up for one reason or another. There are many reasons why people might give a cat to a shelter. I was surprised to learn that litter box rejection is one of the top reasons cats are returned to shelters. Getting cats to regularly use their litter box can keep them out of shelters and in a home.

     

    New Fresh Step® with the power of Febreze™ can help to make a cat’s transition to its new home more successful by combating litter box rejection. Fresh Step® Litter makes cats and their owners happy by eliminating odors while leaving behind a fresh, clean scent

    diy cat toys

    Shelter cats typically don't receive a lot of playtime. After you get a shelter cat settled at home, it is time to have some fun with them. There are some great cat toys out there, but did you know that you can make some simple cat toys at home that will provide plenty of fun for your cat. If you have kids, you can even have them help to make these. Most of these cat toys can be made using items you already have at home. So let’s get started! Please remember to supervise your cat while playing with these toys.

    To make a sparkly wand you will need:

    • 12-inch dowel
    • duct tape or masking tape
    • clean, empty juice pouch
    • scissors

    Next time your kids have a juice pouch, don't throw it out. Save the empty pouch and cut off the top and then cut it open. Cut so you have two pieces from the front and back of the juice pouch. Then, cut fringes on each piece of the juice pouch, careful not to cut all the way to the top.

     

    diy cat toys

    Tape the juice pouch fringe to the end of the dowel. I did this in layers. First I wrapped one piece around the dowel and taped it and then I wrapped the second piece on top of that and secured it with more tape.

    diy cat toys

    To make a feather toy you will need:

    • 12 inch dowel
    • duct tape or masking tape
    • yarn
    • feathers
    • scissors

    Cut a 12 inch length of yarn and tape one end to the dowel. Wrap the other end around a few feathers and tape at the end.

     

    diy cat toys

    To make a paper roll toy you will need:

    • toilet paper roll with paper removed
    • scissors

    This is a super simple toy to make. Just start from the top of the tube and cut out a spiral. I was able to cut out a few from one roll. Then just roll them towards your cat who will bat at them and grab them.

     

      diy cat toys

    Charlotte really loved the sparkly wand. It crinkled and made noise as my kids waved it and as the cat batted it around.

    diy cat toys

    Of course all that playing really wore Charlotte out. After this, she went to take a nap. One that was promptly interrupted by three girls trying to cuddle her.

     diy cat toys

     

    This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh Step® Litter.

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    Comments

    1. karen

      June 27, 2016 at 1:25 pm

      I LOVE this post, as my ragdoll kitty is my heart and I want to just spoil her all the time! She is a funny one about toys. Sometimes I will spend all kinds of moola on her, and she isnt interested. But then when I pull of a plastic tab from the milk carton is spends hours with it. Who knew?
      Karen | GlamKaren.com

    2. Rebecca Bryant

      June 27, 2016 at 4:49 pm

      How cute. I think my son would love to make one of these for his fu baby, thanks for the idea.

    3. Toughcookiemommy

      June 27, 2016 at 6:00 pm

      I have always loved cats but, unfortunately, I am allergic to them. If I had a cat, I would definitely make some of these cute toys for them. They are very creative.

    4. jill conyers

      June 28, 2016 at 2:14 am

      The simplicity of this DIY is awesome. I'm not sure who is having more fun with it. The kids or the cat.

    5. Ana

      June 28, 2016 at 3:37 am

      Your kitty is beautiful and its lovely that you always adopt shelter cats. I love the DIY toy and its nice that they give you 50 paw points through the app.

    6. Kami @ FaithfullyMeBlog

      June 28, 2016 at 4:47 am

      This is so cool, what a neat idea. Thanks for sharing. These are so creative.

    7. Tabitha

      June 28, 2016 at 9:10 am

      What an awesome way to create a more "hands off" approach to letting your kids play with the cat! I'm sure the cat appreciates it and the toy is fabulous and so easy!

    8. Wendy

      June 28, 2016 at 10:08 am

      I don't have a cat but these look really fun if I did! Your cat is so beautiful and fluffy.

    9. Rosalina Sahetapy

      June 28, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      Love your creativity on making this DIY cat toy, and your cat Charlotte is adorable. No wonder your kids adore Charlotte. It's great to know that some of the unfortunate cats have animal shelter as their place before they got adopted.

    10. Heather

      June 28, 2016 at 3:54 pm

      What a cute idea! My cousin's cats love toys like this, and such a perfect way to welcome a shelter cat into your home.

    11. Amber Nelson

      June 28, 2016 at 5:05 pm

      What a great idea. Cat toys are so expensive in the stores. I am going to try some of these.

    12. CourtneyLynne

      June 28, 2016 at 5:21 pm

      Awwwwww love this!!!! I have two furbabies!!! I need to have my daughter make them a few toys. They would love it 🙂

    13. Reesa Lewandowski

      June 28, 2016 at 8:10 pm

      How creative and fun! My daughter would love to make these for my brother's cats.

    14. Rachel. s

      June 28, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      I have never owned a cat before. My little one is always asking that she wants one. This June adoption sounds like a great thing. I will check with our local shelter.

    15. Erin

      June 29, 2016 at 3:21 pm

      First of all, your cat. Oh my gosh. I'm in love. So so gorgeous! I'm definitely going to have to make these for my babies. My cats aren't super playful {they're big fat lazy cats} but they'll still play a bit 😉

    16. Ashleigh Walls

      June 29, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      My 3 cats would really appreciate these! What a great simple idea to give back to them.

    17. Kim

      June 30, 2016 at 4:53 am

      My kid wold love making this for my Mom's cat. She's so playful and they love playing together. Great idea!

    18. Robin Rue

      June 30, 2016 at 6:11 am

      That cat toy is so much fun and so easy to make too. I know that cats will go crazy over it.

    19. Krystle Cook

      June 30, 2016 at 6:14 am

      As a cat person, this toy would keep a cat occupied for a while. I love how simple it is!

    20. Denea

      June 30, 2016 at 6:31 pm

      SO cute and creative. Cat toys are literally so expensive and are ugly. This is cute and affordable,

    21. Toni

      June 30, 2016 at 7:42 pm

      Those toys are easy to make and I'm glad that your cat likes them! It seems like a great summer craft project!

    22. Sandy Mangis

      July 01, 2016 at 2:33 pm

      Your cat probably loves all the attention. They are very picky sometimes, but all animals are fun to play with.

    23. Leslie Hernandez

      July 01, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      I don't have cats but I love the creativity behind this, it looks like so much fun!!!

    24. Angela Bethea

      July 08, 2016 at 7:55 pm

      This is absolutely adorable and crafty! Perfect for all ages and creates a beautiful bond with their fur-baby. Love the creations by the way. I don't have a cat but I will share this to my friends who does. xx

    25. Elise

      April 26, 2017 at 2:23 am

      Wow - way easier than I would've expected to make. I don't know why I thought these were a little more complicated.
      Thanks for the tutorial!

    Trackbacks

    1. Top parenting blogs - Creatubbles Blog says:
      August 17, 2017 at 7:01 am

      […] focused on parenting activities, arts and crafts, play time, family friendly recipes and even DIY toys for your cat! Mess for Less is a one-stop-shop if you’re looking for creative, fun family […]

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    Hi, I'm Vicky, founder and content creator at Mess For Less. If you are looking for family friendly recipes, recipes that kids can make, and play and learning activities for kids, you will find it at Mess For Less. I invite you to learn more about me. Thanks for stopping by!

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