# Homemade things for kitty to play?



## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

My kitty has only been home for 2 months now, but seems to be getting bored of most of his toys already (apart from a few mousey toys). I've already bought a lot of toys which cost a fortune! I'm afraid he'll get bored and eventually vent out frustration at my furniture!

Can anyone suggest any ideas of how to make a few homemade toys for him pls? nekitty Looking forward to any advice anyone can give!!:smiles


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## Alyson Jayne (Oct 7, 2011)

After spending a fortune on cat toys, our kittens always default to the wine bottle corks! Together they play a kind of (English) football game, passing the cork with their paws to each other, and alone they like to 'dribble' one across the floor.
They like acorns too. Don't know if you get those in your neck of the wood. 
Generally, they like anything natural that rolls.


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## 6cats4me (Apr 30, 2011)

Twisted up fuzzy pipe cleaners! My cats like to carry them around in 
their mouths like prey and will toss them in the air and even hide 
them from each other. Also, a big empty paper bag with one of your 
cat's toys tossed in will make great playtime for your fur baby.


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## wondercat (Oct 11, 2011)

My older cat Cleo loves to play with straws, bottle caps, and I have to hide my expensive makeup brushes from her!! Max (kitten) will play with absolutely anything. I left an empty tissue box on the floor and its his play house now, he hides toys in there. Also I hang some of their toys on a string on the door handles and he plays with that for hours.


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## Sophie123 (Jul 13, 2011)

My two are quite partial to the cardboard tubes that are left when you finish a toilet roll.
They also like a piece of dry pasta to bat about.

Ohhhh and shoes! they enjoy ripping th insoles out and then climbing inside.

Nutters <3


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

If you have hard surface floors. plastic bottle tops are good.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Careful with anything string rthey can swallow but tp rolls and especially paper towel rolls. Book likes those 'cause they are long enough to grab and rabbit kick.


Try hiding his some of his toys and roate them out. Little kittns forget fast and they will be like new to him.


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## Shenanigans (Jul 23, 2011)

I've had to do a lot of improvising for toys for Apollo.. He is too smart and gets bored very easily. He has no interest in regular little toys unless they crinkle and I play fetch with him for a solid hour at a time.

Plastic and paper bags are ALWAYS littered across my floors. Plastic bags are only allowed to be played with when I am home and keeping an eye on him.

Plastic spoons (or forks in Apollo's case, with the prongs cut off and filed down,) Boxes! Boxes are a must. Find some empty ones and maybe try cutting a few holes big enough for kitty to either fit through, or big enough to at least fit a paw through. If you stick some toys in there kitty should have a good time.


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## Cats&Plants (Aug 20, 2011)

Toilet paper tube with some treats or catnip in it is a favorite here, just fold the ends in once you've put the stuff in it. My cats also like bottle caps and the pull tab from gallon milk jugs. Supervised play with a ball of yarn is good too. Balls of paper are popular too around my house. I read on here someone has a pile of shredded paper their cat loves, so long as you don't mind the mess lol

You may want to consider rotating their toys, take half and put in a box/tote and leave the other half out, then every couple weeks swap them out.


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## SomeRandomChick (Sep 11, 2011)

Shenanigans said:


> I've had to do a lot of improvising for toys for Apollo.. He is too smart and gets bored very easily. He has no interest in regular little toys unless they crinkle and I play fetch with him for a solid hour at a time.


This is like my cat. She will ignore just about every toy until I touch it - then it's like I stole it from her she wants it so bad. Lol.

Another favorite with my kitty is "toy-in-the-box". Just about any toy, and any box, but when I hide them from her (I let her see me), she'll go nuts getting them out - getting in the box, bunny kicking the box, throwing the toy in the air when getting it out, etc.

The other odd one is ice on the kitchen floor (just a cube at a time) - she likes to bat it around, lick it, paw the water trail, etc.

Like others have said, milk cap rings, straws, wadded paper, etc. Things that I think are trash are entertaining to my cat (as long as I get her interested and play with her).


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Sophie123 said:


> My two are quite partial to the cardboard tubes that are left when you finish a toilet roll.
> 
> Nutters


I gave Missy one of those and I've no idea where it went. She was very happy with it. I've looked everywhere. Ditto with the wine cork.


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## catbrb (Jun 1, 2011)

You could crochet a mouse and stuff it with cat nip! My kitties love it. I also toss them hair ties. Pumpkin likes to play her version of "fetch" with them (I'll throw it and she'll bring it back, but she doesn't bring it back to my feet, instead she drops it a few feet away so I have to reach for it).


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

My cats like pens. Especially when I'm trying to use them!


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

Thanks for all the great tips guys! I will try a couple of things tonight after work and see how it goes. 

I hid a couple of his toys for a few weeks already and took it out this week but he just sniffed it and walked by. Catnip doesn't work whatsoever. I tried sprinkling and rubbing some all over his cat furniture but it doesn't make any difference. He only goes to play there when he feels like it. 

Last night I played "chase the mouse" (me holding a string with mouse attached to the end and dragging it behind me while I dashed at top speed back and forth across my apt and Milky chasing the mouse behind me!!) with him until we were both out of breathe and he was panting like a dog! After that he seemed to be slightly more peaceful and lay beside my husband for the rest of the night.

I figured he is much more interested in "mousey" toys than anything else, so perhaps in the future, if I buy more toys, they should all be mousey so he'll never get bored of them!

I read about the shredded paper somewhere here too. I may consider doing with inside a large box and see how he reacts. Maybe he'll love it!

Thank you all again!


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## hal1 (Jul 16, 2011)

Not home made,but darn cheap and you can probably do a bunch of stuff with it, or leave it as it is. It cost me another 4 bucks to carpet the outside of it.

$6.17 8" diameter by 48" long at home depot.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Not all cat nip is the same, a lot of the dried stuff in a bag is stale and has lost it's punch.
You can buy small catnip starter plants in the herb section of many better nurserys, it a member of the mint family and easy to grow, plant it where the cats can get to it.
The office cat where I worked used to like the fresh buds but you can dry it.
You can also buy catnip spray, I like the "Kong" brand, this is great for getting a cat to use the scratching post and you can also use it to spray the toys.
Many cats love cardboard boxes and paperbags.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Your kitten may also be too young to be affected by catnip.


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

I'll see if I can find fresh catnip, didn't realise I could grow it myself! I know sprays are available but I've been told that the smell is usually not strong enough for kitties.

When I brought Milky to the pet shop to buy toys, he was totally indifferent to any toys with catnip that I've offered him! But I have read online somewhere that as many as 1 in 3 cats don't care for it!


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

Just a little update on Milky and his toys~

I made a toy for him last night using lots of different coloured strings of various lengths and textures and an empty tp roll by poking holes all over it and tying the strings onto it. It kind of looks like a strange dreadlock!!

Anyway, he batted at it when I dangled it in the air and he chased after it when I played fetch with him (but he didn't bring it back to me). So far he seems interested in this toy. Success~~

Hoping to make some more different toys for him soon.


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

One of the popular new toys here is a feather boa. I bought it from the dress up section of a $2 shop. It's a supervised only toy though cos the feathers tend to come out then the cats try to eat them! I keep hold of one end and the cats love to chase it around.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

^^^What a great idea! Both Star and Momo are my feather-toy kitties. In fact, when Star was a kitten, my daughter had a little purse that was trimmed with bright pink feathers. He used to carry it around the house in his mouth and play with the feathers. I wish I had gotten a picture of it, he certainly loved "his" purse. And Momo ADORES Da Bird. If I leave it out, she'll attack the feathers until they are gone. Feather boas sound like something that will appeal to my feather babies.


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## ptomas (Aug 22, 2011)

My cats love boxes, any kind. It is like when little kids play "fort". You can cut some holes in box so they can climb through and peek out different areas. 

My last cat loved crumpled up paper, but one of my current cats likes to shred and eat paper. My last cat also liked water bottle/soda caps on linoleum floors. guess toys may depend on your kitty. 

catnip is cheap, but may depend on age and genetics.


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

An other $2 shop one from me - bubbles! They fascinate my cats. Sometimes they'll chase and play with them but other times they just sit and watch them, I can sit for ages just blowing bubbles and they don't take their eyes off them the whole time. 
I've also just started using recycled paper litter that comes in a huge paper bag and they love playing in that once it's empty.


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

I gave him two cheapy ping pong balls and was fascinated with them, chasing them all over our apt!! Saves me some energy as I'm not needed to help dangle mousey behind me while he chases it!! Finally some toys that he enjoys playing and all I have to do is help him throw it around!


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## LilyC (Aug 23, 2011)

I discovered that an empty raisin snack box fascinates and entertains Tequila. As well as the string that ties from my old pj's. Store purchased cat toys just don't beat the homemade toys.


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

LilyC said:


> I discovered that an empty raisin snack box fascinates and entertains Tequila. As well as the string that ties from my old pj's. Store purchased cat toys just don't beat the homemade toys.


Yes, I must agree with you on that about the homemade stuff. :wink 

But I was at the petshop yesterday (buying food) and ended up ALSO buying him a new toy mouse that squeaks every time it's moved and there is catnip inside. I'm not sure whether it's the catnip or the squeaking he likes but he went crazy with it last night, chasing it all over the place. He was so exhausted after his big play session that he was panting like a dog afterwards, trying to catch his breathe! It was so funny watching him! :smiles


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