Cats are among the most playful of pets. Amusing them has created a large cat toy industry, and purchased toys can be expensive. Cats, though, often find a makeshift, homemade toy to be the most fun. What are the best homemade cat toys?
One of the most favored homemade toys is the brown paper grocery sack. No matter their age, all cats seem to be enthralled by a paper bag. It can be a hideaway. It makes a crinkling sound when stepped on. It can be moved about with little effort by the cat. When it gets old and worn, just pick up the bag and put it into the recycle.
A cat's instinct to bat an object relates to hunting and working with prey. Any wadded up ball of paper can be a toy but most cats find a tissue paper ball the most fun. It is light enough that a flick of a paw will send it flying across the room or into the air. It has the crinkling sound, which reminds cats of the sounds that rodents make. Depending on the weight of the paper, it may also expand as the paper unwrinkles, providing an ever changing shape for the cat to explore.
Inside many rolls of plastic tape are paper or plastic centers. These objects, when freed of the tape, can roll across a bare floor with a nudge of a cat's nose or a bat of its paw. On a bare floor, they will also make a captivating noise similar to a prey.
A heavy shoelace or a tie from a winter coat makes a string that the cat can enjoy. With this homemade toy, you can have a tug of war with the cat, or it can chase it as you drag it across the floor. To a cat, it may resemble a snake, and they will often pounce repeatedly on it if you make it wiggle on the floor.
Cats also enjoy cardboard boxes. Whether it becomes a place to sleep, a hideaway, or a fixture to jump on and around, a plain cardboard box can hold a cat's interest for quite some time.
Homemade cat toys should meet a few safety criteria. They should be made of things that a cat will not try to eat and large enough to discourage trying. They should not be colored, flavored or coated with materials a cat might lick off or chew off that would hurt the cat. They should be made of materials that do not snag a claw or a tooth, also.
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