Cheap and Simple Homemade Cat Toys

How to Keep Your Cat Happy Without Going Bankrupt

When it comes to cats and their toys they are pretty easily satisfied. It doesn't take a lot to bring out the kitty in your cat and it shouldn't break your bank either. I have a three year old cat that is easily bored and can become mischievous if I don't give her something to do. She tends to look for drawers to dig in or worse, finds toilet paper to shred. With three dogs, a cat, 4 children and a husband finding the extra cash to buy store bought toys can sometimes be a struggle. Plus I found that usually when I do buy toys at the pet store they either get eaten by the dogs or don't get played with by my cat. Forget flashing electronic mice, they almost always die before they get any real use. Instead of spending money on fancy toys that won't be played with try these simple ideas for making your own toys.

Milk rings make excellent kitty fodder. I'm talking about the little plastic ring that stays on the top of the jug when you take the cap off. You don't even have to clean the excess milk off of these because your cat will love doing it for you. Milk rings are great because you can roll them across a hard surface or just let your cat bat them around. My cat likes to stash them and before we realize what has happened we have them lying all over the house.

Mice on a string are fairly easy and cheap to make. Big lots and other discount stores usually carry packages of mice for as little as a buck. Simply tie a long string to the tail of the mouse and leave it to lie on the floor. Another good trick with these is run to Wal-mart, buy a pack of very small screw in hooks that you use to hang plants or other knick knacks from. Screw one into the wall above any available doorway so that the mouse dangles about two inches off the floor. My cat bats these around for hours. It's another version of tether ball for cats.