Cheap Homemade Cat Toys

When you bring a new kitten home, you’ll be tempted and swayed by the gadgets and gizmos at the pet store. Even if you have an older cat, and you’re just looking to liven up his life, you may be thinking about investing in some motorized mice or flashing light toys. But imagine how you’ll feel if you shell out cash for these items, only for your pet to turn up their nose.
The truth is that cats don’t really know the difference between expensive and sleek cat toys and homemade cat toys, and you can often please your kitten just as well with the latter. Here is a list of cat toys that you can get cheap or make yourself.

1. Little furry mice.
These can be bought in bulk, on the cheap, from any pet store, or supermarket, and they are actually worth buying. Laced with catnip, these little furry balls engage the imagination of your pet. You may find them all over the house, where you least expect them. Or you may find that your kitten likes to drag hers around by the tail, like her own personal doll. The fur appeals to the predator in cats, and real fur is better than synthetic, but the texture will still appeal.

2. A Cardboard Box.
Take any cardboard box, cut a bunch of holes in it with an exacto-knife, and sit back and watch the fun. If you have two cats, all the better. One will use the box as a hide-out and the other will try to attack through the flaps and holes you cut. Some cats like to chew and scratch on the boxes, and that’s certainly better than your furniture. Plus, this is one cat toy you can fold up and throw away without guilt when you’re done.

3. Twist Ties.
Yes, the kind that comes on your loaves of bread. A twist tie can be turned into a fancy cat toy by tangling and weaving together several at once, or just twisting one up like a spring. Cats don’t quite know what to make of the spring-back qualities of what must look like a mouse-tail gone wild, and will spend hours chasing and batting a twist-tie around.