Trash And Other FREE Homemade Kitty Toys...

by Susan Nelson Hopkins

Rocket science it's not!

There's no mystery to cats. They do exactly what they want to do, when they want, and where they want.

And they usually have the most fun whenever it involves trash.

Translation... they love FREE things!

Paper ball toys for your cat...

Crumble up a piece of paper into the shape of a ball. The end! Yep, it's that easy.

Use copy paper, notebook paper, newspaper (although this tends to be dirty because of the ink), butcher paper... you get the idea. If you choose tissue paper, you may need more than a single sheet.

The fact that it doesn't cause damage to your furniture is certainly a plus.

Sock toys for kitty...

Finally, a use for all those socks your washing machine has "widowed". Slip one inside another, make it the size of a mouse, and then knot the opening.

Kitty will enjoy it more if the socks still have your scent, so make sure to wear them for a day.

If she enjoys catnip, try filling one of these socks with it and then knotting the opening. Keep in mind that not all cats are affected by catnip, especially kittens.

Sock toys do wonders to quench stalk-and-pounce instincts. So if your little sweetheart attacks your ankles, these little beauties will re-direct her attention.

Cylinder cat toys...

Noisy toys are the ultimate, and small film canisters are perfect candidates.

Remember when cameras actually used film? It was packaged in small cylindrical containers.

Fill it no more than half full with uncooked rice. It's crucial to glue the cap on, even if it screws on. This guarantees that your cat can't get to the rice, which will cause dangerous digestive problems. Of course, make sure to use non-toxic glue.

If the container is metal, some folks use tiny ball bearings, and even BBs (for BB guns)... because it makes a traveling, rolling kind of sound. Again, it's crucial to glue the lid on.

Plain cardboard cylinders can be amazingly enticing. They're light weight and hollow. Cats love to put their arms into toilet paper cylinders, and then bat them around.

Paper towel cylinders are just as much fun for them. Because it's nice and long, they can use all four sets of claws at once. They'll grasp it with their front legs and scratch it with their back legs.

A cat's castle is her cardboard box...

If a box is large enough for your cat to fit into, then by golly in she goes!  Something in the cat universe just pulls her in.

And just as quickly, she'll jump out. Of course, she also has to go back in, then out, then... This seems to satisfy some deeply buried instinct. Besides, she likes it!

Paper sacks and cats...

It's like the song says, "You can't have one without the other".

A paper sack is an irresistible combination of a small, dark place and crinkly, rustling sounds... plus she can make it move!

Just a word of caution here. Do NOT let your kitty near plastic sacks or plastic dry cleaner sacks... they could suffocate her.

So next time your kitty proudly presents a used toilet paper cylinder to a roomful of guests, say something like, "Oh look, she's brought us her favorite toy."

Meanwhile, you'll be "smiling all the way to the bank" with the money you've saved!

This started as a blog for our family cat, Venus... but she quickly became bored with the whole thing. So now, we're writing it from our point of view... as family cat owners. (Of course, Venus firmly believes that SHE rules the roost... but, don't all cats?)

Everyone in most every family has a million things to do - every day.

Does anyone have a secret for making sure the family cat gets fed on a regular schedule? And, by whom?

Click here to check out viewers' solutions...

or here to see a complete list
 

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