Cat Toys on a Budget – Where to Find Them

Playing with your cat can be one of the more rewarding aspects of pet ownership.  Everyone loves watching a cat tear around the house after a toy, but owning a pet can always be expensive, and sometimes buying a new motorized mouse at the pet store is just not financially feasible.  The good news is that cat toys are easy to make and even easier to find around the house, all at little or no extra cost to you.

The house cat’s ancestors were all skilled hunters and some of these instincts have been passed down.  It can be hard to imagine your cat, as it lies sunning on the windowsill, as a ferocious hunter, but we are all familiar with the stories of cats bringing mice they’ve hunted inside and leaving them as a “present” for their owners.  These instincts are directly related to how cats like to play.

While the ancestors of the dog hunted in packs using speed and endurance to take down their prey, cats often hunted alone by using their knack for stealthy, quiet movement.  When making a cat toy, imitating the movements of a prey animal can turn into your cat’s favorite game.  Using something as simple as a string with feathers tied to the end can provide your cat endless amusement.  The feathers do not need to be brightly colored; cats care more about the movement than the colors.

Cats are also attracted to certain noises.  Many cats can amuse themselves for hours just by stepping on a sheet of tissue paper laid on the floor.  Even a small jewelry box filled with beads or pebbles and taped shut can be a fun toy, especially if attached to a string so you can dangle it or drag it along the floor.

Perhaps no homemade cat toy is as enduring as the paper bag.  Easily acquired after a trip to the grocery store, the bag appeals to a cats love of small, dark spaces.

Of course any toy can be enhanced by adding a little bit of catnip, a plant that can be easily grown in a pot or in the garden.  A bandanna stuffed with a little catnip and tied up will give your favorite kitty hours of pleasure at no cost to you.

Table tennis balls, sticks, string, feathers – with a little ingenuity, ten minutes of prowling around the house can reveal an endless number of cat toys.