Kitty Corner
Keep your feline fine: Kerrie McKeon, Bideawee's Feline Behavior Coordinator shows you how!
Ideas for Inexpensive, Homemade Cat Toys
From Kerrie McKeon, Bideawee's Feline Behavior Coordinator
In order to help prevent the spread of germs in the shelter environment, any toys we give to the cats here at Bideawee need to be washable and/or disposable. Additionally, we want to be sure to keep the fun-factor high for our feline residents and the costs low for us (we are a nonprofit, after all)! These restrictions have forced us to be creative with the items we use to entertain the kitties and we have come up with some great ideas for inexpensive-or even free-toys anyone can use to treat their feline friend.
PLASTIC EASTER EGGS: Put a few pieces of dry food into plastic snap-together Easter eggs. Cats will love batting them around the floor, the intriguing rattling sound they will makes, and some cats will work on prying them open to get to the "prize".
LITTLE PLASTIC HAIR ROLLERS: Throw one across the kitchen floor and watch your cat bat it around-easy as that. A bonus is that the noise produced is a lot less annoying to humans than "jingle bells".
CRUMPLED UP PAPER: Heavy stock, good quality, crunchy paper works best and is a favorite batting toy of many otherwise finicky cats-including my own!
CARDBOARD TOILET PAPER ROLLS: Cut them into 3/4" rings and they'll serve as cat "Frisbees" and "hockey pucks." Cats like to knock them around the floor, pick them up and chew on them, and even slide their paws into the rings and toss them in the air!
PEACOCK FEATHERS: These are affordable and sold in most craft stores. Instead of an expensive store-bought "teaser" try one of these for sure-fire feline fun! Just be sure to supervise "peacock playtime" and put the feathers out of feline reach when you are not able to; your kitty might chew it up and could risk injury if left unattended.
Sew Velcro strips into the sock opening so it can be closed up and easily reopened. Next, fill the sock with batting, scrap fabric, or dried catnip, and seal shut. In no time, your kitty will have a new favorite plaything!
