Homemade Cat Toys

Learn how to make a free, fun, and weird toy for your cat to enjoy! I'm pretty new to Instrucables, so please let me know what you think.

Step 1 What You'll Need

All you really need for this is one lazy cat! I'm using my cat Otto. Also, a cat fur removal tool is optional.

Comments

[stef+mercy]

those aren't really toys, more like furballs. lol my kitty attacks his hair after I pull it out of the brush too. try maybe putting them in little cloth bags with a little bit of catnip. gives them two scents and less able to destroy or make a mess.

[SeaLion]

I thought so too...

[AussieAnglerGal]

we had two peacocks when my cat was a kitten and their tail feathers are a great toy
(for the record, i only used feathers lying on the ground :) )

[AussieAnglerGal]

that is such a cute cat!

[kitty_3]

my cat doesn't react to catnip, so i deiced to stuff his toy with his and his favorite kittys fluff. it worked!!

[DeceptibotX]

LOL, nice pic

[prickly vegan]

cute cat!  what a strange idea, but my cats love my own hair balls, so i guess it makes sense!  However, my cats hate being brushed, and that toy looks exactly like what my boy cat throws up on a regular basis. ew!  
any suggestions on how to get the cat to enjoy the brushing? i have tried many different brushes and they tolerate some very briefly, but hate them all. because they can.... sigh.

[DeceptibotX]

Try giving them catnip first.

[Shany120]

I just use a regular comb on my cat, and he loves it. He hates it when I use a regular cat brush on his stomach.

[DeceptibotX]

Genuine chicken feathers tied together or a feather duster can get your cat excited.

[knobaroundtheclock]

Also, if you roll it long enough or even use proper felting techniques it should be fine. Our cat loves those things...chews'em...throws them around...they dont come apart.

[SarahKat552]

when i brush my cat he goes nuts ove his fur but i am kinda allergic to cats so i dont need the hair every where it makes it hard to breath but good idea

[Swand8]

I don't mean to be unkind, as this idea shows you definitely know how to use your noggin, but it's not a real great idea. The cat could swallow the hair and thus have a hair ball to hock up or to stay in it's system to cause intestinal problems - which have been known to sometimes kill cats. Please be kind to our precious little pets.

[Shany120]

thats why there is the thing called supervision

[Shany120]

cute idea!! Im going to make it! I'll be back with a picture!

[SurferGeek]

Interesting but I prefer to limit my cat's intake of hair as much as possible. Puking up hairballs on the carpet after playing with this "toy" would ruin any fun I had watching the cat play with it.

[ZackScott]

Well, I don't let them play with them alone. I be sure to watch them as they play because sometimes they act so bizarre about it.

[JosiePosie76]

Yeah I never let my cats or kittens play unsupervised..... I had a dangle toy.... Left the kitten alone with it for a total of 5 minutes... I come back in the room...and she was hanging there almost lifeless... Never again... I never, ever, ever buy toys with elastic on them anymore... Good idea... My cats are so weird... They didn't like the furballs... but my dog came over....and ate it....lol Weird dog...

[xenobiologista]

Good grief, yes. I'm contemplating shaving mine for the summer. She's fine as long as the weather is cool but once the temp spikes, she sheds (and vomits) hairballs the size of kittens.

[bluebirdy]

cant this cause a hairball problem?

[olive6608]

what happens when the cat rips it a part .Then you got a hare explosion

[xarrismark]

 Very interesting toy idea :) But could we have some info on the brush used? Looks like it works VERY well on a very pleased cat.

[Ieatbabiez]

Uh....My cats would end up trying to eat it...So on a personal note I'm not going to try it.....maybe I will when I get some normal cats ;P

[ferrari484]

nice idea but not if your allergic to bad that's the only reason why i don't have any pets

[thing 2]

hey is it alright for your cats to chew on it?

[Gilrostwo]

My cat loves these. She goes insane, then eats it... eh heh heh.

[scoochmaroo]

Ok, I thought this was weird. But, my cat is also non-responsive to most toys. I've made a bunch of little fur balls for her to play with, and she loves them! THANK YOU!!!

[shkare i ljepilo]

otto is cool!!!!

[NicksMom]

Beautiful Cat...odd choice of toy! who knows, maybe lots of cats would play with this simply because it "smells" like them! I'm enjoying this site.

[Pineapple_D]

nice looking cat

[knexguns656]

well nice idea but i consider getting a plastic easter egg that opens up put the cats fur in it and a bit of catnip close it then drill a hole in it and the cat loves it they go mental with it lol

[Kathybear]

Somebody once said they felted their cat's fur (off the cat of course). Maybe that might be a better way to use the cat's hair. I'm saving brushed off hair for that reason.

[NanaMex]

I use the hair brushed off my adult cats to make small pillows which are put into the pet carriers when new orphan kittens come to stay for a bit until weaned and ready for new homes. It allows the kittens to have the smell of the other cats to comfort them and it puts enough of the adults cats smell on the kittens and in the carrier to make the kittens seem less like intruders. Letting the cats play with their fur rolled like this... I have seen my cats eat the hair off the brush, even when it comes off another cat. So, not a good idea plain.

[ReCreate]

your cat is weird its holding that furball like a dog holds a bone

[filiprey619]

you have a very nice cat!!my cats name is MAX.

[nevarxxxraven]

gross!

[BobicusIX]

Wow pretty cool.

[AznPanda]

Thats coool!! just if the cat.. swallows it big prob there!

[Crupi_KID]

NO KITTY NO! EEEEWWW! KITTY COUGHED UP A HAIR BALL! BUT SHE LOVES IT!! MORE! ( KITTYS NAME IS MANDY)

[kittenlover666]

great idea but needs a way so the cat doesn't swallow it