If you were to take a look around my house, you’d think you were on the island of misfit toys.
Wand toys missing feathers. Catnip kickers torn to shreds. Dental chews that no longer squish.
I think there might even be a Charlie in a Box somewhere (Rudolph reference, anyone?).
With all of the toys my cats get just to immediately destroy or lose interest in, it’s become more important than ever for me to start making easy (and cheap) toys for my cats.
And guess what—they actually love these toys more than the ones we’ve purchased from the store!
Easy and Cheap Homemade Cat Toys + How to Make Them
Are you ready to make your cat’s new favorite toy? Get started with these easy ideas that can all be completed in an hour (or less!).
An Important Note: Don’t ever leave your cat unattended with a toy. You need to supervise your cat with all of these toys. This way you can keep them safe—and join in on the fun yourself!
Crocheted Pumpkin
Whether it’s the autumn season or the middle of summer, my cats go crazy for these mini pumpkins I crocheted and gave to them as toys.
Simply follow any crochet pumpkin pattern online (I use the below one from Holly Auna) and scale it to your desired size. My cats prefer them to be super small with a longer stem—sometimes they even carry them around the house!
Here’s the best pumpkin crochet pattern:
Pipe Cleaner Animals
We go through SO MANY pipe cleaners in our house! My cats go crazy for them, and love them the most when they’re shaped into fun animal designs like a butterfly.
You can also make a simple curl or circle with the pipe cleaner and give it to your cat to play with—just make sure there aren’t any sharp ends! Sometimes cheap pipe cleaners will have those.
Paper Bag
If you ask Rainbow, paper bags are her favorite thing in the world to play with. Done grocery shopping? Good. Drop that paper sack on the floor and play with your cat!
Rainbow loves to run as fast as she can into it, pounce on us after hiding in it, and even curl up for a nap on top.
Crocheted Ball
Another favorite in our house is a simple crocheted ball. Using a bit of leftover yarn and some stuffing, this ball is easy to make and even more fun to play with.
Again, you can follow any instructions online for beginner crocheters for this (or even use the above pumpkin pattern and not add a stem!). I like to crochet balls of all different sizes for my cats—and they love them!
Paper Box
You know that Chewy delivery you got last week? The best part about it is the box all the food came in! My cats are obsessed with sitting in Chewy boxes (like all cats), and will spend hours playing with one.
Just be sure to remove any lingering packing tape or labels first. You don’t want your cat to eat those stickers!
What toys do you make for your cats? I want to hear all about them in the comments!
Pawsitive Purrpose 
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