If you have a British kitten in your house, it means that toys for kittens will soon appear, and later toys for cats. Games are one of the important components of the life of a kitten and an adult cat, so you need to play with a kitten and pay attention to it at least once a day. In this article we will discuss how to make toys for cats with your own hands without compromising the family budget using improvised materials.
If a kitten or adult cat starts biting his hands, it means he's bored! Draw conclusions and buy toys for cats, or better yet, make toys for cats with your own hands at home, because your hands are not a toy.
Small British kittens, like British cats, only accept cat toys when they are new. A couple of days later, no matter how good and expensive the toys for kittens are, the animals lose interest in them, so there is no point in buying expensive toys for cats; it is better to give preference to inexpensive ones, or make toys for cats with your own hands.
You can look at any ready-made toys for cats and toys for kittens in any pet store, but we will discuss below what kind of toys you can come up with for kittens with your own hands.
Don’t worry, DIY cat toys do not imply that you will need to sew or glue something, no. I’ll just give a list of tested items on my own British cat, which can easily replace expensive toys for cats and toys for kittens.
So, I am constantly searching for how to make cat toys with my own hands. Over the past seven years, I have entertained my British cat Marsik in a variety of ways. He has his favorite homemade toys for kittens, and there are some DIY cat toys at home that do not impress him at all.
20 ideas on how to make toys for cats with your own hands:
Pompoms on strings
The simplest do-it-yourself soft toys for kittens at home. It is most convenient to make such soft toys for kittens with your own hands from felt or thick yarn.
It is not enough to make or invent toys for cats with your own hands at home. You also need to interest the cat and organize play with toys. Maybe you will have better luck if these are interactive toys for cats with your own hands, and then the cat will allow you to lie quietly on the sofa while he plays hunter.
As you can see, there are many ideas on how to make cat toys with your own hands. Such a difficult task as DIY cat toys is very doable, the main thing is, friends, experiment, and your cat will thank you with playfulness, affection and love.
Friends, it’s very interesting, what kind of toys do you make for cats with your own hands? I look forward to your comments on the article!
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Simple DIY cat toys
Cats, and even more so small kittens, need outdoor games just like food, water and the affection of their owner. Many of them remain interested in hunting even if they are at home and do not walk outside. At any age, pets will be happy to catch impromptu prey, and if it is not given to their paws, then the excitement will only increase.
Try to please your pet and make a toy, he will accept it with pleasure and gratitude. Manufacturing ideas may vary.
The easiest way to entertain a cat is to throw a crumpled piece of plain paper on the floor and an impromptu mouse will come out. It may be written on or even torn; you need to tightly crumple it into a ball and give the animal the opportunity to catch up with the toy. Cats can even chase such a ball around the apartment for some time, and if it gets, for example, under a closet, they will take a long time and persistently to get it out of there.
We knit balls of yarn
If you have an old ball of yarn lying around, give it to your kitten. Surely during the game it will be interesting for him to watch how the ball turns into an infinitely long thread. True, after such fun you will have to rewind the ball again.
The importance of gaming activities
Physical activity is important for the normal functioning of the heart, lungs, and digestion. They strengthen muscles and joints, helping the kitten grow into a strong and healthy pet. If you intend to spay or neuter your animal in the future, it is all the more important that it is as active as possible during childhood - the risk of obesity after the operation will be much lower.
In addition, many active games contribute to the development of intelligence, dexterity, coordination of movements, and reaction speed. Playing with “legitimate” toys distracts the kitten from the owner’s things, because the baby just needs to splash out energy, and if he doesn’t have his own accessories, he will take on human ones. Finally, playing together strengthens friendships with the owner.
Dangerous toys for cats
- It is strictly not recommended to put chocolate and grapes in toys. Chocolate is harmful to animals; grapes are easy to choke on.
- You should not make toys with elements such as buttons, beads and other small parts. A cat may swallow and choke on the fittings.
- It is better to use white paper for toys. Newspapers containing ink may be toxic.
- Toys on a string can be extremely dangerous for a kitten. If a child becomes entangled in a rope, he or she may suffocate in this structure.
- Toys with springs are also unsafe. The pet often tears off the toy, and the exposed spring with its sharp ends seriously injures the animal.
- Boxes, beloved by cats, are also fraught with danger. If the hole in the box is small, there is a chance that the pet will get stuck in it.
Before giving a new toy to an animal, you should make sure it is reliable and durable. The best way is to test the product in a co-op game.
My cat is absolutely indifferent to store-bought toys, and she’s not particularly interested in homemade ones. The best toys for her are plastic bottle caps, ear sticks, cocktail straws and other rubbish that the cat constantly fishes out from somewhere. But Tsili's favorites among toys are rubber products. Our miracle dearly loves silicone hair ties, which we hide from her, although with varying degrees of success. Balloons are a taboo in our house, because Tsilya not only punctures them, but also eats them with great appetite. The anti-scratch guards that we used at one time were completely chewed off. They even made Tsilya sick more than once, which is why we refused to use this accessory. The veterinarian told us that sometimes they extract incredible objects from the stomachs of cats, so you need to carefully monitor what your pets play with. We are trying to find toys for Tsile that will interest the animal and certainly will not harm him.
How to choose a toy for a cat
In order for the toy to truly interest your pet, you should pay attention to important points:
- the material from which the toy is made must be ergonomic and not have a strong odor;
- You should not use a toy of poisonous colors, as this may scare away the animal;
- there is no need to purchase toys that are too small, as your pet may swallow or choke on a small object;
- You should not give your cat a heavy toy, otherwise it will be difficult for the pet to move it;
- It is not recommended to give your pet an overly hard toy, so that he does not hit the sharp corners of the product or break his teeth on a hard surface;
- The toy can be easily washed.
Cats perceive most colors in dull colors. But, there are various shades of gray. For a better visual perception of an object, it is better for a cat to purchase toys in a contrasting or gray color.
When choosing a toy, you should pay attention to the pet’s individual character traits, health status and age restrictions. For example, if a cat gains a lot of weight after sterilization, give preference to those toys that stimulate the animal to move. For a cat with poor eyesight, toys with sound accompaniment are suitable. The best option is to offer your pet several toys and from this draw a conclusion about the preferences of your furry friend.
What sense organs should toys act on in order to attract the animal’s attention:
- vision - glowing, moving, shaking toys (balls, laser pointer, sunbeams, running mice and various interactive structures);
- hearing - bells, imitation of bird voices, rustling, ringing, grinding;
- touch - fur or lint, similar to the skin of an animal;
- taste and smell - specifically smelling material, adding favorite aromas to the toy (fish, poultry, meat, catnip, honeysuckle, etc.).
Why cats need toys
A cat is a predatory animal by nature, which needs to constantly move and hunt for prey. Therefore, active games are not only entertainment, but also a necessity of life. Many owners, due to their busy lives, cannot constantly entertain their furry pet. In this case, you should purchase appropriate gaming products that will help your pet occupy himself independently for some time.
If the cat is left alone, its leisure time should be occupied with various toys.
The main reasons for purchasing cat toys:
- maintain good physical shape of the animal - during games, muscles are strengthened and blood circulation improves;
- satisfy “predatory” instincts;
- protect the house from the pranks of a bored pet;
- help an animal left alone get rid of depression;
- promotes cat mental activity;
- help curb aggression towards another pet living in the neighborhood;
- Strengthens the relationship between cat and owner.
The role of toys in a kitten's life
It is very difficult for a kitten, separated from its mother and the noisy company of brothers and sisters, to adapt to an unfamiliar environment. Toys will help the baby survive stress and get used to the new home and its inhabitants. At the age of three to four months, your pet’s teeth begin to change. During this period, the kitten needs to constantly chew on something. Properly selected toys will help the little creature dull the pain when changing baby teeth.
The owner should periodically change the kitten’s toys and take part in joint games.
The toy helps the kitten:
- adapt faster to a new environment;
- experience stress after breaking up with your mother;
- develop faster physically;
- gain experience and become familiar with the environment;
- sharpen growing claws;
- remove plaque and massage the gums when changing teeth;
- during joint games, establish close contact between the owner and the pet;
- quickly get used to other animals living in this house.
A kitten, like a child, quickly gets bored with the same toy. The owner needs to periodically delight the baby with new products and participate in joint games.
My cat Cecilia, at the age of two months, fell in love with a yellow rubber duck. Even, most likely, not a duck, but some kind of hybrid of a duck and a swan, because the toy had a long swan neck. The duck was almost the same size as little Tsilya, but this did not bother the cat at all. She slept with this toy and dragged it to the feeding trough. Often the duck was lying around in a bowl of water, and sometimes it was forgotten near the tray. The love continued for some time, and when Tsili’s teeth began to change, my cat simply gnawed the neck of her spiritual affection. Our Cicily has some kind of unhealthy love for rubber products, so to prevent the duck from being gradually eaten, we had to eliminate it from the cat. The swan duck was replaced with chewy sausages and happily forgotten. By the way, Tsilya still loves these sausages to bits.
Toys for adult animals
A bad owner is one who doesn't play with his cat. As already mentioned, play for a domestic predator is the most important part of a full life. Of course, an adult, respectable cat does not need as much running and jumping as a young creature. However, without regular active leisure, the animal quickly loses its shape. You don’t want your pet to become lazy, overweight, and end up in the record books as the fattest cat.
This is the fattest cat in Mexico, he doesn't care about games anymore
Entertainment for big cats is no different: use the same ideas of teasers, puzzles, rattles and scratchers that you have already worked out for the kitten. But don't forget to add something new that your pet hasn't played with yet. Old toys can get boring, but the unknown awakens curiosity.
A healthy cat is always ready to play
But sometimes it happens that there is a pause in the games, and the cat has lost the habit of hunting habits. He does not react to the old proven mice, feather dusters, pompoms and other exciting objects. At the same time, you know for sure that the animal is healthy. This means that we will have to teach him to play again.
The game increases the cat's mood
A large toy will help solve the problem. Give your cat a soft faux fur friend. It is better if the gift is a copy of a real animal rather than a cartoon one. That is, a cat, dog, rabbit or someone else in life size. To make friendship happen right away, try rubbing the toy with catnip (catnip) or spraying it with a spray containing an infusion of this herb. Let the cat get used to his new friend, and then make him come to life. Let him jump, run and attack with your help.
An adult cat will frolic like a kitten if you can stir him up
Catnip, or catnip, has a stimulating effect on animals, but not as strongly as valerian. The substance nepetalactone, which the plant contains, irritates the nervous system of cats. But, as scientists assure, catnip does not have an addictive effect and does not harm health. And approximately 30% of cats do not react to it at all. Kittens under the age of six months are also indifferent to it.
Catnip excites cats, but not as much as valerian
Warnings
- Never give your cat chocolate or grapes.
- Some cats do not like toys or prefer to play with them without human intervention. Try to play with your cat only if she takes your initiative well.
- A cat may choke on its toys. very
important to be careful and
at all times
.
Even strings, yarn and ribbons can pose a choking hazard to your cat, so it is recommended that all homemade toys are used only under your supervision
.
What's a cat's life like? A game!
If cats could read, they would make the phrase of the great Shakespeare their motto. Owners of furry pets know that if a pet refuses to play, it means something is wrong with its health. A well-fed cat in good health will never ignore advances. At this moment, instinct awakens in the little predator. But you can’t go against nature: tracking down prey, waylaying it, catching up and capturing it - this behavior is characteristic of a real hunter.
There are no kittens that don't like to play
If the kitten is deprived of games, he will hone his skills on your furniture, wires and other surrounding objects. If you don't want destruction, play with it. Joint fun brings people and pets closer together. If there is no emotional connection, a harmful cat may grow up and shit in the owner’s shoes.
It is important not to tire your baby: it is better to spend 10–15 minutes on active entertainment several times a day than half an hour to an hour in a row. The older the kitten gets, the longer he will be able to hunt for toy mice and other prey.
Beginning cat breeders sometimes complain that a healthy pet does not want to play with them. Perhaps they are being too assertive and scaring the kitten or preventing him from taking the initiative. We must remember that this is a small hunter, and the owner only manages his prey. Therefore, allow the cat to dominate during play, give in to him if he grabs a toy.
— How to choose a toy for a cat
You need to play with kittens little by little, but several times a day
Adult cats need games just as much as kids. This way they get a boost of energy, exercise, and relieve aggression. If there is not enough play, your slender predator will become lazy, fat, and maybe even get sick.
After eating, the cat has no time to play. Jumping and running can lead to digestive problems. Let the animal rest for two hours. And after that it's time to play.
Do not use parts of clothing you are wearing, such as a belt or belt, as toys. Having become accustomed to this, the cat may rush when you are not at all ready to play. Hands or feet should not be impromptu prey either. This will lead to scratches and bites. A cat trained to hunt for its owner's legs can cause serious damage to human health.
Household items should not be cat toys
Interactive toy “box with a secret”
Such toys do not require human intervention. The kitten can play this game on its own. For example, make him a game out of a flat cardboard box. A pizza box, a parcel box, old boots, etc. will do. The kitten should try to reach with its paw the object that is inside the box.
To work you will need:
- Cardboard box.
- Scissors.
- Scotch.
- Pieces of cardboard.
Small ping pong balls or any other balls.
Using scissors, we make holes in the box: 2 pieces on the sides and 6-8 pieces on top. We tape a cardboard jumper inside with tape to prevent the box from flattening.
Close the box and seal all the corners with tape:
We push the balls through the hole into the box. The kitten’s task is to chase them back and forth with his paw.
Kitten in the process of playing.
DIY cat toy or something to keep your pet occupied for 2 hours))
