It all started when Holly Tse adopted Furball, a tiny little bundle of energy who never slept but only wanted to play. To keep her sanity, Holly searched through pet stores for cat toys to entertain the crazy little guy. Finally she began to craft her own cat toys from recycled and discarded items. Holly points out that there over 60 million cats in US households and that reducing the resources and waste used to make toys for these cats would certainly have a positive impact on the environment. So she decided to compile her years of experience in making greener cat toys and share them in Make Your Own Cat Toys: Saving the Planet One Cat Toy at a Time.
All of the toy ideas in the book are classified into one or more of five different play categories:
- Catch – Toys that encourage kitty to leap straight into the air and pretend like she’s snaring a bird.
- Chase – These toys are meant to be thrown across the floor, like a mouse scurrying away.
- Stalk – Interactive toys designed for you to move, like a mouse rustling in the grass, so kitty can practice sneaking up on her prey.
- Wrestle – These allow kitty to test her strength as she grasps the toy in her paws and jaws and bunny kicks the stuffing out of it.
- Lazy Cat - After kitty has played good and hard, she may still want to take a lazy whack at these toys.
Each idea is marked with the difficulty level and estimated time to make the toy. You’ll find ideas for toys made out of everything including packaging, household objects, craft materials, office and school items, and even old clothing. With toys like the Candy Rocket, Tubular Tubes, the Whipper Snapper, and the Kitty Broomstick, you’ll have just as much fun making the toys as kitty will have playing with them. You’ll also enjoy Holly’s tips for greening your kitty’s lifestyle.
Make Your Own Cat Toys is available at Amazon
BONUS GIVEAWAY!
One lucky winner is going to receive a copy of Make Your Own Cat Toys! To enter, please leave a comment on this post with your tips for making greener choices for your cat. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on Sunday, March 15.
We’ll also be giving away 20 rats from Cat Livin’ in the same drawing, so don’t miss out!
March 12th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
What a great book! Probably also fantastic for crafting items to sell to raise funds for local shelters – help your local homeless felines!
March 13th, 2009 at 4:31 am
i would love to win this book.
the title alone has inspired me to make my own cat toys. so far i have made a bunny-kick-sock. i just got an old sock and filled it with the other sock and some catnip.
and i have made a toy out of an old shoestring and 3 candy wrapping papers (the plastic kind that make that lovely crunchy sound). they love chasing after it
love
eva, ezra and aurum
March 13th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Huh! I’d never thought to look for a cat-toy-related book… Scampering off to the library website now…
March 13th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I am already going to make the birds on the other post. I would love this book
March 13th, 2009 at 10:08 am
We’re always looking for ways to go green around here. For our cats, we give them the plastic rings from our milk containers (they love them), we created a cardboard scratcher from old boxes (using the instructions on this site), and they love hiding out in our reusable grocery totes. But I love to make things with my hands, and this seems like a great way to reuse old items around the house for our cats’ enjoyment.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
oooh, rat toys.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
My cat loves an old sock filled with catnip and some crinkly paper. Tying a piece of string to a dowel and dragging it around is always a loved as well.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Awesome idea for a book. I have to get this for my girlfriend. She loves being crafty and looks for cat toys everywhere she goes!
March 13th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Great book idea! My kittycat would be in toy heaven
March 13th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
perfect for a broke recent grad! sign me up!
March 14th, 2009 at 5:46 am
Great Book!
March 14th, 2009 at 7:05 am
What a great idea!
March 14th, 2009 at 7:06 am
It does seem like kitties often choose the simplest of toys- a string with a paper fan butterfly is a favorite, as is any lid or ring that falls off milk or soymilk. ;D
March 14th, 2009 at 7:07 am
I really like this opportunity! Margaret
March 14th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Oh my gosh this looks like a great book! My 6 kitties are more excited than me!
March 14th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Excellent!
March 14th, 2009 at 7:11 am
My cats love toys! The best toys are always the ones that are simple, cheap and unexpected lol. Every time you buy the store bought kind with the bells and frills, they get tossed around – into a corner and forgotten. But a scrinched up paper sales reciept or a q-tip means hours of fun. Pixie loves paper balls the best, she will even fetch and bring back the ball for as long as you can stand throwing it for her haha.
March 14th, 2009 at 7:17 am
My cat like to play with the wrappers from reese’s peanut butter cups miniatures. Easy to carry around the house and lightweight enough to bat under furniture.
March 14th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Now that’s giving back to Mother Earth – making your own cat toys
March 14th, 2009 at 7:20 am
What a great idea! Looks like these ideas are easy and could involve kids too.
March 14th, 2009 at 7:34 am
This sounds awesome. Even a scrap of fabric tied into knots is just the best toy for a cat . . and DIY toys are the best to indulge the new toy habit.
March 14th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Such great ideas in this book!
March 14th, 2009 at 7:47 am
always making the cat toys and shopping for the cool, preferably handmade cat toys. thanks!
March 14th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Linking old twist ties together in a chain seems to be a favorite toy for our cats.
March 14th, 2009 at 7:49 am
What a fun book to own !
March 14th, 2009 at 7:51 am
i’d love to make some toys for my cat!
what a great book!
March 14th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I would LOVE to experiment with the toys in this book. We’ve spent an embarrassingly large amount of time and money buying toys that our cat merely sniffs at and walks away from.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Blanket-lined grocery boxes are great beds for both cats and dogs. The blankets can be washed easily and the boxes recycled. Cassie (da kat) has 4 boxes that she uses as hiding spots, and her brother (da dog!) has an equal amount (4) as beds…even one on the balcony to catch those rays of sunshine (when we get them!)
March 14th, 2009 at 8:00 am
I would love to learn how to make my own cat toys! My cat already made his own toy… the empty tube from the paper towels- he loves it!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:00 am
I would love this book
March 14th, 2009 at 8:01 am
what fun my punkin will enjoy these if we win
March 14th, 2009 at 8:05 am
We would LOVE to take a look through this book and try out some of the make-your-own toys. We’ve spent an embarrassing amount of money on silly toys that our cat just ignores.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:09 am
DIY is definitely the way to go. my cat loves batting around old toilet paper rolls and the like. [and hiding out in boxes, of course!] awesome!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:10 am
fantastic book idea, gotta check it out
March 14th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I think that making your own cat toys is a great way to recycle and please the cats!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:14 am
My cats would love this.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:18 am
My kitties like bottle caps (sometimes they stick them in my shoes and boots), long pieces of grass with the frilly seed head on top, and of course, paper bags and cardboard boxes.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:23 am
This book is such a fabulous idea!!!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:24 am
My only two green tips that I can think of right now are feline pine (I realized just how bad kitty litter is for the environment thanks to modern cat). Out of three cats, I think only one doesn’t like it, so even if you just switch out one litter box, you’re still helping. I also “recycle” milk jug rings into cat toys, they love them!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I can’t wait to see this book! I’ve made a few things for my fur kids and would love more ideas!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Sounds like a good book!With my nine recued cats there are never enough toys!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Looks awesome !
March 14th, 2009 at 8:54 am
love the ideas
March 14th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Can’t wait to start making my cat’s new rats.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Very cute!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Looks interesting book. my kitties would have field day lols
March 14th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Gomez and Chewy want me to win this for them!
March 14th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I can’t believe I forgot to enter to win this book!!
March 14th, 2009 at 9:19 am
what an awesome book!
greener living tip: i just decided to stop using plastic litter box liners… sure it’s a little harder to clean up, but as frequently as you change the litter box, it’s worth it to *not* use that plastic.
March 14th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Anyone look up the video? It’s of a girl showing a toy she’s made for her cat… absolutely adorable!