Holly Tse's book, Make Your Own Cat Toys.
Photo courtesy of Holly Tse.

Hopefully everyone has recovered from their Earth Day festivities. I don’t know about you, but with all the excitement leading up to the day and now that it’s over there’s that anti-climatic buzz kill happening. Well, it may be another 362 days until the next one, but cat lovers can still do their part to keep green.

Homemade cat toys are a great way to help the environment and entertain your little ones. Whenever I try to use a store-bought toy, my cats seem more interested in the packaging than the toy itself. They would probably like the cash I used to buy it more than the toy. Even the receipt that came with my cash withdrawal from the bank to pay for the toy would be more interesting.

The little model cats (mine could totally be models) on the boxes look so happy chasing the electronic mouse or batting at the shiny twirlmigigbobs. There are probably many cats that like them, so why don’t mine? Could it be maybe because, like our mothers, some cats prefer handmade gifts from the heart? I think so.

Many items can be reused for cats toys. According to Holly Tse’s book, Make Your Own Cat Toys, anything from old t-shirts to business cards to CDs can aid in “reducing your cat's carbon paw print” while saving you “some green.” Now just be smart and make sure they're safe.
 

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast:
Not a good way to play with your cat.
 

In one of her creations, she uses a toilet paper roll to make what she calls a Sweep Around. All the reader needs to do is cut parallel lengthwise strips around the roll. This will form the broom’s bristles. You eventually fan them into a broom and sweep it around the carpet. Tse says, “the rustling sound it makes is just like a little mouse.”

Do you have any ideas for homemade cat toys? Share some in the comments section below. I look forward to reading what you’ve created. Even if you found yourself playing with the toy more than your cat, that’s fine, too. Happy eco-friendly cat toy making!