DYI cat toys, beds and accessories

Ever bought a fancy cat bed only for your cat to sleep in the box it came in? Or spent a lot of money on cat toys your kitty only ignores? In my experience some DYI cat toys and bedding might do the trick and save you a lot!

As I shared in the last post, we just got a cat pet, he’s awesome! I love to cuddle him and playing with him and spoiling him! Enter cat shopping. Over the last couple of months I’ve bought an assortment of cat’s goodies worth a small fortune just to realize a) pets don’t need that much stuff to keep them entertained and stimulated; b) you can make your own pet toys and trinkets to save you a lot of money; and c) just because you bought a fancy pet bed or expensive toys it doesn’t mean your pet will end up using them.

This post is particularly about cat toys and furniture because I own a cat, but I guess some of this tips can adjust to other pets as well.

Some things you can do yourself for your kitty: a bed, a chasing rod toy, a scratcher or a kitty home with cardboard boxes

Cats need stimulation, exercise and entertainment to be happy (aside from a lot of cuddles and kisses). You can provide your cat with this stimulation through cat toys which doesn’t necessarily have to be complicated or extravagant. For my cat the best toys are the ones he can chase. Here I leave you a list of DIY cat accessories that have worked for me very well:

• Best cat toys: rods with ribbons they can chase while you lounge on your couch or bed. Specially at night, before bed time, they can be very useful to tire your little kitty down and prepare him for a good night’s sleep. I built mine with a wooden chopstick, some ribbon and any object you want to attach to one end.

• Best cat bed: carton boxes with rags, old pillows, old towels or a fluffy blanket for winter. Make sure the box is big enough for your kitty to fit comfortably. You can even create a cat cave by taping one flap of the box and leaving a small entrance for a cozy lair.

• Best cat tree or cat tunnel: a building or tunnel made out of carton boxes with different size entrances and holes for the kitty to explore. You can even add some rags or blankets to make a little cozy nest in one section

• Best cat scratcher: pieces of carton glued to further leaving uneven edges for the kitty to scratch and bite

• Other fun cat toys: Carton tubes from toilet paper and kitchen paper towels, small balls, plushies, and old sneaker with laces or a slipper, or basically anything that can be thrown and wiggles.

• Pro tip: always save boxes, chopsticks, ribbons, soda caps, pieces of cloth, carton rolls or any reusable material you can think of to do some fun crafts with the kids or to turn into a toy for your pet. I have a box full of reusable materials I might not use right away but when the opportunity arises I feel grateful for it and it also stimulates my imagination because, since now I have it I now have to use it!

Your cat doesn’t need a lot of material stuff to be happy. You can always reuse and repurpose things around your home for him. For example, you don’t need to buy fancy cat bowls, use a couple from your dinnerware. I adapted a couple of cereal bowls we don’t use very often to turn them into my kitty’s china. And sometimes our pets help us choosing their favorite beds or toys like a comfy couch or one of your kids toys they really like.

Again, the sky is the limit and your imagination will do the trick for you. Can you think of anything else you can do yourself for your little pet?

My cat sleeping everywhere except in the bed I bought him