Cats love to play and it's understandable. It is an activity essential for your well-being, as it inhibits acute and chronic stress. Cats begin to play around two weeks of life, first to catch shadows, thus learning to coordinate.
Play behaviors are very important for a feline, especially if he lives alone (without the presence of other cats). The owner must stimulate this essential behavior, always through toys, and avoiding hands.
In this article on our site we have compiled various crafts from our YouTube channel: 5 jugs Homemade kites for cats - Easy, cheap and recycled. If you're looking for cheap DIY options, you've come to the right place!
1. DIY Cat Toy & Food Dispenser
The first toy we suggest is a food dispenser, commercially known as a kong. It is a toy that stimulates their intelligence and physical activity and is especially positive for cats with anxiety or stress. Find out how to do it in our Youtube video about 3 homemade cat toys or follow the instructions:
Materials
- Bottle
- Ballpoint
- Cutter
- Sandpaper
- Prizes or cat food
As an extra we can add newspaper or colored paper to decorate, feathers, toys, a bell… All the options are valid!
Steps to follow
- Draw small rounds or squares on the plastic bottle.
- Cut out the marks made with the cutter.
- Sand the edges that have been trimmed to prevent the cat from hurting itself.
- Decorate as you like.
- Fill with food and invite your cat to play.
two. Recycled cat litter
Cats are animals with a highly developed hunting instinct, which is why they tend to particularly like this type of toy. Discover our Youtube video about 3 homemade cat toys.
Materials
- Scissors
- Plastic straws or reeds
- Scotch tape
- Glue or liquid silicone
- Rope or cords
- Cloth or plastic bag
To finish the toy you can add small plush toys, chenille shapes (also known as pipe cleaners), balls of wool, etc. You can also enhance the finish with decorative masking tape.
Steps to follow
- Prepare several strips of the same size from the cloth or plastic bag and fold them on themselves. Cut them vertically without reaching the end that joins them.
- Fold the top part and fix it with the adhesive tape, this way you will get a small "jellyfish".
- Tie the jellyfish with string or laces, make sure it's secure!
- Finally, you must attach the string to the straw or plastic cane.
- Then you can add anything you want to complete your unique fishing rod.
3. DIY cat scratcher
There are many types of cat scratchers, but the one we will mention next is especially easy to make, and requires very little materials. You can watch our video on YouTube on how to make a homemade scratching post for cats.
Materials
- Glue or liquid silicone
- Paperboard
- Scotch tape
- Cork (optional)
Steps to follow
- Cut several pieces of cardboard that always have the same width, for example, 10 centimeters. You must respect this measurement so that it is at the same height.
- Start rolling the cardboard strips on themselves and use the glue to secure them.
- When you finish using a strip, before putting the next one, use the chosen adhesive tape so that it does not come apart.
- Continue to enlarge the scraper until you achieve the desired size.
- Fix the final section well with glue to prevent it from opening.
- Finally, you can decorate it with paint or like us, with cork. You choose!
4. Cardboard box for cats
The cardboard box is, without a doubt, one of the most customizable crafts you can do at home. You can watch our video on YouTube on how to make a DIY cardboard cat house.
Materials
- Glue or liquid silicone
- Ballpoint
- Rule
- Carton box
- Paint (optional)
Steps to follow
- Trim the excess base cardboard tabs so they are not uncomfortable for your cat. Then, glue it to keep it together.
- Cut 5 centimeters off each top side of the box, with the intention of making all the top tabs longer.
- Use cardboard folded into a "V" shape to shape the "roof" and help glue the two side tabs together. Then, with the help of the pen, mark the shape of the house on the front and back tabs, cut and paste.
- Next, you can add windows, paint, decorations and even a cushion inside the box. The options are limitless!
5. DIY homemade ball for cats
To finish we will show you how to make a ball for cats with very few materials and that will also help you file your nails naturally. Find out how to do it in our Youtube video about 3 toys for homemade cats.
Materials
- Diary paper
- Glue or liquid silicone
- Scotch tape
- Esparto rope
- Rattle (optional)
- Pens (optional)
Steps to follow
- Crunch a ball of newspaper into a ball.
- Before lining the ball, add the colored feathers (optional).
- Wrap the ball with adhesive tape, in this way it will be well fixed.
- Finally, surround the ball with the esparto rope while you stick it with glue.
- Clever!
