Home Made, Recycled-Content Cat Toy

HOW TO: Recycled-Content Cat Toy
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am OBSESSED with my cats. I love them. I am 33 and don't have children yet, so all of my motherly-instinctive love goes to my two furballs, Shea and Kalyana-mitta.

While I don't like to throw things away, I am a huge proponent of giving things to Goodwill that are no longer useful in my house - one person's trash is another person's treasure (as the old adage goes). BUT, before I give anything away, I always keep it a bit and ponder what might be done with it, what useful thing could I make it into.... not all of these endeavors to turn "trash into treasure" are successful, but this project takes the cake for longevity and enjoyment!

Here's directions for making a Home Made Catnip Toy for your pussy!

Materials:
-used plastic bags
-umbrella cover or an old sock (you know, that one missing a mate, stolen by that wily Laundry Monster we all run into on occassion)
-copious amounts of catnip
-needle and thread
Time: Depending on how quickly you sew, this could take you anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

1. Take that weird umbrella sleeve-thingy you get with a new umbrella that you never use (!), or an old sock. If you're using the sock, cut the sock just above the ankle (where it curves as it leads into the foot area of the sock), essentially cutting the sock in half. You'll be using the leg portion of the sock, not the foot.

2. Cut the used plastic bags in half. I used about two plastic bags for the toy I made using the umbrella sleeve. I used one used plastic bag for an old sock.

3. If using a sock, sew up one end of the sock with the needle and thread. This isn't a beauty contest, so just sew it so that it's a tight, straight stitch and the catnip can't wiggle its way out.


4. Pour some cat nip into the umbrella sleeve or sewn-up-sock.

5. Krinkle the plastic bag and stuff it into the umbrella sleeve or sewn-up-sock.

6. Add more catnip, then plastic bag, and so on, until the sleeve or sock is stuffed full of both.

7. Sew up the open end of the sleeve or sock and, viola, you've got yourself a recycled-content, home made cat nip toy!

8. Tease your cat with it and watch them work themselves into a cat nip coma!

Enjoy!*












*These will eventually become covered in drool and dirt (if they play with them on the floor), so they will need to eventually be thrown out and you'll need to make a new one. The black-with-multi-colored-circles toy pictured above is about 4 years old. The cats still love it and because of the material (umbrella sleeve) it's far outlasted the old socks. But the socks hold their own as well, lasting at least a year or more.