Updated: August 11, 2022 by Kristen Chapple
Cats and toys. We all love to see our purring little friends chasing their toys around like crazy. That until they start turning your home upside down in the process. And until you need to replace all the destroyed toys. If you count all the money you could spend on cat toys, the result might be higher than expected. Not to mention the food and all else. So let’s find out how to save money on cat toys.
While there are countless of costly options when it comes to toys, it doesn’t mean that you have to pay for something that can be easily improvised. Whether you paid for the toys or not, your cat won’t give a purr. She’ll enjoy anything that makes her happy.
Ideas on How to Save Money on Cat Toys
The first and most important principle you need to take into account is activating your cat’s hunting instinct. Cats are natural-born predators and for them, fight and play intertwine. In general, in a cat’s world, play is nothing else but training.
So anything they can chase will ring their bells.
A String, a Toy, and a Stick
The first toy idea that comes to most people’s minds is the one tied to a string and a stick. But why buy it when it’s so simple to do it yourself?
Just tie a string to that old fluffy toy your kid doesn’t care about anymore and then find a stick – any stick will work – and tie the other end of the string to it and there you go. Your cat won’t tell the difference. With a little bit of imagination, you can find countless variations. The size of the toy should be about the size of a cat’s natural prey, like birds and mice.
Cardboard Boxes and Shopping Bags
Give your cat a cardboard box and she’ll forget about everything else for hours. Yes, cats love cardboard boxes and shopping bags. They like hiding in small spaces as much as they like hunting and that paper shopping bag you just forgot on the couch is ideal for your little furry friend. Then be careful when stepping around any bags or boxes lying on the floor. You might get ambushed.
Other Toy Ideas
A ball of wrapped paper or anything that makes noise will do. A simple ping pong ball will also put your cat into chase mode and if you can put some rice into a plastic Kinder egg, even better. That will make wonders for your cat’s predatory instincts.
Another thing that will keep your cat super entertained is a laser pointer that you might have bought with entirely different purposes and forgot somewhere in a drawer.
As you can see, there are countless of free options for cat toys and there’s no real need for you to spend money on them, as you can adapt whatever you can find at home into something your cat will love chasing all day long.
