How to make easy, inexpensive cat toys

This is not a product review, but a tutorial on how I make mountains of cat toys for my local animal shelter. I have been volunteering regularly for years, and it seemed like they were always running low on cat toys because they go through them so quickly. They get quickly worn out through washing or rough play with bored kitties. I started out by buying 3 packs from the local dollar store, but when there are 40-60 cats in shelter at the same time, it got a little expensive to keep them stocked. So I decided to start making them myself out of scraps with my sewing machine.

After much trial and error I came up with a toy that is washable, somewhat durable, and harmless; distilled down to fast & easy construction. No googly eyes or tails to get detached and swallowed. If they get wet, they dry out, yet they are pretty much disposable since there is not a lot of investment here. I thought I would share my process.

You will need:

Felt, or some other fabric that doesn't fray. I have have used denim and Ultrasuede in the past, but find felt the easiest to work with.

Catnip. It grows like a weed where I live, so I harvest and dry the leaves during the summer so I have a good supply the rest of the year. Any catnip available at the pet supply will do, however.

Soft foam, as in the packing material sometimes used in computer shipping boxes. I salvage it from my company IT department. It is also available at Joanne fabrics (although I make sure to buy it on sale or with a coupon) or other craft stores. I also managed to find some at a garage sale once.

Sewing Machine & Thread. I make random pairings of colors, because I am not trying to hide the stitching at all and I often buy thread on sale. I've been known to use red and green at Christmas.


Step 1: Cut out some squares of felt. Approximately 4" - 5" square. This is not an exact science, they can be larger or smaller and of different sizes.

Step 2: Fold the square in half, and cut out a reasonable facsimile of a mouse shape. This is a bit like cutting out paper dolls - the base of the mouse is at the fold.

Step 3: Cut some pieces of foam into small triangular shapes. Again, not an exact science. What you're going for is a little stuffing so the toy will be soft, squishy and a little three dimensional.

 

Step 4: Stuff the toy with a bit of catnip and a piece of foam. Fold it in half to enclose the stuffing. You will need to squish the foam up so it is enclosed and away from the stitch line. It will bounce back once the mouse is sewn up.

 

Step 5: Sew the mouse closed around the stuffing. No need to stitch around the ears. It's fun that they stand up as separate appendages!

Step 6: Trim any threads hanging from the mouse. I start sewing at the tail area of the mouse and end up at the face, that way if there is a tiny bit of thread left on it could be considered whiskers. You don't want to leave on anything big enough that a cat could bite off and swallow... 

Voila! You are done. Add it to the pile and make another.

Feel free to test the quality of your mouse with a helper and bag up the rest to deliver to the shelter:

 

I would be so thrilled to learn that anyone used this tutorial; I have been meaning to post it for along while and finally had some time to do it. I know these toys mean a lot to the shelter cats and it's an easy, inexpensive way to brighten a kitty's day. Thanks for looking!