Cat toys are your second best friend.
Your cat is your first, of course!
I’m currently fostering a litter of kittens and their mama for my local animal shelter, which means that I have SEVEN cats inside my house right now. Four of them are month-old kittens full of energy, one is a semi-feral nursing mother who regularly patrols the place looking for gaps in security, one is a ginger guy who never seems to get a turn at the brain cell, and one is a cranky old lady who wishes that all the other cats (and the dog, and maybe half the people) would just hurry up and die already.
We rely on a LOT of cat toys, treats, puzzles, and other cat enrichment around here.
Cat enrichment is so important to the physical and emotional well-being of your cats. Don’t let your tiny hunters suffer from boredom; instead, check out this list of my favorite cat enrichment items below, and make your best friend their new favorite toy!
corrugated cardboard box cat scratcher. Cats LOVE sharpening their claws on corrugated cardboard. Upcycle several corrugated cardboard boxes into an easy DIY cat scratcher and save your couch!
macaron. Your kitty likes the occasional bougie treat, too! This toy is easy to make from either fleece or felt, and is a good little scrapbusting project.
rope-wrapped scratching post. Cats who love to stretch up and scratch will love this rope-wrapped wood post. Dye the rope for even more cuteness!
no-sew refillable toy. I LOVE the idea of a refillable toy. Pop in a regular serving of catnip, or put in the occasional crinkly cellophane or jingle bells.
crocheted door knob hanger. This fun toy hangs from a door knob, so your cat can play even when you, yourself, are otherwise engaged!
cork toys. Corks are the perfect size and weight for a cat to bat around. Add some embellishments for extra fun (and to help you find them under the couch…).
catfish. Crochet this simple little fish using any scrap yarn. Fill with dried catnip for an extra treat!
magnetic toy. The magnet makes this dangling cat toy come alive.
corrugated cardboard toy. Use up the cardboard scraps from your cat scratcher project to make this toy that’s super fun for cats to bat.
cardboard hidey hole puzzle. Make this puzzle toy by cutting holes in the top of any sealable cardboard box, then putting a toy that’s larger than the holes inside.
felt mouse. The extensive walk-through tutorial for this felt mouse makes it a wonderful beginner hand-sewing project, even for younger children.
hollow cardboard shapes. Build your own or thrift cardboard or papier mache shapes, then add catnip and embellish.
knotted T-shirt toy. This no-sew toy is a great way to use up old, stained or torn T-shirts. Make it in batches, add some catnip, and donate to your local animal shelter!
no-sew scrap fleece toy. This no-sew toy is a great way to use up some of your fleece scraps. Cut the twine after tying it off to make a toy a cat can bat around, and leave the twine on to make a toy that you can dangle. Long twine is a strangulation hazard, so put the fun dangly away when you’re not supervising.
kicking toy. It’s adorable to watch cats get their murder on with this fun toy. It’s long enough that they can hang onto it with their front paws while kicking the snot out of it with their back feet!
rainbow cloud toy. My favorite thing about this easy-to-sew toy is the hook-and-loop tape, so you can easily refill it with catnip!
play gym. It’s like a baby gym, but with ribbons!
ribbon wand. I originally made this ribbon wand for kids to play with, but you know who else LOVES ribbon wands? CATS, that’s who!
toilet paper tube ball. Based on your search keywords, y’all LOVE yourselves some toilet paper tube crafts! This toilet paper tube ball is so light that it skitters gloriously across the floor just like a terrified prey animal–my cats LOVE it! I don’t use the staple, though; I just let my cats take the ball apart, then recycle it as usual.
toilet paper tube puzzle. Encourage your favorite cat to put its thinking cap on and score the treats from this puzzle. Bonus: you can upcycle SO many toilet paper tubes!
Do you have any great enrichment projects that your cat loves? Tell me about them in the Comments!