Fun DIY Cat Toy for Active Indoor Kitties

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If you spend more than 30 seconds on my blog then you will learn about my two awesome daughters, Darah and Layah, because I write about them pretty much nonstop. But you might have to dig a little deeper to learn about the other 3 girls who take up residence in the House of M. This post is all about my fur babies and some things we do to help them stay active and vibrant. If you haven’t already met them, here’s your chance.

Hattie: Maine Coon, age 15, with us for 11 years, alpha kitty.

Ginger: Ragdoll, age 13, with us 3 months, wannabe alpha kitty and MAJOR cuddle bug.

Ruby: Mackerel Tabby, age 1 1/2, with us 1 year, runt of our makeshift litter, patiently awaiting her turn to rule.

So as you can see, we have 2 senior cats and one young adult kitty. Even though they delight in hissing at her, Ruby is so helpful for Ginger and Hattie because as a younger cat with lots of energy and curiosity, she helps keep the older cats active.  It’s not unusual for Ruby to start chasing a toy and for her actions to inspire the granny kitties to join in on the hunt.

To keep our indoor only cats active, we’ve purchased loads of cat toys over the years. In many instances, one of our little lionesses (usually Hattie) has broken the toy within 5 minutes (especially if there’s string involved…chewing through string is pretty much Hattie’s favorite pastime). So now we try to offer DIY cat toys as much as possible. Honestly, it’s a fun challenge for our kids to create new toys that the cats will enjoy and it’s much more friendly on our wallets. The cat toy for today’s tutorial, for example, is entirely made of found objects in the home and is something younger kids can create on their own!

DIY Cat Ball and String Toy

Supplies Needed:

• 1 toilet paper cardboard tube
• Yarn or string
• Scissors

Step 1. Give your toilet paper roll a bit of a squish in the middle so that it’s easier to cut.

Step 2. Cut the cardboard tube into 4 round strips, roughly 1/2 inch wide each (no need to stress over it…just eyeball it!). You will have some leftover roll, just FYI.

Step 3. Put the pieces together to form a sphere. Begin by making a cross like this:

Then add 2 more pieces so it looks like this:

Step 4. Tie a bit of string around all the pieces to help hold them together. You can either cut off the string beyond the knot for the toy to be just a ball, or you can leave a long string on there to make the ball something that the cats can chase with your help.

Now let the wild rumpus start!

In addition to providing fun enrichment opportunities, we also make sure that the fuel we give the cats in their food bowls is designed to promote health and vitality. Our latest find is Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Indoor Complete Chicken with Lentils & Salmon Recipe. Right after a fierce “hunting” session with the toys they love to get to eat, and this is a product that I feel good about offering and that all 3 of them (and let me tell you, that’s not an easy thing to find!).

Ginger, our most recent addition, is the world’s toughest judge of cat food. She is EXTREMELY selective and we are also 99% sure that her previous owner just fed her human food, so even though she’s been with us for 3 months, now, we continue to struggle to get her excited about cat food. I think Nutrish Indoor Complete is a winner for her because the #1 ingredient is something humans also eat: real, U.S. farm-raised chicken! It also contains real salmon. This kitty knows the difference between “the good stuff” and imitations! I like that Nutrish Indoor Complete is specially formulated to meet the needs of adult indoor cats (1 year or older), especially concerning weight, digestion and immunity. Additionally, there are no ingredients from China, as that can be a source of concern in terms of quality.

We found this product at our local Walmart, but you can also find it online at Chewy.com, Amazon.com or Jet.com. If you are headed out to a store to find a bag for your feline friends, be sure to print this online coupon for $2 off Nutrish Indoor Complete! You can print it 2 times and you have 30 days from the time you print to redeem it. 🙂

One final thing I really love about this brand: a portion of proceeds from each sale of Nutrish is donated to The Rachael Ray Foundation, which helps animals in need through Rachael’s Rescue. As of December 2016, this organization has donated more than $17.5 million dollars to pet charities and other organizations that are working for the greater good of animals. All 3 of our fur babies came from animal shelters, and we have benefited tremendously from the love and fun these animals have had to offer. We are so grateful the shelters exist to offer a safe environment while they wait for their forever families. I like supporting companies that give back in meaningful ways!

I’d love to hear about how your cats respond to the fun DIY cat toy and to Nutrish Indoor Complete! Get your coupon and gather your supplies, and let me know how it all turns out!