Catnip Kitty: Make Your Own Catnip Toy, with Catnip Video

 Do you have a catnip kitty in your household? You know, one that simply goes crazy for catnip and catnip toys? You can easily make your own catnip cat toys without having to buy them at the pet store! Catnip cat toys can be assembled without real sewing skills, so you don’t have to be a seamstress to craft these simple catnip cat toys.

What you’ll need:

Sheets of felt

Natural catnip

Scissors

Yarn and yarn needle

Aleene’s fabric glue – This glue is stretchable and flexible. It dries clear and it’s nontoxic. Just be sure to let it dry completely before allowing your cat the play with the homemade catnip toys you make with this medium.

Cat jingle balls – The kind you get at the dollar store. They’re made of hard plastic mesh – they’re not solid.

 

Catnip mouse

Make a simple mouse shape on thick paper. Using two thicknesses of gray felt, cut out the shapes. Fill the mouse with natural catnip and secure the edges with the fabric glue. Thread gray yarn and sew a short section to make a tail. Use large knots or loops for the ears and feet. Separate black yarn into thinner fibers and use a needle to make whiskers.

Catnip ball

Fill one of the jingle balls with the natural catnip. You’ll need to cover the ball with fabric if you’re using dried catnip to keep the catnip from falling out. If you’re using fresh catnip leaves, push them through the openings in the ball, then use a pair of tweezers to spread the leaves open so that they’ll be too large to fall out through the cracks. The small jingle bell inside the ball with help stimulate the release of the aroma from the catnip, which is what your cat is after.

Catnip pillow

To make a catnip pillow, simply fold a sheet of felt over and stuff it with natural catnip. Use the fabric glue along the three open sides to secure. To add interest to the pillow, you can seww on loops and strings of yarn.

Catnip mat

This is much the same as the catnip pillow, but larger. Use two sheets of felt for this. Fill them with catnip and secure all four sides with fabric glue. If your cat seems to lose interest in the mat after playing with it a few times, squeeze the pillow and give it a couple of shakes so that more of the catnip oil will be released.

Catnip toy bottle

Use a small plastic bottle, like a soda bottle, for this cat toy. Wash the bottle and make sure it’s completely dry. Fill it with natural catnip and punch small holes in the bottle with an ice pick or the sharp point of the scissors. Your cat will get a workout trying to get to the catnip. If the bottle loses its appeal after a while, add a little catnip oil or catnip spray to the inside and shake the bottle vigorously.

Glow-in-the-dark catnip toy bottle

Use the directions from above to make the bottle toy, just don’t use as much catnip. Place a glow stick inside the bottle, along with the natural catnip. Be sure not to use so much catnip that the glow stick can’t be seen. Now, turn off all the lights and watch your cat have a ball! As your catnip kitty rolls the ball around, the glow stick will stimulate the catnip leaves to release more aroma.

Organic catnip toys

To make organic catnip toys, use natural catnip and organic fabrics like cotton, wool, leather, and linen. To make sure that you’re getting the best catnip available, grow your own. This way, you can be sure that you’re getting organic catnip.

You can also recycle things in your home to make organic catnip toys. Fill an old leather change purse, billfold, or wallet with natural catnip for a great catnip cat toy. The leather will give the cat something to chew on while under the catnip spell, which is good for the feline’s teeth and gums.

An old wool glove or mitten can also be used for an organic catnip toy. Just fill it with natural catnip and tie the wrist opening up securely with yarn.

Why do cats like catnip?

You might be wondering, exactly why do cats like catnip? If your cat is catnip sensitive like the majority of cats are, she’s a catnip kitty! Natural catnip contains a chemical that acts as a sex pheromone to between about 70% and 90% of cats over three months old. Senior citizen cats, however, are largely immune to catnip effects.

Catnip effects

Both you and your catnip kitty friend will totally enjoy playing with these catnip toys! A catnip kitty will chew, bite, rub, poke, bat, and otherwise play excitedly with these toys. This behavior will last just a few minutes – usually about fifteen. After the intense play session, your cat will probably be worn out and want to take a nap. After being away from the catnip effects for an hour or two, your catnip kitty will once again be tantalized by the magical aroma. Don’t overdo it, though! Most veterinarians recommend just a couple of sessions a week with the catnip toy.

 

To view typical catnip effects, watch a catnip video or two, found below!