Now, don't get me wrong, we'd love you to buy some lovely cat toys from The Cat Gallery, but if you enjoy crafts or just want to save some money, you might want to consider making your own? There's not a lot to lose by giving it a go and imagine the sense of CATisfaction you'll get if your feline friend actually plays with and enjoys your home made toy!

The Cat Gallery Top Tips

1. Start simple - cardboard boxes on the floor keeps our cat, Ethel, amused for ages!

2. Make something that you think your cat will enjoy playing with. Sounds obvious, but no point making a catnip sock if kitty really prefers scratchers.

3. Keep safety in mind. ALL cat toys, whether bought or homemade should be checked regularly to ensure they are fit for purpose.

4. Consider investing in loose catnip (Yeowww) or catnip spray (we like Kong). Although this is money spent, it might transform an otherwise rejected toy into your cat's favourite.

Here are a Few Cat Toy Ideas

How simple is this! A Cat Treat Dispenser consisting of a plastic bottle containing some treats with a couple of holes that allow treats out as kitty bats the bottle around. Our cat Geoffrey used to just like batting this sort of thing around - the treats were an unexpected bonus! This sort of toy can help to make a "greedy" cat work a bit harder for his food.

How about a wine cork covered with knitting? Ingenious! Further details and full instructions available here

Hand sewn catnip pillow. This sort of thing can be bought on ebay, but why not make your own? Have a velcro flap at one end so that you can refill with fresh catnip when your cat's interest starts to wane. The success of this toy will be directly proportional to the quality of the catnip you put inside it.

We only sell one type of loose catnip, because it's the best! Buy Yeowww 1oz loose catnip

Want to Do Some More Research?

Check out our Board of Homemade cat toys on Pinterest

Have a look at this WBCL Blog Post

You could invest in the handy little book published in 2008 called

Make Your Own Cat Toys: Saving The Planet One Cat Toy At A Time
If we've not inspired you sufficiently to make your own, you can buy a great selection of cat toys Here