Love on a Shoestring: Cheap and Simple Toys for Your Dog or Cat

Would you love to give your feline or canine companions some fun toys to make their lives more interesting, but don’t have cash to spare?

Fear not! We have some awesome ideas for make-it-yourself toys that cost next to nothing but will get you lots of love and licks. It’s a given that dogs and cats love to eat and play, so the best toys combine the two and make feeding time even more fun!

• Empty plastic bottles (large for dogs, small for cats) are great. Give them a good cleaning and cut a small hole in one side (just large enough for the food to fit through—dry food is best as it’s less messy) and fill the bottle with your dog’s or cat’s dinner. Your animal companion will soon realize that pushing the bottle around magically produces food!
• To cool your canine friend on a hot day, mix dog biscuits with water and vegetable stock. Pour into a container and freeze it overnight. In the morning, your dog will have an ice block to lick to keep cool.
• The next time you’re about to throw out your worn socks—stop! Put them into one sock, tie a firm knot and then stuff this inside another sock and tie again. It’s a cross between a stuffed toy and a tug rope—dogs love it.
• Save cardboard boxes and cut a couple of holes big enough to let your cat pop in and out. Is it a toy? Is it a den? No, it’s a box. But to a kitty, it is all the above!
• To make a noisy cat toy, simply take an old pill bottle (with its safety cap) and clean it well. Put some dry rice inside (which is safe to eat if your cat does manage to break open the container), and you have one interesting toy for your cat to roll around.
• Back to that plastic bottle! Make a hole in the cap and thread a strong piece of string through it. Tie a knot in the string inside the cap and screw the cap back on the bottle. Secure the loose end around a piece of furniture so that it hangs at the height of your animal’s head. Cats, especially, will love to bat at it!

Always make sure that play involving toys is supervised. Why not get your kids to help you and learn about their best friend?  It’s a great way to teach them about caring for animal companions  and may keep them quiet for a few minutes too!

Posted by Claire Fryer