Catnip toys
By catdla1
@catdla1 (6005)
United States
November 24, 2008 2:37pm CST
How many of us have gotten our cats or kittens a new catnip toy for the holidays, only to spend the next day trying to clean up the spilled catnip from all over the house because they tore it open and ran all over the place with it? Not to mention health risks from them trying to eat the shredded fabric from the toy?
I came up with a solution without depriving them of a new toy. You know those single socks we all have that will never be reunited with a missing mate? I use those to make catnip toys for our cats. I simply layer cotton or polyester fiberfill with catnip to fill the sock to desired fullness, then I tie the top into a knot. By doing this, I limit the catnip so that they have fun, without going completely crazy. And it's almost impossible for them to rip the knitted socks.
I also keep my catnip in an airtight container, so a small box actually lasts several years.
Does anyone else have any good ideas for making inexpensive and safe cat toys?
3 people like this
6 responses
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
25 Nov 08
Hello 
When I still lived back at home we bought a huge bag of fresh cat nip and it lasted a few years . My one cat Beanie loved cat nip and we put it in a sock for him and he went crazy and had so much fun . It is so simple putting it in a sock too and that is the best part! I might buy a bag this year for my cat family . over one year ago I had 2 cats and they mated and had kitten 4 of them and i kept them all . Over Christams I bought cat toys and some cat toys with cat nip and they had so much fun, but i think this year will go a little stronger . Let me see if I can find of pic of the cats playing last year! the pic is of them playing on the scratching post that does have nip in it .
Peace and love 
When I still lived back at home we bought a huge bag of fresh cat nip and it lasted a few years . My one cat Beanie loved cat nip and we put it in a sock for him and he went crazy and had so much fun . It is so simple putting it in a sock too and that is the best part! I might buy a bag this year for my cat family . over one year ago I had 2 cats and they mated and had kitten 4 of them and i kept them all . Over Christams I bought cat toys and some cat toys with cat nip and they had so much fun, but i think this year will go a little stronger . Let me see if I can find of pic of the cats playing last year! the pic is of them playing on the scratching post that does have nip in it .
Peace and love 1 person likes this
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
25 Nov 08
Thank you =) Oh yeah it works each time and that is where they usually do all the scratching at too and best is they have fun too .
haooy lotting !
1 person likes this
@surveytaker29345 (489)
• United States
17 Dec 08
I also keep my catnip in an air tight container and store it in the freezer. This makes it last a very long time.
I have never heard of using socks before, but I have made felt toys for my kitties. Several colors of felt are used to make birds, fish and mice and the cats really love when it is time to stuff the toys. I created my own patterns and sewed the toys, but you might be able to find a pattern online.
When it is time to stuff the toys, I used a small funnel. This was a process that the cats greatly enjoyed. I stuffed the toys over a cardboard box to prevent the catnip from getting on the floor and soon the cats jumped into the box. Once you have stuffed the toy continue to sew it up by hand.
These are a bit time consuming, but are really worth it. They are also inexpensive and last a long time. Our have lasted about a year with two cats playing with them. Have fun watching the kitties going crazy over their new toys.
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
17 Dec 08
That's so cute! Turning the toy making into a 'family' project! That would make a really nice picture, you making the toys with the cats waiting.
I have one cat who is docile most of the time...except when she is playing. And it doesn't seem to matter if there's catnip involved or not. I've tried felt in the past, and it's been fine for previous cats. This cat however can rip thru it in about 10 minutes. She even shreds denim. The sock idea came from having all those 'onesies' left in the laundry. So far she hasn't ripped one open..knock on wood. LOL.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Jan 09
LOL--I don't know how I managed to miss this discussion..that's not a bad idea there...I too make my own catnip toys but what I do is "recycle" clothes for that purpose. Don't ask me why, but I have a habit of cutting off the sleeves of my tee-shirts..LOL..just don't like them. So I save the fabric of the sleeves part..I cut it into a shape,sew it a bit up..fill with catnip, then sew the rest up and viola...catnip toy.
1 person likes this
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
24 Nov 08
Yup. Have done the exact same thing! 
Kids socks (toddlers) are a great size for it.
We've never had to clean up catnip, just retrieve the torn sock. Our cat will eat the catnip.
Kids socks (toddlers) are a great size for it.
We've never had to clean up catnip, just retrieve the torn sock. Our cat will eat the catnip.1 person likes this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
24 Nov 08
I would be so lucky to have my cats 'clean up' after themselves like that. I usually use my husbands cotton socks, because they are big enough to be easy to find where ever the cats have lost interest in them, and they don't fit into the vacuum cleaner nozzle.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
16 Aug 09
no ideas here except the fact that you probably already know how they love running in and out of paper bags.anyway, are you sure its the kitties? my coco loves cat toys. and every once in a while she chews one open and like a mouse she has,(its her favorite) i've actually sewed it back together like i used to fix some of the kids toys when they were little
