When we had a pair of kittens two years ago, we would get some great entertainment watching them tearing round the living room, chasing anything that moved. Despite the fact that we bought them a few toys from the pet shop, some of their greatest enjoyment came from simple things in the home. Here are some ideas of things I have used in the past for great DIY cat toys:


1: A sheet of newspaper- This is brilliant for kittens and very young cats. Try and prop up the newspaper into a tent shape to enable the kitten to tunnel underneath and hide. They will soon be rolling around on their backs tearing it to shreds.


2: Home made pompom- It is really easy to make a pompom by winding wool around a "doughnut" of two pieces of card, tying it off with a longer length of wool and cutting the wool away from the card. I used to really enjoy making these as a kid. If the pompom is attatched to a long length of wool, it can be pulled along the floor or dangled from a door handle.


3: Chocolate wrappers- Of course, you will need to eat a great big box of choccies for this one! Quality street and Roses wrappers are perfect as they have a really satisftying texture. Just build a few wrappers into a ball and throw it for the cat, or tie the ball to a bit of string and pull it around the floor. If you don't like chocolates, a ball of foil makes a good alternative.


4: Grow your own drugs- Not strictly a toy, but it will entertain your cat! Grow some catnip seeds in a small pot in the garden, and stand by to be entertained as the local cats get high and start falling over!


5: Shoe Box- Having kids, I always end up with loads of shoe boxes. Cats love them! Kittens like to hide in them, and bigger cats will have fun trying to retrieve a hidden toy from underneath an upturned box. Cats also love bigger boxes, such as the ones you get from supermarkets. They love to chew on them and claw them. You cut cut a hole in a larger box, big enough for the cat to squeeze in and out.


6: Cotton reel- Empty cotton reels are great for cats to bat and roll around the carpet as they are light and easy to manoeuvre. In fact, anything that rolls is attractive to cats, including pingpong balls that you can buy from sports shops for about 15p each.


7: A thick glove- For real heavy duty play, wrestle with your cat while wearing a very thick, clawproof glove! Our cat used to love this, and thought the glove was some sort of prey animal and went full blast trying to attack it. She did manage to get through the glove a couple of times though!


8: Stuffed sock- An old sock filled with a bit of newspaper and tied at the end makes a great cat toy. They will tret it like prey, dragging it round the floor and chewing on it. Make sure you use old socks though!


Thanks for reading. I hope this list has given you a few ideas of ways you can have fun with your cat without spending any money. x