{"id":816,"date":"2023-06-01T01:19:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T05:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/?p=816"},"modified":"2024-12-06T17:34:33","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T22:34:33","slug":"pet-parenting-on-a-budget-10-common-household-items-that-can-be-used-as-cat-toys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/pet-parenting-on-a-budget-10-common-household-items-that-can-be-used-as-cat-toys\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet Parenting On A Budget: 10 Common Household Items That Can Be Used As Cat Toys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Our pets need toys to keep them busy, mentally stimulated and exercised.  But they get destroyed or lost so easily and constantly buying new ones can be very expensive.  If buying new toys isn\u2019t on your agenda, how about using common household items to entertain your four-legged friends?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Empty Paper or cloth bags.<\/strong> Shopping bags can be turned conveniently into something your cat can lay\/hide in. But remember to chop off the handles and get some breathing holes before making a bag available to the pet so that the kitty does not get stuck in them. To make the experience more fun you can add some cat food to set off a harmless hunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A note of caution: Do not offer plastic bags to your cat.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cardboard Boxes. <\/strong>Felines love to hide in cardboard boxes to feel cozy and safe. You can place a few boxes adhered together and cut out doors\/windows to create a little cat house. Scatter some chunks of cat chews around to healthily busy your furry buddy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic bottle caps.<\/strong> A light object that can be flicked is of great interest to a mouser. It would like to toss it around and then chase it, unleashing its predator trait.
Avoid metal caps, their sharp edges can hurt the pet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dry Leaves.<\/strong> Fallen leaves when filled in a cardboard box add a touch of the outdoors to an indoor plaything. Leaves bring with them the scent of nature and an unusual texture. Partly fill a box with dry\/fallen leaves to increase its appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic bottles.<\/strong> Cats enjoy smacking and scraping plastic bottles. You can fill an empty bottle with sand and permanently seal the gap with glue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balls. <\/strong>Ping-pong or golf balls can be used to initiate a chase. Running behind them is a great form of workout for your kitty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cardboard tubes.<\/strong> Toilet paper and paper towel tubes can be converted into treat dispensers. Cut out holes just big enough for a piece of cat treat\/kibble to slip out. Fill the rolling tube with treats and seal both sides with tape. Voila, a food puzzle toy is ready to be served; it will offer the pet mental as well as physical stimulation and satisfy its hunting needs. A couple of empty tubes stuck together & an edible item placed right in the center is another amusing toy that will without doubt charge up your cat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Used Socks. <\/strong>Your used sock can be a big comforter for your home-alone pet cat. Your smell can help comfort and reduce the cat\u2019s stress when you aren\u2019t around it. You can also fill your sock with cat nip and tightly close the open end; the result will be one euphoric kitty!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ice cubes. <\/strong>These are ideal for the summer months. Throw some on the floor, your kitty will have a gala time sliding on them. Let your cat\u2019s craziness unfold by freezing catnip, fish oil, or chicken broth in ice cubes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Newspaper. <\/strong>Newspaper pages can be left on the floor for your cat to shred. It will also enjoy laying and rolling on them. Paper can be crumpled into a ball that your cat can chase. Some cats look forward to a game of fetch and will bring back the ball to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now your pet has brand-new innovative toys without you having to loosen your purse strings. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our pets need toys to keep them busy, mentally stimulated and exercised.  But they get destroyed or lost so easily and constantly buying new ones can be very expensive.  If buying new toys isn\u2019t on your agenda, how about using common household items to entertain your four-legged friends? Empty Paper or cloth bags. Shopping bags… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,28],"tags":[219,90,221],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":823,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816\/revisions\/823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}