Penny Pinching: Keeping Your Cats Happy On A Budget

By Jamey Walker

So, in this economy we’re all trying a save a buck or two right? I know I’m cutting corners wherever I can so I thought I would throw out some ways to keep our feline companions happy, while maintaining a thrifty budget.

Homemade cat toys are all the rage. There are so many options, I couldn’t possibly name them all and if I tried... I’d probably bore you to death. But some highlights are:




Crumpled up paper, corks or plastic rings (from a milk container) are old School and still on the menu.

Paper bags. Often used in conjunction with the crumpled paper. Toss the wad of paper inside the bag and enjoy the show!

Cardboard boxes: Even just the plain old box will be interesting to your cat. Cut some holes in the sides and attach other boxes and you can create a multi-level cat play house. Attach some dangling rope with a wine cork tied to it and your cat will be in heaven.

The old sock-stuffed-with-catnip (or stuffing) toy. One sock can be cut to create two or three of these little toys. Add a string and a wooden dowel and you have a cheap fishing pole toy!

Ping pong balls: Cheap and amazingly entertaining for your cat to bat around the house.

The newspaper gauntlet: Spread the big Sunday paper all over your floor and throw a toy underneath and watch your cat go crazy!

And... if you’re the handy type, another way to save some $$$ is to make your own cat furniture. There are lots of websites with really creative ways to build these for a fraction of the cost. Here are a few for you to look at:

To make your own cat tree, check out these two websites:

http://www.pandecats.com/x/building_a_cat_tree.shtml
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/7035/tree.html

To make your own cat scratching post, check out this website :

http://my.execpc.com/~happyend/Making%20a%20post.htm

Keeping your cat (and your wallet) happy comes down to your own creativity and if you need inspiration, YouTube is a great place to have a look at what some other people have done. One of my favorite homemade cat scratching post/jungle gyms was made from a “construction horse” .

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