Cheap Cat Toys

All cat owners know the struggle.  You put a lot of thought into what toy your cat will like and you spend time in the cat aisle just to find the perfect toy mouse or rattle ball.  You bring it home and your cat stares at you like you're stupid.  There goes $5 on one toy that they'll never play with.  However, I have found a very cheap toy that you can get at any store that sells craft items.  Read on to find out more.

Price: $1.99 at Hobby Lobby.

These are craft pom poms.  I bought mine from Hobby Lobby, but you can find them anywhere from Michaels to Walmart.  Mine came in a pack of about 30 and are the size of large cotton balls.  Cotton balls tend to tear apart and cats can try to eat them, but these craft pom poms won't.  They're soft enough to carry around the house but thick enough that cats can't rip them up unless your cat was raised by Edward Scissorhands.

What I like to do is put a few of them in with a bag of catnip and let them sit for a day or two.  When you take them out, they'll smell irresistible to your cats.  I'm not saying every cat will love them  After all, cats are cats.  In my experience though, the catnip really makes the toy attractive to most cats.  I have a 4-5 year old and a 6 month old.  The 4-5 year old carries these around the house every night. I wake up with a number of them in my bedroom every morning.  The 6 month old likes to carry them directly to the kitchen and bat them under the fridge because...cat.  Either way, both of them enjoy these toys and my soul feels a little better knowing that I'm not wasting my money trying to find the miracle toy that both cats love. 

I just had to share these toys because I just spent $20 at Petsmart on different types of toys and I felt so excited, I just knew my cats would love the three toys I got them (yes, 3 toys for $20, ick).  I come home...they couldn't care less.  These puffs are a great way for the cats to play while I'm sleeping or at work so they can be entertained independently.  They're not the end all be all of cat toys, but I think they're worth the price.

Pros:

Cheap

Independent Play

They don't hurt when you step on them (I'm looking at you, rattle ball)

Safe for cats

Cons: 

You have to pick them up every day

You'll need a steady supply of catnip