You know the look. It’s the cat expression that says, “I don’t have anything to play with.” What can you do? With some simple items you have in your house already, you can make a new toy.
All you need is the cardboard core of a toilet paper roll, a pair of scissors, and a pen.
Use your pent to mark where you plan to cut. The old saying is measure twice, cut once. I made marks 1/4″ apart.
Use your scissors to cut the tube at the pen marks. I found it easiest to start the cuts if I pinched the tube flat temporarily so I could make one cut across and have a clean segment of the tube.
You can see in the photo below that the cardboard hoops I cut off the tube still look a little pinched from when I cut them.
Put one of the cardboard hoops through another one.
Then add another.
Slide a fourth cardboard hoop around the outside of the other three and wiggle them around, if necessary, to make your ball.
It sounds easy, doesn’t it? But the important part is whether it helps with cat boredom.
Pierre approved.
Newton, on the other hand, disassembled the ball immediately. He is into destructiviest art.
If you have a cat like Newton, you could use some non-toxic glue to hold the ball together when your kitty starts playing rough with it. But it’s easy to reassemble again so there’s more fun.
Now you’ll never be out of cat toys again, no matter how many are lost forever under the refrigerator! Have you ever made a cat toy out of something you had around the house?
Summer says
February 3, 2017 at 2:56 amYou can also put cat treats inside!
Random Felines says
February 3, 2017 at 10:07 amcute – we have a few tubes around the house in their original form – we may have to get mom to break out the scissors
Annie says
February 3, 2017 at 11:01 amWhat a great idea! Pierrot, like Newton, would probably have it apart in short time.
Pierre looks so cute up there in that top pic.
mommakatandherbearcat says
February 3, 2017 at 11:28 amI did an entire post about (cheap and easy) homemade toys a year ago. Bear’s more destructive tendencies come out when he’s bored and so I got the brilliant idea to make a ton of toys so he’d always find something to play with. Or not. Turns out that Bear’s favorite part of playing is destroying … which was relatively easy with store bought toys but not so much with my homemade counterparts that I double and triple and quadruple reinforced to be Bear proof. Of course, he also refuses to give me the satisfaction of playing with anything I set out for him while I’m around. I made these right away (I got two balls from one roll) and they got a sniff … but I guarantee you that when I wake up tomorrow, I will have to look for them … so thank you for that! Do you mind if I add them to my original post (my own pictures, my own explanation of course)? If you’re interested … http://mommakatandherbearcat.blogspot.com/2016/04/claws-and-fangs-at-play-homemade-edition.html (I’m in the process of re-editing the less than decent pictures … so I apologize for that).
mommakatandherbearcat says
February 3, 2017 at 11:31 amIf I haven’t told you recently … I love your boys 🙂
Ashton too … we need to see more of her!
Sometimes Cats Herd You says
February 3, 2017 at 11:51 amOf course you can add this toy to your post! This idea has been floating around the internet for a while, so ti’s not unique. I didn’t want to credit the wrong originator, so didn’t know who to credit with the clever idea!
Cathy Keisha says
February 3, 2017 at 11:42 amI’ll bet TW could do that. Cod knows I won’t play with an intact and whole tube. She might have to add a bell or something inside to get my attention. Thanks for the idea.
da tabbies o trout towne says
February 3, 2017 at 11:52 amdoodz…..total lee kewl idea !!! thanx for sharin ….de food gurl made a cat nip toy outta sum spare fleece……we played with it for bout ~~~~~~~ 2 minitz and 94 secondz ~~ 🙂
heerz two a golden shiner kinda week oh end ♥♥♥
Madi says
February 3, 2017 at 1:11 pmOh my word that is just about the cutest DYI toy I have ever seen
Your peeps are clever. Now mom is off to see if there is a discarded TP holder in the recycle bin
Hugs madi your bfff
Brian says
February 3, 2017 at 2:18 pmThat is very cool, we would chase it around!
Colehaus Cats says
February 3, 2017 at 3:26 pmWhat a wonderful toy! Some of us, as kittens, used to play with toilet paper tubes but now that’s we older and wiser, those don’t interest us. But now, toilet paper ball toys, that just might review our love of those things! Thank you!
Three Chatty Cats says
February 3, 2017 at 3:29 pmThat is a very cool DIY toy!
The Florida Furkids says
February 3, 2017 at 4:03 pmWhat a cool toy! Mom MIGHT be able to handle making one – she’s not very crafty.
The Florida Furkids
Caren Gittleman says
February 3, 2017 at 4:22 pmthat is so clever!! Thank you! I might try that! Yep, I made a treat dispenser once out of an old Land ‘O Lakes Tub 🙂
The Island Cats says
February 3, 2017 at 6:22 pmWow, that’s something the mom could even make without screwing it up too bad.
Melissa & Mudpie says
February 3, 2017 at 6:25 pmWhat a fun idea! I think Mudpie would like that.
Her favorite thing right now is candy wrappers. I take the empty wrappers from a couple Dove chocolates, roll them into a ball, flick it across the room, and she’s done for…
Laila and Minchie says
February 3, 2017 at 8:09 pmMom said she will make that toy for us this weekend. Looks like a lot of fun!
Ellen Pilch says
February 3, 2017 at 8:57 pmThat is a great idea.
William's Kith & Kin says
February 4, 2017 at 12:58 pmHmm. We should get our mom to make one. After all, the King of Cardboard Biters (our old bro William) won’t be able to get to it from the Bridge!
Mark's Mews says
February 4, 2017 at 1:14 pmThat is clever! I am good ta go with the whole tube as-is (and I even rip up cardboard egg cartons), but a change like that would be nice. ~ IZA
emma and buster says
February 4, 2017 at 3:19 pmThat is cool. Although we play with it just the way it is!
mariodacat says
February 4, 2017 at 4:01 pmKatieIsabella sent me over to see this, cuz they thought it was pretty cool. I think so too, so M said she’d try making it for me. Thanks for sharing.
Raven says
February 4, 2017 at 6:58 pmThat’s a cute and easy idea.
My cat Felix liked to shove his paw through the entire tube to push out little balls send them rolling across the floor.
MR Puddy says
February 4, 2017 at 7:58 pmOh Thank you very much!
I will ask mom to make some for me =^x^=
Connie says
February 6, 2017 at 10:36 amI was wondering what would keep it together.. lol.
Seville at Nerissa's Life says
February 6, 2017 at 2:58 pmOh my mouses! This looks like such fun!!! I’m gonna see if the peep has any of those empty rolls layin’ about right now. PURRS.
Elise says
February 6, 2017 at 3:13 pmOmg genius!! Such a good idea; I need to try this soon!
Sarah says
February 8, 2017 at 3:44 pmThat looks like a lot of fun to destroy. Maybe we can get our human to make us one.