DIY Projects You Can Make for Your Cat's Enjoyment

Your feline friends can be very loving pets when taken care of, and it can be super adorable to watch them play with new gifts or chow down on little treats for hours on end. If you want to provide a little extra present for your cats at home, there are a ton of things you can give them that they can enjoy in the long run and that you can make them yourself! Not only does this make room for more creative flexibility, but it can also be a satisfying project to accomplish and pass the time by with. Here are some projects you can try out yourself, with different time and resource requirements depending on what you want to put in.

Cats love to climb and perch themselves on high surfaces. So, why not build them some cute shelves to climb around on as they please? With the right materials and some strategic scents, this can also free up those bookshelves and countertops you've always had to sacrifice for your cats' nap time. You can go different ways for this, either by making a standalone tower with levels or by installing some panels to your walls.

You'll also find that it's cheaper to build this yourself. Just get some wooden boards, fabric that your cats like (if you want that added touch), and brackets. For sticking everything together, you'll either want some screws and a drill or a strong construction adhesive. If you want to, for good measure, you can also opt to use both.

This item also has many variations you can choose from, but it's not as complicated as you might think. If you've got a piece of furniture (like a side table or chair leg) that your cat already likes going to town on with their nails, get some sisal rope material and wrap away. It's easy, and you can even colour it to add that aesthetic value.

If you prefer something standalone, you can make a cardboard cat scratcher. Cats love this material for scratching, and all you need are cardboard, a razor, a ruler, and some glue. It's not too time-consuming to make, and you literally just cut strips and glue them together layer by layer.

For this particular version, you'll be crocheting the mouse toy. While that may take a little more time and effort to get done if you're not well-versed in crocheting, it's going to be a labour of love. If you want to make sure your time doesn't go to waste on a toy your cat won't even pay attention to, try putting some catnip inside your creation to make it all the more attractive for them to play with. There are no restrictions on the colours you want to use here or even the size of the toy, and there are patterns you can follow along with.

If you follow through on the pattern, even a beginner at crochet is expected to accomplish this in just under half an hour.

Though not a particular necessity in a cat's daily routine, makingcat grass for them to chew on can be beneficial for their digestion. Munching on it is an instinct for them, so you should have no problem incorporating it into their daily schedule sothat they can get rid of their hairballs, bad breath, and some vitamin deficiencies. All you need is a container, grow stones, a coffee filter, wheatgrass seeds, and some filtered water. Alternatively, you can also use soil instead of rocks. Just fill up your container like you would any plant, and you'll have an excellent resource for maintaining your kitty's health.

This project may be one of the more complicated ones on this list, depending on how much you put into it. That said, it can be a great way to get your cats to exercise as long as you make itenjoyableenough for them to interact with. The worst that could go wrong with this is that it just becomes another pen for them to lounge around in, as is their feline nature.

Put some poles together to weave around in, and add some hoops. Put in a tiny ladder to climb on, and add some tunnels to crawl through. You can use what you have to build this together and even some of the materials you may already have if you accomplished the previous projects above. If your cat is ignoring it, don't force them to interact with it but make it more tempting to play with by putting some catnip, adding scratchable surfaces, and lightly spraying the area with scents that cats like.

Any of these DIY projects can be a fun use of the time that also leads to some good playtime for your cat